Magic Doors

Creative process clears the mind, so we can better understand our life and ourself.

Detail from My Door, Francesca De Drandis.

Detail from My Door, Francesca De Grandis.

I love faerie tales in which a magic door appears and opens to another world. I wanted to paint such a portal.

But the story’s been done so many times. I needed to portray something new—make sure the door was painted in a way that was true, and original.

I couldn’t get a grip on executing that, until I realized it had to be my own door—the one that I personally go through. Mind you, I did not fully understand what that meant, did not fully know what “my door” is. But just knowing it was mine was enough to start painting.

Besides, had I fully understood, there would’ve been no point in starting the painting, because there would have been no adventure.

There was still a surprise though, revealed well into the painting process. Little did I realize that my door was going to be the door to my home.

Let me be clear as to what I’m saying. Often, when a magic door appears in a story, the person who walks through it feels at home for the first time. They’re in another realm. They are finally in a world that makes sense. That is not what I’m referring to right this second (although the painting surely does refer to that). But right this second, I’m talking about realizing that the door I was painting was the door to the home where I already live and sleep and cook and write and paint.

This realization should’ve been self-evident, given my lifestyle, and who I am, but it’s amazing how oblivious we humans can be. And amazing how the creative process clears some of the oblivion—so I could better understand my door, my home, and myself. Heh, creativity too is a magic door.

Below is the painting. Scroll past it for the rest of the blog.

My Door, Francesca De Grandis.

My Door, Francesca De Grandis.

There was another theme to this piece and to my process: Spring beginning. Outside the door, the foliage on trees begins; and a potted plant has been put out onto the stoop after the long cold winter. I was exploring the transition between the hearth’s indoors mysteries and spring’s mystical burgeoning. I will display this painting on my altar when I celebrate Spring Equinox.

Exploring the beginning of Spring was part of meditating on a theme beyond the season: Thresholds and magic. A contemplation on a time of transition and embracing possibility. Again, the creative process became a door, in the sense of helping me see … well, see life’s doors, LOL.

Detail, My Door, Francesca De Grandis

Detail, My Door, Francesca De Grandis

My Door—this painting is dedicated to my students. They know why, probably. But to explain to someone who doesn’t know me: Even before I became a shut-in (due to disabilities), I taught almost all my classes in my home. Teaching in my home was crucial to me spiritually. Hundreds of people have sat in my living room, which has blessed me tremendously. Painting this picture allowed me to muse on years of joy, and to celebrate joy I still receive because I still teach in my home. Now I do it through group phone calls, or in one-on-one phone calls. But it is still us, in a personal visit, walking between stars together.

Also dedicated to one very special patron of my art. (And I say to her, “I bet you know why. If not, let me know.”) She is a patron of my (he)art.

This entry was posted in Art, Writing, and Music, Community, Spirit and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

6 Responses to Magic Doors

  1. Paula Amero says:

    I really like the cutaways you do showing the different pieces within the one peice.
    Nice, the magic doors that lead back to your hub.
    I live in a magic cottage double wide. Can really relate….

    • Francesca De Grandis says:

      Paula, thank you for your ongoing encouragement. Support like yours helps keep me going. And it holds my heart when you relate to what I do and how I think.

  2. oh Francesca!!! this — oh! the layers of possibilities and potentialities and love.

    this painting brought tears of joy to my eyes – literally!

    so much gratitude for you being in this world.

    • Francesca De Grandis says:

      Elizabeth, thank you, thank you. Thank you for getting the layers, and the other layers, and the rest of the layers. Thank you for having the sort of heart and mind that sees the love and potentials. Thank you for being you, you layered wondrous spirit.

      Lol, I have been trying to find words for my book, and synchronistically, just wrote them above to you. They will be very adapted in the book, bc what is above is truly to you—the unique woman you are. But it is still great synchronicity.

  3. kevin says:

    I love the artwork, as it always seems to be changing and moving from one glimpse to the next, almost as if when I look away and look back some wonderful bit has moved or changed somehow. I love your discovery of the magical door being to your own home. the dozens of times each week I pass through my own door and take for granted the magic that awaits me on either side of it. your words are a doorway into a deeper understanding of life and into different ways of looking and seeing things and ultimately feeling them as well. hello you wonderful FDG

    • Francesca De Grandis says:

      You are so articulate, you wonderful Kevin. And thank you for your compliments, they have me smiling big and gratefully.

      I love that you understand that I am not just trying to convey ideas but also trying to help someone feel them—I feel like sharing new ideas is only half the work, the other half is helping someone shift their actual being into a new way of being.

      Your comment re taking the magic in your own home for granted is kind of where I was coming from when I did the painting. In my case, it’s not that I take it for granted totally. (And I bet you do not, either!) I’ve recognized my home as a residence between the worlds for decades. But there is a level of a magic within my walls that I just don’t allow myself to indulge in often enough nowadays. The painting was a door to shifting that.

      Thank you so much for taking time to visit my site! Big big big hug.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.