Space Jesus

Space Jesus, oil on canvas, Donsart

Space Jesus

Title: Space Jesus, oil on canvas, 60 X 60 cm.

Space and time form the canvas on which we paint our life’s story.

Through the journey of a cosmos of cells, there are many dimensions to the unfolding.

Certainty is an illusion when all of life is in flux.

Our brushstrokes reveal the relationship to our calling as human beings. We are not merely human doings.

Therefore, be kind, be courageous, be connected to your higher power. Be creative, be loving, be in tune with the natural order of life.

Life is an adventure to be lived, not a crisis to be mitigated. There remains a universe of possibilities yet to be discovered.

Perhaps the more orthodox find the blasphemy within the painting, ‘Space Jesus’. What is blasphemous is the manipulation of higher truth. The DNA of the ocean exists in a single drop within a wave. Similarly, the omnipotence of the universe exists within the cells of our being. Beyond the conditioning of our mind awaits a far greater calling. One which is void of fear, manipulation and control.

The time of awakening is here.

To view more of my artwork follow the link to https://donsart.co.za/dons-art/

Deep South Community Art Exhibition

Deep South Community Art Exhibition 2021

Deep South Community Art Exhibition 2021

 

It is said that you do not climb the mountain to conquer her.

With humility you ask the grace to climb her, embracing the teachings she has to offer along the way.

I am exited to be exhibiting four art pieces from the series ‘Hues & Tones of Mt.Kilimanjaro’ at the Deep South Community Art Exhibition 2021.

This is the 3rd annual Community Art Exhibition in the Scarborough Community Centre from 10 – 16 December 2021.
 
As part of the event, there will be an opening reception on Friday evening, 10 December 2021 from 6pm, together with a cheese and wine spread. There will also be live music by the Deep South’s very own legendary musician, songwriter and music activist Bill Knight.
 
The exhibition will then be open for viewing from Saturday 11 December 2021 to Thursday 16 December 2021, from 10am to 5pm.
 

My Mountain Story Slide Presentation:

Join me on Saturday 11 December 2021 at 5:30pm for Don Barnett’s slide presentation: My Mountain Story, where I will be sharing my personal story of my journey up Mt. Kilimanjaro.
 
Come take the steps up Africa’s iconic mountain with me, through a series of spellbinding images and topics of interest.
 
Also featuring my latest artwork series ‘Hues & tones of Mt. Kilimanjaro’.
Hope to see you there 😉
 
10 Melkhout Street, Scarborough

Hues & Tones of Mt.Kilimanjaro

hues and tones of Mt.Kilimanjaro. Donsart Ink and watercolour exhibition

Art Exhibition:  Hues & Tones of Mt.Kilimanjaro

I’ve been working on some artwork echoing moments from my surreal journey up Mt.Kilimanjaro. These will be showcased at the Art @Brynbrook event, running 30 October until 12 November at Brynbrook House. Hope to see you there!

Artist Profile: Donald Barnett

Don Barnett is an independent South African artist operating from his studio in the Western Cape, South Africa.
For the Art @Brynbrook  event Don will be showcasing a mystical Ink & watercolour series, echoing moments from his surreal journey up Mt.Kilimanjaro. Please follow the event tab for further details.
 
Having worked in the art industry for over 30 years, Don is competent within many disciplines; including oils, water-colour, acrylic, pencils, mixed media and photography.
 
Don’s extensive art career portfolio includes fine art, cartooning, illustrating, leather pyrography, sign-writing, and photojournal assignments specifically tailored around outdoor adventure expeditions. Don has project managed several art community projects, including initiatives within communities of the Southern Peninsula, Cape Town, South Africa.
 
Don is a competent writer and enjoys journaling about his life experiences which you can find on his website https://donsart.co.za along with a spectrum of images from his creative portfolio.

Slide Presetation:

In addition please join  ‘My Mountain Story’ slide presentation where you are invited to take the steps up Africa’s iconic mountain with Don, through a series of spellbinding photographic images.
 
Please see the events tab for details.
FRIDAY, 5 NOVEMBER 2021 AT 18:30
 
Please indicate if you wish to attend the presentation so we can cater appropriately.  You can book via the events tab or inbox admin for further details.

A Sneek Peek:

Artwork from the series – Hues & Tones of Mt.Kilimanjaro

Title: Enchanted. Ink & Watercolour 91 x 26cm

Crown shyness (also canopy disengagement, canopy shyness,or intercrown spacing) is a phenomenon observed in some tree species, in which the crowns of fully stocked trees do not touch each other, forming a canopy with channel-like gaps.
 
