Wendy's Story

I first met Vjekoslav Nemesh through reiki and was aware of his art work and intuitive style of painting; however, it was some time before I decided to attend his painting classes. Although I have always been creative and arty, mainly focusing on fabric painting and fibre art, I had not previously used oil paints on stretched canvases. In or about July 2004 I purchased my first canvas and set off for my first lesson. I thought that I was just being given a lesson in how to use a palette knife and blend colours and how to use a rubber shaper to get some special effects. As the painting progressed and the canvas nearly completed, Vjekoslav suddenly called out "stop". I didn't yet have a trained eye and would have completely wiped out the very masculine looking image that had presented in my painting! I was so busy blending and mixing that I hadn't noticed what was happening. I became transfixed by this image and could not stop staring at it. I remember repeating over and over "where did that come from?" Does this usually happen with your students and their first paintings? You could say I was completely hooked and captivated right from the first lesson.

After approximately ten lessons I decided to have two weeks alone and to paint as though it was my full time job to see what would happen. Right
from the first painting my own style presented and after two weeks I had seven very interesting paintings that totally captivated my attention. I
felt there was potential and also realized that I had passion and commitment. A strong desire to create and to share with others. My job as
a legal executive had come to an end following the death of our principal and I felt that I desperately needed a rest from conveyancing. It was an
opportune time to try something completely different. With Vjekoslav's help and guidance I bravely stepped out on to the path and called myself
'artist'.

A leap of faith is how I would describe the way I work. Apart from knowing which canvas I will use and which paints there is no plan and the resulting
work is as much a delight and surprise to me as to anyone. There is a wonderful sense of freedom and I find painting this way focuses my attention
in the present moment for long periods of time. In fact time slips away, three hours can vanish as if three minutes. I find that having no specific plan results in compositions far more interesting and creative than I could ever consciously conceive.

I am fascinated by the point where the physical meets the spiritual. After a close friend died, followed soon afterwards by my brother, I dealt with my
grief by painting and writing. It gave me a strong sense of connection to something beyond myself and lifted me to a more sensitive level. I found
that my paintings were full of symbolism and messages. Although connected to the process, I wasn't painting consciously and sometimes it would take me weeks or even months after finishing a painting to see the images and "read" the messages hidden in the layers of paint. I had a strong sense that I
wasn't alone, there was someone looking over my shoulder and trying as hard to communicate with me as I was with them.

I found that I could do commission work for others which would produce images very specifically for them. The paintings I have done this way all look very different to each other and seem to resonate strongly with the person receiving them.

I paint with a sense of fascination and wonderment. It can sometimes be frustrating as I go round in circles, each painting can present like a movie changing through many scenes before fixing at a certain point in time.

I'm interested in the cross over effect of 'where do I end and you begin'. We all share thoughts and ideas. We are all products of the society in which we live. Many of us travel. Some of those close to us are in the physical world and some are in the spirit world. People around us shape our lives as surely as we shape theirs. It may also be pure fantasy and imagination that shapes us as in the case of actors on movie and television screens. We become multilayered and multi faceted. We forget why we act and think in different ways. We are all brainwashed and conditioned, by the media and each other.

When I paint I feel like I go to a different space that is not entirely of this world. Where there is a freedom not experienced in conscious time. Freedom from rules and conditioning.

I see painting as a form of communication where it is possible to tell a story by painting feelings and emotions. I find that my paintings touch people emotionally.

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All content © Wendy Worley, 2005. No images may be reproduced, distributed or sold.