Exploration in Art
Judith Bender and Anneke Bender
Exploration in Art: The Journey of a Mother and Daughter was written by Judith Bender and Anneke Bender with paintings by Judith Bender and poetry by Anneke Bender, and published by Producciones de la Hamaca, Caye Caulker, BELIZE - 80 pages (2011)
Available from Quakerbooks Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk
The inspiration for Exploration in Art: The Journey of a Mother and Daughter was to explore our unique and common creative processes as mother and daughter. We have always been interested in each other’s creative journeys and encouraged each other through the years.
One thing you will find common in our work is a love of nature and the way in which our human lives are interwoven within its larger fabric. An awareness of the rhythms of the natural world allows for a deeper understanding of loss and the passage of time, the basic surrender that all creatures are inextricably bound to. A sense of peace and hope arises naturally for both of us in the exploration of this oneness, and has, in turn, arisen as the central theme of our book.
“I try to express my personal worldview in my work—my thoughts, feelings, and defining beliefs about the caring Earth, particularly its oneness with endless giving, its the infusion of energy from some mysterious source. ... My underlying belief, which gives artistic structure to the idea of oneness, is that Earth itself has its own gestalt consciousness. Thus, the plant and animal kingdoms of Earth are not so separate, as I had once assumed, but actually possess a certain kind of consciousnes—a presence and awareness of their beautiful and gracious cooperation.” —Judith Bender
“Reading, writing and, more generally, language have always ranked among the great pleasures of my life. It is the pleasure of something being named, and named exactly, pulled from the lurking background of life into full focus. So often our thoughts, beliefs and emotional experience live underneath the surface, driving and motivating us, but beyond the reach of the conscious mind. Words can take you into that pool and lift a thing up for understanding. In the process of describing, things become known.” —Anneke Bender
“The book has wistful, dreamy and sometimes magical images that enhance the poetry. The variety of painting surfaces adds depth and interest to the images.” —Karlyn Holman
“The magic of color, motion and the singing word combine in this delightful collection.” —Janet Ferguson
Judith Bender took up watercolor painting after she retired from an academic career as a microbiologist. Anneke Bender is a physical therapist and loves to travel. Both enjoy life in Atlanta with Friends and family.