Briggs Whiteford is an artist.
Although she has very devoted customers who own her work, her art has been largely hidden away from the world for awhile, but no longer.
You have a chance to come see it now. (More on that in a second.)
Briggs' work brings back a distant memory I have of my brother Dave wearing a tee-shirt (all the time) that said ART SAVES LIVES.
His point was that art saves us from the busy-busy, judgmental, critical, revved-up, worried left-brain thinking that vacuums up our soul and spirit..... but only all day long.
Art lifts us out of that cul-de-sac of overly personalized thought and gives us the gift of expansion and inner freedom and space.
Briggs is a woman who finds art in life and then brings that life into her art.
Listen to her:
"I come from the deep, Deep South, the low country, hot and moist, Spanish moss dripping off live oak trees, lazy dogs draped across dirt roads, catfish on strings caught at the demand shrimp boats leaving the dock before sunrise. I come from ballroom classes, and finishing schools where I was taught how to cross my ankles coyly in a pretty ruffled dress, the perfect hair, yes, taught to be picked like a flower and worn on a man’s arm."
Wow. Now I am hoping she writes a novel one day because her words are so infused with the magic and mystery of an artist unafraid to observe (drink in!) life.
She continues, "I come from debutante balls and country clubs where dance cards are filled by a committee, bands play behind greenery so they can’t look upon society’s elite. I come from Catholic pews, the kind of family togetherness that suffocates, shrimp and grits, South Carolina peaches, Frogmore stew, lightening bug magic on steamy summer frog-singing mating-call nights that give life to my art, make it possible to sit by a river painting the low country fisherman, creek talking, Lord praising, heart swelling, connecting souls with mud, ocean, sky and birds, joyous in our work together."
Now we can see her work. In person. Live. The name of the show is Magic Mystery Mischief.
Opening reception Saturday Feb 22 4:30-7:30.
Cosentinos Nursery, 25019 Pacific Coast Highway Malibu, CALIFORNIA
Contact info:
www.Briggswhiteford.com [email protected]
When you come to Malibu (please be there) to see Briggs' inspiring work, you may recall the words of the great dancer/teacher Martha Graham:
"There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open...."
Coming to Malibu on February 22 will be another way of keeping your own channels open. Inspiration does that.