Gazing up at the canopy from the Mt.Kilimanjaro forest zone, this phenomenon creates dazzling tributaries of light that appear to flow through the towering tree tops above. It is truly an enchanted experience walking amongst these ancient trees.
 
I will be showcasing this piece together with a mystical Ink & water-colour series, echoing moments from my surreal journey up Mt.Kilimanjaro.
 

Title: Junction. Ink & Watercolour 26 x 91 cm

Passing through The Heath & Moorland region of Mt.Kilimanjaro can be likened to entering a surreal portal enveloped by a magical aura. The heath is predominantly shrubland, characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland generally refers to highland and high rainfall zones. Interspersed on the landscape are giant alien looking groundsels, having adapted to high altitude.
 
I will be showcasing this piece together with a mystical Ink & water-colour series, echoing moments from my surreal journey up Mt.Kilimanjaro.

the Watercourse

the Watercourse, links to event details

The Watercourse

I needed a break,
to come up for some air.
The river of social media,
had me drowning in despair.
 
Bonds of friendship,
tattered and torn,
Drifting opinions, bias and dogma,
The accepted norm.
 
But time comes
and time goes.
When the hourglass empties,
Nobody knows.
 
I still have stories to tell,
songs to sing, art to flow.
A beacon signals up ahead,
Please come to the show.
 
So against the current,
I navigate upstream.
With renewed hope in my heart,
I hold onto the dream.
 
An Exhibition, Performance,
Journals to share.
In due course,
I’ll let you know where.
 
 
 
Don will be showcasing his work at the Art @Brynbrook event, running 30 October until 12 November 2021 at Brynbrook House.
 
For theArt @Brynbrook Don will be showcasing a mystical water-colour series, echoing moments from his surreal journey up Mt.Kilimanjaro.
 
In addition you are invited to join Don’s slide presentation where he invites you to take the steps up Africa’s iconic mountain with him, through a series of spellbinding images.
 
Please see the events tab for details: My Mountain Story
Booking essential!! Please indicate if you intend to come so we can cater appropriately or inbox admin for further details.
 
 

the Magic Paintbrush

the Magic Paintbrush, fictional journey of awareness, chalk pastel © Don's Art

This short story of ‘the Magic Paintbrush’ is adapted from a visual meditation exercise. Starting with a blank canvas, there is no preconceived direction or intention given to the outcome. From the outset the artwork develops into its own entity, offering personal interpretation and inner meaning.

The Magic Paintbrush

It all began with a mysterious fleck.

A pale dot within a sphere of reddish amber.

 

In the dream state of my mind I drifted out of consciousness and into the unknown. The textured warmth of the flaming circular tone offered the courage to let go of grappling thoughts, floating weightlessly within the open canvas of space and time.

 

 

My awareness grew beyond the sphere, recognizing passages and realms in the circling flow, like hemispheres drifting in synchronicity.

 

 

 

 

My curiosity quickened. Space gave way to energy. Time collapsed and exploded into an ever expanding vortex of cognizance.

 

 

 

Macro and micro worlds collided into tribal tokens of universal connectedness. Galaxies of planets and stars expanding and contracting in balanced dualism.

 

 

In the endlessness of eternal shifting I needed to come back down to earth. Drifting in from the stratosphere I floating across a golden dessert carried by an allusive hot air balloon.

 

 

 

Within the passion of my heart my guru appeared, wearing the mantle of a genie. “I offer you but one wish, to serve as a reminder. A token upon which to bestow all potency from the journey. Choose Wisely.”

 

It did not take long to ponder my answer. I desired an instrument of that could connect the dots of love and power. One which could create worlds and tear apart conceptions. One which could challenge status quo and alter perceptions.

 

After a pause of momentary reflection, I turned round to face the canvas, dipping the bristles of the magic paintbrush in the mellowing glow.

 

…then it all began with a mysterious fleck.

 

Please follow my story of the magic paintbrush and be sure to indulge in other elements of my website

 

 

Boats of Brazil

Boats of Brazil, Amazon River, Livramento community, fishing boat. Copyright © Don's Art

A contemporary series dedicated to the Boats of Brazil, large and small. From the shorelines of Rio to the embankments of the Amazon River Nov, 2019.

Boats of Brazil – Photo Set      Boats of Brazil – Artwork Series

Boats of Brazil, Amazon River confluence, Rio Negro & Solimões. Copyright © Don's Art

Navigating the Confluence

Gazing upon the meeting of the waters I quietly let my feelings of discomfort go. Like vinegar in oil, the inky Rio Negro refused to mix with the ochre waters of the Solimões, perhaps reflecting my inefficiency to integrate fully into the Brazilian culture thus far. I looked on as a sizeable log jostled about between the confluence of the two great Amazon tributaries.

