Art and Suicide

Gentle readers..

I am sharing deeply from my heart today..

I promised this year to dig deeper..

In the recent news of the suicides of Spade and Bourdain,

there have been many articles about suicide, depression and people sharing their thoughts and feeling about the subject. There are endless posts offering the hotline number for suicide prevention, 

which is all good. 

I am glad that we are having a larger discussion about this topic..

because it has touched me personally, not once but twice 

so today,

 I wanted to share some art

that I created in order to assist my healing and perhaps urge others to 

put pen to paper and paint on canvas..

to rip the stigma from this topic..

suicide

Peter

The painting below was done in May of 2009 when I found out that my brother had shot himself 

The title is..

I Think I'll Disappear Now

It is mixed media on canvas and hangs in my studio.

My brother was born angry. 

He was the kind of toddler who threw tantrums, pulled hair and jewelry. I remember him as always frustrated by someone or something.. he needed to be in control at all times. 

He was also talented, a poet and loved to write.. of course, that was not considered to be very macho at the time. 

 Caterina Giglio, Mixed Media on cradled canvas, I Think I'll Disappear Now, 12 x 16

I wasn't surprised to hear of his death..

I was only surprised that he had lived so long. 

people with so much anger and resistance don't last long..

 I realized then that death had finally brought him peace..

and that he could rest..

without being angry about someone or something

that he could not control.

There are some family members that feel it was an accident.. I can understand that...

Roger

I can contrast that death with the suicide of my best friend, many years earlier..

Roger was charming, cultured, brilliant and artistic but, 

he was never going to be the football player that his father wanted.

We talked for hours about art, and music, he introduced me to the work of Constable, and was positively crazy about Turner... 

I was miserable, when I found out that Roger had taken his life in 1978

understandably

 because I was going to miss him ..

dreadfully

But the worst part was that..

 Roger was a gay man just wanting to live his life with his sweetheart.

He took his life because he could not have the life he wanted. 

He was frustrated by the prison built for him,

 by society, and his family..

I have no art to share with you about Roger..

because I held it deep inside..

Caterina Giglio, Art Journal Page, 2012, The Dream

Peter

 In 2012.. I had the loveliest dream about my brother

 and I shared this spread on my blog..

when it happened..

In the dream, he waved to me in the distance and 

he walked up to me, he looked so radiant and beautiful..

I had just found a dead dragonfly and I held it out to him, feeling sad about it's death...

Pete just shrugged and grinned at me...

and then turned and walked off, waving goodbye to me as he

literally walked into the light of the sun..

For some reason that dream made sense to me of 

suicide..

I know it is shocking to hear when someone has voluntarily decided to take

their own life..

believe me, 

try bringing it up in conversation
 when discussing naturally about the death of siblings..

"and how did your brother die?"

they ask innocently..

and as I answer the room suddenly goes still...

Stigma..
there is that word that lingers and is silently associated with the deed..
Suicide..

Caroll Giglio and Peter Giglio 1958

Fortunately suicide is no longer a crime.. 

I mean what would they do anyway, give you the death penalty?

But the stigma still remains..

The silence is pervasive..

I am just an artist working through the events that have made me..

but what I do know is 

that there are as many reasons for suicide as there are people..

Depression is not the only reason for suicide

it can be as simple as anger..

it doesn't really matter if the prison is created

 by the mind or by society..

it is time to unlock the cell..

xox

Mixed Media-Notes on a Dream

Notes on a Dream

was the title of my article in 

Somerset Studio

in the January/February issue

of this year..

Detail, Caterina Giglio, Waiting for the Rain.

and referred to the whole body of work

that I created for 

my last show...

The Naturalists' Notebook

Mixed Media, Caterina Giglio, 8 x 8 on cradled board, Waiting for the Rain.

as well as all the new pieces that you see here..

Mixed Media, Caterina Giglio, 8 x 8, cradled board, The Similarities of Life 

it isn't unusual dear reader for me to create

several more pieces in a particular series..

especially if the 

series

idea

haunts me..

Detail from Love in a Mist, Caterina Giglio

as this one did..

the idea came to me in a dream..

and it would not let me go..

