Ashtoreth

THE POETICS OF SOUND - Showcase Winner

This expressionist work is a surreal meditation on the gift of being able to hear.  It expresses awareness and gratitude for the gift of connection to the world of sound.  As a survivor of an acoustic neuroma I gave up the hearing nerve on the left side, and so am deaf on that side.  What remains is strictly ornamental like that of the lavender fairy who is at the center of the painting.  So many people take hearing for granted.  I never did, but I am especially aware now.  I began this piece with a poetic fragment that came to my mind:

'The sound of the wind, the sound of the water, the sound of your voice.... music to my ears.'

It is my hope to raise awareness and funds for hearing research with this image.  All proceeds from the original painting will go to the William Slattery Science Foundation of the House Ear Clinic in Los Angeles.  From sales of prints and other products, I will dedicate 20% to this cause.  It is my hope to be able to put my art in the service of science.