'How does it begin?'

Well, it begins with the leaf on a branch, the curve of the road, the music played, or the conversation overheard ~ it’s the association, the connection, the fusion of memories and feelings. That spark of creativity.

The bright, warm, and joyful bird is such a contrast to the monotone colors of the naked tree and crisp cold air. There is an absolute beauty in this contrast of colors, of a beginning and ending of the season.

These feelings, associations, connections, memories…all begin to reveal shapes and colors and movement ~ the magnetic parts of the artistic vision… This is my time and space ~ what I call the “flow”. This “space” is fluid, pliable, unconventional and full of senses and emotions. It connects past and future, reality and fantasy. There is no “shall”. Only FREEDOM!

Bringing solid colors of clay into the patterns that translate the ambiance of the final image is the most challenging part for me. I find my mind “dancing” between the known and the new, between reality and fiction. The process offers the thrill of risk and discovery.

The next step commands a strong discipline. The composition on the glass vessel, the accuracy of thin slices from a pattern. New ideas are revealed throughout the process…and I balance my impulse to play with my need to stay the course to the finished product. To the final expression of the original creative spark.

December 15th, 2021

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'Depth' ~ Love and Loss

Story by Galina Szakacs

It is one year after the devastating loss of my mother, Mila. The intensity of grief, hot and red feelings, subsides to a monotonous desert of the beige colors of loss.

Here and there between the dunes I see the jewels of depth ~ gratefulness, love and wisdom. I learn to embrace the paradox of Loss and Gifts.

Creating "Depth" was a revelation process.  I imagined the top of the vase as a nice blue sky meeting the soft beige bottom.  Not until I started first line of “sky” the depth of the vase was revealed to me…  Suddenly the feelings and vision changed, I saw the depth and decided not to continue with the blue sky.

The work with Depth opened to me a different view on working with vessels.  I started to see a vase as a "body" vs. just a dress, a "trunk" of the tree, not just leaves, a "womb" of the ocean vs. just beautiful waves.  Does it make sense?

November 24, 2021

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'Beautiful Soul' - A Friend's Story

This story was told by Janice to Galina

My friend Kim lived next us.  She was 3 years younger, brown eyes, brown hair – totally different from me, but we were soul-sisters.  We spent a lot time together, playing, talking, and dreaming.

After high school, our roads went in different directions, but we always felt and knew about the soul-bond…  Kim was an artist and free spirit.  I was managing a restaurant and volunteering for a rape crisis center.

At age 21, Kim was diagnosed with melanoma.  It was hard to comprehend the level of tragedy…  In the next two years we kept in touch and saw each other on holidays.  When I received a phone call I knew that I needed to see her to understand that it is real – Kim was dying…  She was waiting for me.  I was nervous about what I would experience. 

I saw Kim on the last day of her life.  We talked, hugged…  She was beautiful.

Kim gave me an understanding of friendship, people’s dreams and vulnerability, meaning of life and giving back.

Galina’s vision of “Beautiful Soul”

I saw bright and beautiful young flowers playing on a green field.  The colors from artist's pallet splashed on the flowers. 

They met again, two trees, different in their choices, but deep inside understanding each other without words.  The danger is closing around Weeping Willow, but the hope is leaving us last.

There was a strong desire from Both Souls to meet, to touch and say Goodbye...  The beautiful purple flowers left us. 

September 2nd, 2021

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