(Forming a dramatic dividing line before finally merging after some 6km of stubborn separation, the light-coloured water was rich with sediment that had traveled a distance as far as the Andes Mountains. The black water running from the Colombian hills and interior jungles, nearly sediment-free, was coloured by decayed leaf and plant matter.)

Boats of Brazil, Manaus harbour port, Amazon River
Boats of Brazil, Manaus harbour port, Amazon River. Copyright © Don's Art

Of Hammocks, Dreams & Adventure

Finally drifting out of sight from Manaus my countenance lightened as the great Amazon River opened before us. The last 24 hours had been somewhat challenging on the traveling barometer to say the least. I was in a country where little to no English was spoken. Not understanding Portuguese creates a distinct disadvantage to one’s situation when trying to book and board a boat down the Amazon River. Needless to say, after being conjured out of what cash we had in a shady hammock deal, we were left on the verge of the jostling harbour of Manaus, rather ill prepared for the next few days that lay ahead.

No cash on hand meant no food for the duration of the 38 hour boat trip. The 10 dollars in my pocket was mostly met with grim indignation, along with my Grade Three broken English. I was an alien in a foreign land and for the most part had been met with contempt. After two days of bargaining I finally secured us a meal. Regretfully it was one of those that left us feeling we should have rather held onto the dollars. This was a lifelong dream come true but somewhat bitter-sweet to experience it now on this boat. Only much further downstream however, when experience flows into memory, does one fully appreciate the intensity of the adventurous moment.

Boats of Brazil, Amazon River boat cruise, hammocks. Copyright © Don's Art

Turning away from the side rail, my romantic view of an Amazonian boat cruise was met with subtle trepidation as I looked around at the multitude of hammocks, squeezed together tighter than a cluster of Brazilian soccer fans, watching a long awaited semi-final on a sidewalk television set. I’m not sure I could ever get used to this open plan sleeping arrangement, let alone trying to sleep dangling from a net in mid-air. The view from the upper deck was spectacular, but one then also had to contend with very coarse unfamiliar local music, bellowing from concert size loud speakers, strategically placed for optimum output. The only breath of silence was between midnight and sunrise before it started all over again. These dark hours mostly included my charismatic episodes of hammock wrestling. Hallucinations of reclining on a soft bed drifted in from across the hot, still water.

           

After a time you become aware that these river boats of Brazil are the long distance buses of the Amazon and they connect most of the major settlements along this enormous river. Stopping at multiple ports along the way gave a small glimpse into the life of the people of the Amazon Basin. The painted evening skies creating a rich backdrop to the dream state of the moment. It felt great to be alive.

Amazon Super Highway

Santerem would be our final point of departure on this boat cruise. It was already late at night when we arrived and through the weariness of travel we could not fully comprehend the magnitude of this river port. We would see it again on another occasion during daylight. The full scale of the Amazon River and its traffic is only fully grasped once you experience it for yourself. My armchair illusions of this magical part of the world, gathered through books and photographs, had been somewhat challenged. If I had not known better I would have believed that I found myself somewhere along the banks of a busy ocean harbour.  It’s not just cruise ships and fishing boats that travel up and down this artery. Drifting in and out of site like floating mirages I had seen cargo ships carrying goods and trucks; long flat barges carrying freshly cut forest logs; freight and sea container ships loaded to the brink; floating fuel stations, tug boats and federal police boats. This was not just a river, this was a super-highway.

Boats of Brazil, Amazon River, Santarem. Copyright © Don's Art

              

At times, I could not help but reflect on the destructive advancement of the modern world. Dotted along the river banks between Manaus and Santarem were many clearings in the jungle. The vast patches between the trees looked like they had been sliced away with a cookie cutter. These clearings made way for the seemingly unstoppable advance of cattle farming. When entering the port of Santarem one is greeted with a huge warehouse structure, interlaced with a lengthy conveyer belt system. I was witnessing the rivers gargantuan depot for soya bean distribution. Ironically soya beans are grown en masse in Brazil as cow fodder. The destructive slash and burn approach of Amazon farming left me with some rather unsettling feelings, forcing me to rethink the modern day hamburger culture.

Intricate Networks

Despite the recent upsurge in Amazon forest fires, it was not all despair. There was still something completely captivating and mysterious about these jungle lands. Just like the intricate network of root systems that spread out along the forest floor, in many respects there was an underlying primitive essence that still intertwined things together. I count myself fortunate for the opportunity to have visited some humble river communities within the Amazonian basin. The primary means of networking and in many ways survival was by river boat. From taxi boats to single-motor family fishing boats these formed the lifeline that connected realms together.

