The Blending of Art and Poetry

 My local museum ... a treasured get away!

Have you ever heard of Ekphrastic Poetry?

Well I hadn't before until I was challenged by

my local Poetry Society

to study the technique and write a poem
about a piece of art from the museum's
latest gallery exhibit
"New Waves 2013"
This certainly excited the artist/poet in me!

Ekphrastic Poetry is writing a poem about

an inspiration that comes from a particular work of art.

There was a new exhibit at MOCA

(Museum of Contemporary Art)

here in my hometown of

Virginia Beach, VA

It is special to me already 

for this is where

my son and his wife

had their wedding reception two years ago!

I have also participated in Art Shows there

and have taught art classes in their Studio School.

So off I went on an Artist Date with myself,

to see the new exhibit and pick just one piece of artwork

that would speak to me

to write a poem about,
I didn't think this was going to be easy.

There were so many beautiful works of art

during the new exhibit
I had no idea which one to choose,

but I was then drawn to a very large

collaged canvas

entitled

"A Midsummer's Night Dream XVI"

I admired the piece because it was a collaboration

of art students from Norfolk, Virginia

guided by artist Tim Rollins;

they used watercolors, fruit juices, india inks, 

rag papers and metallics to paint and tear

different shapes of papers into flower images,

of course being a collage artist myself,

I was immediately intrigued by this piece!

I stayed in front of this work of art for quite a long time,

jotting words and phrases that came to mind,

trying to create a poem from the intense image

that was in front of me.

I then discovered beneath the pasted flowers

were the words and script from

Shakespeare's "A Midsummer's Night Dream",

it was the underlying groundwork

placed onto the canvas first,

then the flowers were carefully pasted on top of the script,

a hidden gift for me to discover,

It really did take my breath away!

So yes I did create my poetry this past Sunday Morning,

yes I did come to the Poetry Reading at the museum one evening

and yes I did share my poem out loud!

What an incredible experience it was.

Hearing your own voice reading your own words 

coming through a microphone

out loud to others

can be daunting!

I learned a new technique in my Poetry writing

and I loved the experience of it all.

Especially being able to combine two things

I am passionate about,

Art and Poetry

And yes I did find time to practice a little

Self Portraiture!

I am always learning

always reaching

always trying something new!

Step out of your comfort zone,

try something totally new

you won't be disappointed!

Life is just full of creative adventures

but you do have to look for them,

don't stay in the same boring place all the time!

Look inwardly and Reach out 

experiment with what life has to offer

Your beautiful self can do it!

Donna Lee Zeppieri Wynn