Love in a Mist, Caterina Giglio, Mixed Media, 8 x 8, cradled board.

each piece represents to me the 

the beautiful imperfection

of life and the ephemeral quality of nature.. 

The Eternality of Life, Caterina Giglio, Mixed Media, 5 x 5 cradled board.

but even more than that

they remind me to

A detail from The Eternality of Life, Caterina Giglio.

persevere..

to get up and resurface in joy..

my time may be short..

Caterina Giglio, Mixed Media on cradled board, 8 x 8, A Petition To Time.

my life, 

may be just a quick season long..

The Shape of Things, Caterina Giglio, Mixed Media, 5 x 7 cradled board.

but I can focus on the beauty 

around us, and as an artist,

I must..

it is simply my calling to

celebrate..

and to pass it on..

xox

2018 Brings Changes!

Happiest New Year..

dearhearts...

I am slowly getting back to my studio..

and working on a couple of 

deadlines..

and speaking of deadlines...

I met this one a while back

and will be sharing the art with you when it returns...

I hope you will pick up a copy of 

Somerset Studio

My work and article are featured

in the January issue..

Naturalists' Notebook article and technique, featured in Jan/Feb. issue of Somerset Studio

and I have used my holiday break wisely..

thinking and chewing 

on the possibilities of the 

New Year

and what I want to do and create

and most of the changes for me... 

and 

ultimately you...

dear viewers and readers..

center on 

Time

1. While I love creating videos for you all, and I adore being able to offer you techniques and projects as a gift from me to you and to use for your own personal enjoyment, I have to admit that they take a lot of time, energy, and money.. so I will be producing fewer Vlog posts on YouTube, but I hope they will be even better. 31 videos was a lot and I thought I would try to film around 24 this year.
2. While I know many of you have asked for classes and I have chewed on the idea, endlessly, I have decided NOT TO TEACH. I have been an instructor for most of my adult life, from a training co-ordinator in retail and as an artist, I have taught everything from bow-making to life drawing and mixed media, and while I love sharing what I know, I love CREATING even more, and I want to spend more time in my studio, "Just making cool stuff" to quote a dear friend.
3. I know that blogs are considered dead, and many people just don't take the time to read, but I am recommitting to my blog, "beautiful old dinosaur" that she is.. and I will be taking more time to share about the things that give me fits in the studio.. what works and what doesn't.. while trying not to moan on endlessly about it all and perhaps I can put into words what I am really trying to convey as I work. I used to look for something finished or accomplished to share and now I am going to just share where I am... if it is boring, let me know!

A new year always brings change..

and as we know, it is the only constant in our lives..

so embracing change is the only way to stay sane..

like a willow bending in the wind..

I intend to bend to the pull of my creative direction..

and follow my muse where she

leads..

In the studio, besides my deadlines, I am working on

my art Journal and I am trying to decide what to do with the cover..

I want to have that finished for my year end reveal..

so if I finish that, you will see it ALL ..

and if not, you will see December pages

next Tuesday, 

at least..

My first video will be on my 2016-2017

Art Journal

and I will share techniques and what was happening in my life

to inspire the pages for each month.. 

I send you all my kindest 

New Year wishes..

may it be a good one,

without any tears..

xox

Le Jardin De Amants-The French Paper Series

Artists
have favorites...

I try not to..

but there it is..

we do have favorites..

Detail of The Essence of Joy, Mixed Media Collage,  Caterina Giglio

and this collection is one of 

those..

a 

favorite....

The Essence of Joy, 8 x 8 Mixed Media Collage, Caterina Giglio

while I love my work..

Detail from Jardin Mosaic, Italian Collage, Caterina Giglio

everything I create,

there are some pieces
that were so effortless to create
and I felt so in tune
when I created it that
I had the feeling
that
I was connected to everyone
and everything..

what inspires me to continue to create,
is that holy union..

Jardin Mosaic, 11 x 14 Italian Collage, Caterina Giglio 

and those works 

stand out...

methinks...

this series has some favorite Italian Collage pieces

 Italian Collage is a form of Chine -Collé.

