MEADOW WOMAN
ART AND POETRY • HEATHER/THOMPSON
Rooted, SHE begins.
From the depth of the meadow SHE notices sharp mountain peaks rise like blades of damascus steel forged in fire; yet frozen in ice.
SHE walks, through an infinite space between, bare soles naked upon nutrient-rich soil...
Where wildflowers irreverently dance in abundance, and rivers artfully caress the land...
Where individuals become communities, crops nourish families, and cattle graze upon blue mountain grass...
Where scarcity strikes in winter cycles unforeseen; terror walks with hunger, starvation crushes compassion, barbed wire separates YOURS from MINE...
Humans battle inch by inch; the stench of death, lingering decomposition, a primordial return to the Earth; devastating redemption, enriching the soil, bursting forth new life...
Tiny sparks of green poke through blackened dirt; a new beginning in the space between; the meadow...
Vessel;
Container of life.
MEADOW WOMAN // Heather Thompson
Original Art // 4x6 gallery wrapped canvas
MEADOW WOMAN was meant to be SEEN, SHARED, and CELEBRATED for the BOLD FEMALE that SHE IS.
But there’s more.
As I look through my unique lens, I feel conflicted about the things playing out before me. For the first time in almost exactly 5 years, it’s clear that I need to share my art, poetry and reflections once again.
It’s time to SPEAK • WRITE • EARN a living using these gifts.
As I step into the empowered vulnerability of my authentic voice, I’m aware of the fear within my body. While there are many things I could name, it is the increasingly open and unapologetic misogynistic behavior that I find the most threatening.
I am a woman, survivor and mother. The collective feminine that resides within ALL life is suffering.
Systematic violence against women as a method of dehumanization, especially in times of war, renders me speechless.
But it’s not “just” happening somewhere else. The US election and subsequent nominations brought sexual assault (and allegations) to the center of contemporary discourse.
Then came the Inauguration of Donald Trump - a convicted felon and a man who unapologetically discussed grabbing a woman by the pussy before his first term as President. The message this sends to humans of all genders is frightening and devastating.
It’s not just politics…
The entertainment industry is bursting with allegations and a new awareness that “maybe they were telling the truth.”
Moguls and royalty have been implicated in sex trafficking schemes, yet their lives go on uninterrupted while the depravity inflicted upon an unknown number of victims remains in the shadows.
It must be said - violence against women is not new. The Feminine in cultures worldwide has endured millennia of trauma. As women, we have been told that this is how it is, and the problem is too big for our smallness.
No.
It’s time to end the cultural lie that equates woman / weakness. We must flip the narrative and allow the generative, life giving Feminine to emerge.
Why MEADOW WOMAN?
SHE courageously forges ahead even when she is filled with thoughts of giving up.
…Her curves signify abundance amidst the masculine scarcity narrative;
…Her size (the canvas) challenges a world that rewards women for smallness and men for bigness;
…Her brilliant colors honor St Hildegard of Bingham and Viriditas - The Greening Power of God;
…Her wings remind us of Divine presence, with kenotic LOVE pouring out Grace when it’s needed the most;
Most importantly, SHE was formed from the outline of a REAL woman - ME - when anorexia distorted my vision of self.
Courageous women give me courage. That’s why I’m releasing MEADOW WOMAN to print!
It’s my wish that SHE inspires YOU to use YOUR voice during this moment in history - whatever your beliefs, as long as they are YOURS…that’s what matters!
If Meadow Woman speaks to you, and you would like to purchase the 4’ x 6’ original painting on gallery wrapped canvas, then send me a message. It’s time for this beautiful piece of art to have a permanent home.
Copyright 2024 Heather Thompson and Novelorica, LLC all rights reserved.
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