Literally, they can be

Literally, they can be touched and a subliminal understanding within my mind and heart is transformed into reality. Connecting these dots is like tracing constellations with a paintbrush. Look up into the darkness of the night sky and be awed by the unknown. In the vastness of the universe, humankind is a speck in that celestial sky. Our wars and worries, joys and dreams are inconsequential in the scope of outer space. Seeking peace amidst the troubles of the world seems like a mirage. Helen Beekman Helen Beekman, sculptor and painter, works and lives in New York City. She grew up in Menlo Park and Inverness, California and in 1971 received a B.A. in Fine Art (focusing on sculpture) from Mills College in Oakland, California. Helen Beekman was a visiting artist at The American Academy in Rome. Her work is in private, corporate and museum collections. “Peace is as mercurial as the night sky. Trying to capture peace or holding stars in your hand is a daydream. I want you to look deeply into my hay sculptures. The painted hay is manipulated on neutral surfaces where my wordless thoughts and visions only imagined become three dimensional palettes. Stars fall into the hay like fireflies landing on grass. Still, I am a believer in peace. I am uplifted knowing that while our home rock floats in the infinite darkness of nothingness, twinkling lights brighten churning chaos. We are made of stardust, the identical atomic elements (oxygen, carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen) of the Milky Way. This is humbling but the very nature of humans has something intangible, optimism. I peer into the night sky and hear John Lennon’s song Imagine. I feel a sense of possibility and peace. We humans are stubborn, arrogant yet we try to be good citizens on earth. We will fight for our blue planet and peace. We are stardust with a shared responsibility.” Helen Beekman | April 2018 Shooting Stars Hay, acrylic on Masonite 104 x 102 cm | 2017 www.helenbeekmanart.com