Vision and Dream:
The Art of Marja Lee Kruÿt
*Click on the images to see larger versions
"Beneath the Water"
I've always been interested in dreams," says Marja. "And in myth, mysticism, and symbolism. Through the use of color, line, the symbolic nature of garments, objects, patterns, flowers, I attempt to create pictures that work on many levels, marrying this reality with other levels of realities, of dream and intuition. Painting, to me, is soul work, healing work. It's a kind of meditation. I begin each picture with a ceremony, asking for the picture's theme, and for symbols to represent that theme. It's important to stay 'open' as I work, to let the images come through me, the shapes and colors emerge intuitively. This process can often take several months — slowly working out the composition, the colors, doing numerous watercolor sketches first. Every part of the picture must be right; each element has an individual meaning yet must also be woven into the rest of the design. I often use Celtic patterns, for instance, which represent the way things weave together in life, and the way life here and now weaves into other dimensions of consciousness. Flowers, animals, stones, all these elements have symbolic meanings. The specific flow and movement of a garment, for instance, can represent different aspects of spiritual awareness. I use Celtic symbols, or Eastern symbols . . . whatever the picture calls for.
"Unity"
"The Messenger"