Boats of Brazil, Amazon River, community taxi boat. Copyright © Don's Art

                       

A Stormy Ride

It was one such humble fishing boat that became our own lifeline to departure. As the adventure of Brazil was drawing to a close, we were to catch an internal flight from Santarem to Rio before finally heading home to South Africa. This was fundamentally our only way out of the Amazon. Travel by road was reported to be too treacherous or pretty much non-existent and another cruise down river to Belem would take us further off course.  As I stood contemplating the urgency of the flight, I had lost sight of the horizon line through the pelting rain. It was only an hour and a half boat ride across the Tapajos to Alter do Chao. We needed to get to the other side of this tributary but the sudden Amazon storm was hampering our plans.

We had been waiting the whole morning for the weather to clear and I was becoming more anxious as our guide explained that the owner of the fishing boat was reluctant to cross until the storm had abated. Time was running out. Finally the menacing clouds and rain gave way to sunshine. Our hopes lifted. The boat owner however seemed less hopeful. He knew these waters well and the crashing waves of the tumultuous river seemed to resonate his sentiment. It must have been my pacing up and down that eventually convinced him to reconsider as we nervously climbed into the simplistic wooden boat that afternoon. Appealingly he expressed his concerns to our guide in Portuguese and probably questioned our experience in the white knuckle club.

Five minutes in I understood why, clearly having no idea of the magnitude of an Amazon river-storm. At one point, after several prayers, it seemed like we were featuring in a game show episode of ‘the Perfect Storm’. Waves towered before us as our captain gingerly navigated his way forward through the roller coaster ride of the ups and downs of choppy water. After a time the welcoming landmarks of Alter do Chao appeared before us. The stormy ride gave way to placid waters as we drifted into a picture perfect scene. We of course thanked the owner of the boat profusely. As our feet gratefully made their way to shore through the sandy river bank, we stopped and looked back momentarily, contemplating the surreal journey we had just taken.

Boats of Brazil, Rio De Janeiro harbour. Museum of Tomorrow. Copyright © Don's Art

The Way Home

Such was our experience traveling Brazil, continuously challenging, surprising beyond expectation, beautiful beyond comprehension, magical on so many levels and leaving us with the longing to return. Along the coast line and rivers it was evident just how much the culture was reliant on boats of all different kinds.

Our final activity in Rio included a visit to the remarkable Museum of Tomorrow. The architecture of this building alone was breath taking. Perfectly positioned at the water’s edge, one can catch glimpses of the daily harbour activity. As if being mesmerised by a fish-tank, gazing through the windows I was transfixed by the passing boats and ships below. I would of course see similar boats back home, but only now do I look back with loving memory on the Boats of Brazil.

Follow the link to the FULL PHOTO GALLERY Boats of Brazil

Coming soon …  ARTWORK SERIES Boats of Brazil

the Great Projection

the Great Projection of the Great Conjunction 2020 © Don's Art

The Planets align 2020

Gazing up towards the evening sky, our eyes were fixed to the West as we celebrated the display of the Great Conjunction. Disappointed that we had forgotten the binoculars, we overheard a family discussing how they could clearly see the moons of Jupiter and the rings of Saturn. We did not linger long outside on the verge of the road as the howling South Easter insisted on making its own presence felt. Lucky to have found a decent vantage point close to the start of Chapman’s Peak Drive we remained huddled in the car, shielding our eyes every so often from the oncoming cars on the opposite side of the road. The conditions weren’t ideal but it was a special moment as we resonated with the rarity of this unique event, the last time they were this close I’m led to believe occurred as much as 400 years ago. From our vantage point the planets did not quite appear to merge, but it was close enough.

Signals of the Christmas Star

The event itself has had significant impact on me. More so in the days that followed than in the moment of chasing the glimpse of the Christmas star. I’m not superstitious, things like horoscopes cheaply written as space fillers in magazines don’t impress me much. Predictions aside, there is so many variants of dogma throughout the world that become divisive forms of control indoctrinating itself throughout society. The events through the year of 2020 however is inclined to make one ask some deeper questions about life on earth as we try navigate our way through the fog of what is really going on. So many voices that insist on being heard, so many rabbit holes that don’t lead back to the surface, so many opinions that don’t conspire for the greater good. For many of us it has felt like being deeply lost in an endless maze, we grow weary with limiting options as the hedge walls grow higher and the crooked paths ever narrower. For some the level of suffering has been insurmountable, revealing not only the frailty of the fabric of society but the lack of humanity in any attempt to stitch it back together. Be that as it may there are still those amongst us that possess wings of angels, bringing what hope they can to the destitute and the broken in whichever way they can. There are those too that have seemingly benefited from the chaos of affairs. One man’s food is another man’s poison, so they say.

