An Art Work A Day

Recently I have studied the situation for women in India. These days there are lots of demonstrations going on to try to do something about how especialle vulnerable women are treated. These include; poor, single, dadit (low cast/castless), divorced or widowed women. I have today chosen to focus on the widows.

Religious texts are used to give alibi to treating widows horrible. Even though the burning of widows has ended, in many areas and situations they are still considered only a financial burden. They are shunned because they are imagined to be bringers of bad luck. In contrast to Western tradition''s use of black for mourning, Indian widows wear white saries.

In interviews, they speak of becoming invisible, someone whom the society not wants to be seen, nearly a ghost because they are not supposed by tradition to have a life after the husbands death. Many end up as beggars. Their situation has inspired today's painting.

 

Ten years ago the Sovjet union dissolved and we saw the end of the cold war, and I was so optimistic. This Desember I have watched many documentaries about this time and that brought back so many memories. Today's abstract birdie painting is inspired by that. Also the choice of the Republican candidate was a big issue in Iowa last night and it always makes me smile when I realize that many Republicans consider the Norwegian sosial democracy and our welfare state very close to Sovjeunion's kind of sosialism/communism or at least they sound like they believe that.
Memory of Hammer and Sickle 10 years - 24x32cm watercolour on paper - $100 Free shipping

Today in the news here among other things we got the news that Guantanamo Bay will be closed and we also had some discussions on talk shows about what would happen to the prisoners. This prison has had lots of comments from among others Amnesty International.

Here is another on of my paintings which comment on sociopolitical issues. Unfortunately way too many women in the world are for all practical purposes gagged and can not safely speak up for themselves or their loved ones or be politically active.

Should this painting sell, then the whole amount will be sent to Equality Now a fantastic organization working for women's right around the globe.

Gagged,
acrylics on paper
24x32cm
$100

p&p worldwide is FREE

Everybody agrees that people these days stress too much. The big question is how to avoid being on edge and even turning relaxation and serenity into something we do on borrowed time? When watching the ocean's waves or listening to songbirds sing we should not be concerned with time. Well, some of us need hard healthwise wake up calls before they let go.

I work on it and art has helped me a lot. Doing those macro photos this spring of all the insects also helped by forcing me to slow down and really look closely when I was out in nature.



Time's Up, No More Serenity by the Water's Edge,
acrylics on paper
24x32cm
$100
p&p worldwide is FREE

One of the issues that is debated much these days, at least here and I think also in the US is equal opportunety to marriage for same sex couples. I'll just add my abstract visual commentry on this issue.

In January one of the painting that is marked with donated for equality now was sold. Here is the letter I got about that. I hope to be able to sell more for this fantastic organisation. I put all of the letter here except my postal address so that anyone of you who are more interested could get all this contact information.

EQUALITY NOW New York: 250 West 57 Street, #1527, New York, NY 10107, USA ▪ Tel:+1 212-586-0906 • Fax:+1 212-586-1611 • Email: info@equalitynow.org

London: 6 Buckingham Street, London WC2N 6BU, UK • Phone:+44 (0) 20-7839-5456 • Fax:+44 (0) 20-7839-4012 • Email: ukinfo@equalitynow.org

Nairobi: PO Box 2018 KNH 00202, Nairobi, Kenya • Tel: +254 20-2719-832 • Fax: +254 20-2719-868 • Email: equalitynow@kenyaweb.com

EQUALITY NOW WORKS FOR THE CIVIL, POLITICAL, ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RIGHTS OF WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD February 21, 2008

Dear Ms. Vogsland:

Thank you so much for your contribution of $100.00 to Equality Now. With your help, we are making a real difference in advancing our common vision of a world in which girls and women live free from violence and discrimination.

In 2007 we launched two campaigns in support of women in Iran and Afghanistan, deepened our commitment to stop the global trade in human lives by launching the Fund for Grassroots Activism to End Sex Trafficking, and succeeded in getting a strong New York State law criminalizing human trafficking passed. In the coming year we will continue our work in these and other campaigns, including shutting down sex tour operator G & F Tours, working for the passage of a law in Mali against female genital mutilation, and demanding justice for the women who have been abducted and murdered in Mexico.

We could not pursue our global fight to end human rights abuses against women and girls without your continued generosity. Thank you for your support.
Best wishes,
Amanda Sullivan
Director, Women’s Action Network