This guest blog post is written by our Featured Artist: Hadassah Fiorini
The most magical, memorable, and meaningful moments of my life involve a deep sense of presence with the people and places around me. A summer walk among the trees, intently listening to the sounds of the world. A meal shared round the table with friends, where the conversation outlasts the courses served. A swim in the ocean, surrounded by miles and miles of untouched sea. Feeling my heart at rest in the company of the person I love. Moments of presence—we are here, nowhere else, and we are not alone.
I often find myself upset by how distracted I am. A text here, an email there, a post, a reel, a flurry of activity. I want to be still, but sometimes I can’t. My brain is wired, constantly looking for something new to attract my attention.
My paintings are an invitation back into presence, both for myself and the viewer. When I paint, I pause and sit with a particular scene for an extended period of time. I must be still in order to create; I must grow familiar with the fullness of the scene. Colors dancing through shadows and trees. Smile lines and stray curls, half-drunk soda bottles and hidden glances.
My invitation to the viewer is the same—pause, be with the scene for a moment. What do you see? What’s there for you? Art is such a beautiful way to express love. This moment, these people, this place… irreplaceable. A once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon, never to be replicated. Through art, we can honor our ordinary lives by amplifying the beauty within them.
Some of my favorite pieces to create are custom pieces. I discover what places and people are meaningful to you and create a scene to represent those, highlighting the brightness and color that exude from those memories. A gathering place, a wedding, a hometown, a family memory. These are pieces of our hearts, and art gives them new life.
The collection of pieces I have chosen for this display represents places and people who have touched my life in recent times. On your next visit to Barstow’s, I hope you find some of these pieces to resonate with you, drawing you into a sense of presence.
Contact me through my website (hadassahfiorini.com) or my Instagram (@hadassah.fiorini.art) if you’re interested in a custom piece of art honoring what’s meaningful in your life. Thank you for letting me share a piece of my heart with you!
With Love,
Hadassah