Alone No More

Grand Rapids Michigan is hosting its third “ArtPrize” www.artprize.org  This a quite an event that brings artists and crowds from all over the world to my home town. 

The next several blogs will be reflections of the work of Tracy May Fouts of Santa Clarita, California.

I find her work very inspirational, and would like to share it with you, with Tracy’s permission.

Tracy May Fouts

Tracy May Fouts received her MFA in Printmaking from Kendall College of Art and Design in December of 2009. She received her BS in a double major of Photography and Printmaking from Indiana Wesleyan University in December of 2006.

Tracy May enjoys both art forms of photography and printmaking. She enjoys making art the most when she can combine both of these mediums in the same piece.

The following is the artist’s own description of her work, entitled “Taking Action…for Hope”

Webster’s dictionary defines the verb, ‘hope,’ as, “To desire with expectation of obtainment.” This ‘desire’ described here is an action, but there is also action required for this obtainment to take place. We often have to make a choice or take action for obtainment of hope to be delivered.

All of these pieces reveal various stages of hope. For example, the farmer cannot have hope of future growth without first planting seeds. The only way for the plant to have hope of living, is if someone waters the plant. There is hope for the ox to share its burden if another chooses to step in and help with the weight.

In some of these pieces the hope is being delivered, and in some, the viewer is called to bring hope. We cannot always sit and wait for things to happen in this world for our benefit. If we want change, we often have to take action. My goal is for us as individuals to be a force for change and hope.

Alone No More

Artist Statement: The ox in the yoke shows that there is hope for the ox 

to share its burden if another chooses to step in and to help with the weight. 

Although the yoke is sometimes thought of as captivity, it can also be considered as a way to share the burden.  The yoke is actually a harness around the ox’s neck.  The farmer uses it to connect two animals so that they can work together.  When they are bound by the yoke they have to move together, thus creating a restriction in each animal.  They cannot see where they are going at the end of the path, but the farmer can guide them. The wise farmer knows that the burden will be lighter with two!  More will be accomplished as a team.

Sometimes another person will see us in stress and offer to step up to share our load; however, there are other times that we may need to reach out to others and invite them in to be there with us.  Not only does that  lessen the  weight, it may often create more hope....hope of resolution, or at the very least, the feeling that we are not in this alone.

Sharing your life with others around you and letting them share their life with you can create more stability, as with the yoke.  Joy comes from letting others in your life.

Life is made to be shared with others....both the joys and the hardships.  It is so much richer that way.  It was lovely to sit with Tracy May by her wonderful artwork, having a meal and conversation.  It would have been totally different if each one of us would have been there alone.  Being together brought us not only satisfaction, but some excitement!  It was awesome to celebrate her creativity, as a group of friends. Truly, reaching out  to others and inviting them creates pleasure.  Companionship and sharing the yoke brings delight!

Relationships yoke us to another person.   To be in a relationship with someone necessitates being aware of the other person, taking in their desires, and losing some of your own independence. This is true in both friendships and partnerships with a significant other or spouse.  When people are just meeting and creating new relationships, there is usually a great deal of joy and happiness. Unfortunately, there sometimes comes a time when individuals focus on the restrictions of being with others and forget the joys. They experience the other person as a burden, and miss the fact that being in a relationship is a way of sharing responsibilities, sharing the load, and as in Tracy May’s title of this picture, being “Alone No More”.  

When you are in a relationship and feel the restrictions, as you will if you are truly involved with another person, take the time to be grateful that you have someone to share your burden.  Gratitude helps restore balance in the relationship, as the yoke creates balance in sharing the load.

Sharing your life with others around you and letting them share their life with you can create more stability, as with the yoke.  There is strength when people join together.  Joy comes from inviting others in your life.