Giving Thanks

Norman Rockwell, “The Thanksgiving Picture”, 1942, oil on canvas.

“The Thanksgiving Picture”, is one of four oil paintings by the American artist, Norman Rockwell, that depicts our country’s Four Freedoms. These works were inspired by United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1941 State of the Union Address, known as Four Freedoms.

“The Thanksgiving Picture” was created in November 1942 and published in the March 6, 1943 issue of The Saturday Evening Post. The persons in the painting were friends and family of Rockwell in Arlington, Vermont. It has become an iconic representation of the Thanksgiving holiday, as well as family holiday gatherings in general.

The holidays are upon us! A time for family and friends to reunite, to rejoice, to be grateful for one another. It’s a time of flurries of snow and warm fires. It’s a time for PARTIES! For many this time of the year is full of joy. But for some it is a time of anxiety and loneliness.

For 23 and a half years I have been sober. Each and everyday I am forever grateful for my sobriety. But I admit that this time of the year can still be tough. Oh, that first sip of champagne, that first sip of white wine…what a cheerful way to get in the festive mood! And seemingly the more alcohol I consumed the more cheerful I became. But all that was a ruse.

“Tis the season to be jolly”…and jolly for me is a clear mind, memorable moments with my children and grandsons, moments I will never forget…fun gatherings with friends…a quiet night with hot cocoa enjoying a fire.

Happy Holidays to you all! A time of blessed joy!

Finding Courage in the Chaos

Hokusai, The Great Wave, 1830, woodblock

I believe that we all recognize the chaos and challenges we are living through today. But we must face them with courage and determination and hope. Hokusai’s “Great Wave” is a beautiful example of courage in the midst of chaos.

Katsushika Hokusai (c. 31 October 1760 – 10 May 1849), known simply as Hokusai, was a Japanese artist of “ukiyo-e”, which means “floating world”, referring to the temporary nature of life. He expressed this through his woodblocks and paintings. Born in Edo (now Tokyo), Hokusai is best known as an artist of the woodblock print series, “Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji”, which includes the internationally renown print, “The Great Wave“. Hokusai is considered by many Western artists, critics, and art lovers alike, as the most prominent Asian artist.

Hokusai draws the viewer into the foreground by placing a threatening gigantic wave about to crash down on three fishing boats. We feel the panic of the oarsman struggling to survive. As the wave breaks, its foam forms a claw-like crest ready to devour the boat and oarsmen who appear insignificant. The wave creates an empty space. Many art scholars believe that this space allows us to see Hokusai’s central focus, a small but solid Mt Fuji. The mountain is a symbol of strength and power of an isolated Japan, vulnerable to foreign attack. In the Buddhist tradition, Mt. Fuji, the sacred and tallest mountain in Japan, held the secret to immortality (Fuji means “not death”). Hokusai focuses on one wave that is about to break. The wave and the oarsmen are frozen in time.

The great wave moves left to right like Westerners read. Hokusai uses geometry to build the composition. Circles and triangles allow our eyes to move around the print. A diagonal line connects the great wave to Mt. Fuji. A smaller wave is in front of the great wall of water and echoes the shape of Mt. Fuji in the background. These simple shapes suggest motion and create visual dynamics. The new and vibrant synthetic pigment from Europe, Prussian blue, creates subtle highlights on the water and definition in the waves. Dark blue, a “cool” color, is pervasive throughout the woodcut and emits the feeling of powerlessness. Hokusai makes a curl between the wave and the sky; it resembles the yin/yang symbol. The sea is stormy, yet the sun continues to shine.

Hokusai is asking us to reflect upon the tranquil moment before a wave breaks and chaos erupts. One cannot predict Nature. Waves can be deadly. They can destroy us or we can go with the flow and believe in ourselves and fight.