The Connection of Things

Whatever the vantage point, I believe the recent planetary shift to be significant. Not just something out there to observe, but something we are all inherently connected to. I believe in the energy of life, not just the density of a three dimensional reality. Energy moves in waves, observing the ripples in a pond testifies to this. The movement of planets in the pond of empty space is equally profound. Only, is the space really empty? Examining the universe of a cell on a micro level begs the question. On a quantum level, the movement of one fractal influences the entire cosmos, moving together as one field of energy. Like individual organs in a body that function together for the benefit of the whole, if one organ becomes compromised, the entire body suffers.

Cultural and Personal Shifts

To some degree I believe we are being called upon to make a shift in our cultural dynamics that influence the planet we live on. We are hurtling towards the finality of the sixth mass extinction on earth. The striking difference this time is that the human species is largely responsible. Things are a mess. On a collective level we are doing very little to clean things up. In the wake of our technological advancements and our addiction to stuff, our home is falling apart. Species on multiple levels are disappearing in front of our eyes. Indigenous forests burn unabated, rivers are contaminated and the ocean becomes poisoned with our pollution and our plastic. On a conscious level we know all these things already. We have been warned about them at length, again and again with accompanying graphs, charts and projections. But it all seems too difficult to comprehend, too overwhelming to embrace. Daily survival takes precedence and distractions of social media and mini-series the only relief.

I believe that the current planetary shift signifies the platform for a shift in our consciousness. The pebble in the pond so to speak. It’s been happening for a while already as the ripples from this energy challenges the constructs of everything we deem to be reality. There is a new leap in our evolution that is moving through the birth canal. Part of this evolution is the understanding that we must embrace our connection to all things, to each other, to the planets and the source of life itself. Our survival as a species depends on the cooperative alignment of our individuality and perspectives. In order for the shift to be actualised, to bring about positive change, old structures need to dissolve.

With the survival techniques of fight or flight, we evolved the threat of the sabre tooth tiger. These important progressions have served their purpose well. The technology and information age has provided great insight but do we truly know how to harness these with a level of intelligence that moves us forward into deeper realms? We are the only species that does not harmonise with the environment, instead we have become antagonistic towards it as well as to each other. Not very intelligent at all, if witnessed from an alien perspective.

We are standing on the threshold of a remarkable opportunity. It is but a small window, do we have time enough to still pass through it? The current format of the world has to change and we should celebrate when it does, dissolving things that do not support the natural order of this evolution. Our attachment to the old order brings about our suffering as we desperately cling to the way things were.

The Great Projection

The time has come and is now critical that we align ourselves with this shift in consciousness. To make ourselves available to transformation. To follow the natural order of the seed. Letting go of past constructs, exploring our shadows with our roots and reaching for the light with our branches. A seed that resists this process even with the right conditions, becomes diseased and dies. Each phase of transformation brings with it new change. We are called upon to release our perceptions of reality which remain fear based. It’s not so much about stepping up to fulfill a higher purpose, but stepping into the field of energy that lies before us.

As celestial beings we possess the seed for life. Whether we like it or not, change is coming and is here. We will either transcend the dynamics and obstacles that beset us or we will perish. The greater purpose of life will not be denied on our account and time is running out. Will we evolve or will we perish? This is the time of the Great Projection.

The choice is ours.

Baboon Mutters

Baboon Family, Cape Peninsula, False Bay, © Don's Art

Baboon Mutters:

“As I pass through this life,
I tend to find myself more content;
though things are not any less difficult.

I know so much more,
but understand less.

I enter each day with much purpose,
but I depart from it still trying to make sense of it all.”

Weeds only spread on barren land to restore the natural order of things.

So too is the virus.

It spreads, preparing the ground for Truth.

But the Truth is ugly and we try to exterminate the weeds.

The weeds expose our hatred, our greed, our need for control.

They reveals our prejudice, our weakness in the belief that we sit atop the food chain.

The human species suffers no shame.

We are only experts at the pointed finger;

Protecting the illusion of what we think is ours.

 

In the wake of our demise we lash out with impartial disdain.

We shoot the baboon with paintball fire as he sifts through our trash.

 

Baboon mutters, “Heaven help us on Judgement Day.”

 

Baboon Family, Cape Peninsula, False Bay, © Don's Art