Painting C.G. Jung’s Paintings
The idea came to me of beginning to paint some of C.G. Jung’s works that appear in his The Red Book, which records his own descent into “the spirit of the depths.” I had offered two Retreats on this magnificent text and was drawn more forcefully to these rich images. For so many decades, when I read a particularly interesting text, I would write out passages in cursive and return to them often for further meditation. Writing the passages out helped me to meditate on them with greater intensity. I wondered if the same kind of experience would be possible if I began painting Jung’s works as a way to meditate on their psychology and mythology now rendered in artistic form. I found that painting them became a rich form of contemplation by duplicating them and by making changes in them as my own creative spirit emerged.
By painting them I felt my way into their images in a way that simply viewing them could not approach. I also found the experience extremely satisfying and rewarding. I also discovered that while painting them I began to dream about some of the images that I was duplicating, even as I took some liberties in their creation. I hope that you find them of some value for your own creative work.