Chine-collé is a special technique in printmaking, in which the image is transferred to a surface that is bonded to a heavier support in the printing process. One purpose is to allow the printmaker to print on a much more delicate surface, such as Japanese paper or linen, which pulls finer details off the plate.

Vintage Fleur 8 x 8 Italian Collage, Caterina Giglio

However..

Italian Collage, 

which is a what I call

the process that I use to 

press many layers of collage together

using a pasta machine..

and applying lots of gel medium

is very different..

Detail from Vintage Fleur, Italian Collage, Caterina Giglio

Floating, 8 x 8 Italian Collage, Caterina Giglio

Besides using copious amounts of glue..

I am not creating a 

print..

I am simply pressing papers into the substrate...

and the substrate is 

mixed media paper 

or watercolor paper..

Detail from Floating, Italian Collage, Caterina Giglio

It is time consuming and tedious..

#31 Mixed Media Collage, 8 x 8, Caterina Giglio, 

but my favorite part of this collection..

Detail from #31, Caterina Giglio

Detail from Rustica, Caterina Giglio

is the ephemeral quality of the 

Rustica, 8 x 8 Mixed media Collage, Caterina Giglio

the images..

snippets of memory ...

Strolling Paris, 11 x 14 Italian Collage, Caterina Giglio

I tried to capture

the whirl of image..

Le Petite Illustration, Italian Collage, Caterina Giglio

as one saunters past..

Carnaval Fleur, 6 x 6, Mixed Media, Caterina Giglio

store fronts...

and restaurants..

Petite Fleur, 5 x 5, Mixed Media, Caterina Giglio

Deux Fleur, 5 x 5, Mixed Media, Caterina Giglio

and the flowers...

Rouge, 5 x 5, Italian Collage, Caterina Giglio

in each box..
on each table..
bouquets of tiny beauty..
offering themselves
for nothing other than
 pure enjoyment..



My show opens tonight in
Fort Collins, CO
but you can see prices and view the entire collection
using this link

142 Bis Gallerie





Grazie, Grazie!!

xox

Holiday Collection

Ciao, gentle readers...

Here is a little video

sharing a

sneak peek

of my 

Holiday Collection 

Le Jardin De Amants

The Garden of the Lovers...

I shared my inspiration for this collection as well as my thoughts

about my work and why I create my art..

I love the way they turned out 

on the boards..

but, seriously

they did give me me fits..

I hope you enjoy it..

I still need to ship everything to the gallery

and the pieces will be listed 

on my gallery

page here,

 as soon as they arrive and find prices..

I will let you know, of course!

Thank you for watching..

I am so blessed by you..

xox

Mixed Media- Life is in the Details

The little conversation..

I have said it before..

it is really all in the details..

I call it the little conversation..

The big conversation..

for me is always about love

In my work, texture represents 

the layers of complexity in relationship..

with myself, and others.

and in light of what happened in 

Charlottesville

I wanted to express to you

my feelings about my art 

..

every piece I create has a thought about someone ..

or a feeling about myself or others..

each layer is a devotion to working out

issues, inconsistencies, or simply documenting

what is..

my intention is to be a witness..

documenting the holiness of life

It all ties together perfectly..

I love what I create and I create love..

love of nature..

these are sneaky peeks 

that I am sending to Somerset Studio..

love of relationships

love of creation..

in addition to the layers

I wanted to create..

love of beauty..

Love of life...

the fragility of winged creatures..

and to show

Love 

of kindness..

and mirror our own fragility..

to see through the wings..

Which is a religion to me...

kindness..

Never let anyone tell you that kindness is not enough..

to the layers below..

the words, 

the issues,

the trauma,

that love does not conquer evil..

 love is more powerful than hate..

Love always wins..

Love will find a way..

and reveals

a bigger picture..

of freedom..

and flight,

of 

life, 

eternally 

playing out in the

details..

as we go about our week,

simply,

lovingly,

speaking kindness,

cheering on others,

celebrating successes,

opening doors for people with strollers,

buying a coffee for the next person in line..

and feeling our hearts expanding in love of life..

know without a doubt,

dear reader,

 that your loving kindness

is the stuff that wears down mountains of hate,

builds bridges..

and changes 

subtly, softly..

but change, 

it does.

xo