Crystal woods — Jabeek forest‑parallellogram

All journal-items with the title ‘Crystal woods’ form a whole and are part of a new project. During 2017 I expanded my research for nature and life-energy to seven woods in a range of 10 km around my living place. The Crystal-woods-journals. The Crystal woods story consists of photographs, maps and paintings. In Crystal woods — Introduction one can find global information about this project.

Let me be here for a while
in this virgin space,
let me go nowhere — waiting calm
in windless tree time.

Streaming orange and dark blue-violet

In the centre of the Jabeek forest-triangle there is a place that draws my attention more than other places in this forest. Some young oaks there stand out by their angular curves. I know them since 1995, but to my surprise I see that they hardly grew taller.

On December 4 2017 once more I visit the central place together with my partner Lidy. I sense that there still is something missing. Notable is a place next to two pine trees whithout undergrowth. Here one can feel balance and a fine tingling of life-energy. But there’s also a new quality. Lidy calls it ‘connection’, and she perceives it as a vibrating flow of orange, radiating over all life-energetic points around. In the end we also find a life-energetic place of a higher natural essence (deep blue-violet). This place feels lovely and I surrender to this presence swaying softly. This was the missing piece, and now I can start with the first painting. But first I become ill.

One tree and bright geometry

At the end of Januari, after being ill during three weeks with much time for reflexion, the idea of the ‘Crystal woods’ project is purified from all exaggeration, at least I hope so. More sobriety and clearness is necessary. Initially I wanted to rationalise too much the things that inspire and strike me, while instead it is joy and wonder that I feel on these places. The second painting of the ‘Crystal woods-series’ emanates simplicity, on small size, showing one tree in the bright geometry of timeless space.

Then I start a third painting. I want to merge the distinct shapes of the trees into an ethereal image in which different sources of light come together; sunlight and the sparkling of life-energy.

From the underlay of the painting an orange glow shimmers through the main color violet. And orange sparkles give shape to the top layer.