Dream series, the Beginning (The House on the Hill) - from Cheryl Penn

[Marie Wintzer]

During the last months we have seen some of Cheryl's Dreams resurface. Most of them were wintery Nightmares, inhabited by blinded Pigs, haunted by Monsters of all kinds. This recent series is a continuation of it, but also a new start. We are clearly slipping into a warmer and less tormented season. Without ever leaving the Fantasy behind, of course...

 

Somewhere in the outskirts of Glen Anil, Durban, there is a House on the Hill. The House really does exist. It is hidden by bushes, by trees, nobody knows who is living there. It didn't take long for Cheryl to populate it with Imaginary Characters, adding her own layer to the mystery of the place, and making it a perfect start to a new mail art series.

 

Windows and Curtains. Someone once said "You and your room with a view! You can look out. But who's looking in?". I believe the answer is here in this very piece. People do (try to) look in, even through Curtains. And is this even a Dream in the first place? Not sure. Dream or not, I really like the way House and Window are used in this piece. Windows are the bridge between inside and out, between the soul and the outer world. Mountains of symbolism to be found there. I think I would like to quote a poem by Cavaffy, because it describes very well some of the dilemmas we might have with our Windows:

The Windows
In these darkened rooms, where
I spend oppressive days,
I pace to and fro to find the windows.
When a window opens, it will be a consolation.
But the windows cannot be found, or I cannot find them.
And maybe it is best that I do not find them.
Maybe the light will be a new tyranny.
Who knows what new things it will reveal?

 

Through the Curtains of this Window, our mind has drawn a furtive silhouette. Someone is in the House, about to find out. This is where the actual Dream unfolds. And this is where I can see an immense gap between a true artist (painter) and the rest of us (I am mostly speaking for myself). To achieve that kind of light, the suggestion of curtains (stencil with real curtains?), the depiction of the scene happening inside the house and seen from outside, you need to be Cheryl Penn :-))
I have first hand information that more Dreams are on their way to Wakoshi. Are we going to find out a bit more about what happened in that House? Are we going to plunge deeper into the mystery of the story? Quite frankly, I can't wait!

 

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

A beautiful piece! Amazing work, cheryl! Real curtain, too? And 'love the Cavafy poem, Marie. Beautiful blog!

[cheryl penn]

Finish. Not this time :-) - life as he knows it is finished.  Once the wind blows and the curtains lift and They come - he is finished.

[prettylily]

I love how Cheryl uses text in her work.  This is a beautiful, mysterious piece.  Glad you blogged it.

[Marie Wintzer]

Thank you Judith!

Oh, I actually just noticed the word FINISH. Hmm...

[Marie Wintzer]

QB :-))) what an honor! So nice of you cp-sa. I don't make it look amazing, it is ALREADY very muchly amazing! And I like the way it can be folded into various combinations (I forgot the name of those A4 sheet books). The smell of paint is still very strong, I like it a lot.

[cheryl penn]

Hey Sweet Pea - Ok - there are a lot of titles given out here - But You Madam are the Queen Bloger QB for short! You make  EVERYONE's work look amazing :-) - Thank you! Wonderful poem - MAN! Yes - REAL curtain fabric was used in the making of this drama :-))) XX