An introspective look at Bita Motamedi’s ‘The Far End’
By Naomi Ambrose, Staff Writer
For those of us who seek inspiration for this new year, Bita Motamedi’s The Far End will surely inspire us to explore 2019.
Motamedi is a local watercolourist and portrait artist based in Burnaby. Her watercolour painting The Far End was featured in the Federation of Canadian Artists 2016 Juried Exhibition. Through artwork, students can be reminded of their goals and dreams for the coming months. I will use the vast landscape of The Far End as an illustration of how a powerful piece of art can remind us of our promises to ourselves and our potential.
The wide blue sky is part of a landscape that is a marvelous sight to behold. The large image of the blue sky that fills up a substantial portion of the painting awakens our curiosity to dream. The wide sky piques our interest by giving us a moment to wonder about the goals we hope to achieve this year. If you have goals and dreams that will push you to reach for the clouds, the mighty blue sky will inspire you to reach higher.
The sea is another important feature of the landscape. The wide sea illustrates the different stages of an adventure. Sometimes, an adventure can start off calm, the way the sea in this image appears to be serene. This calmness could help to gradually prepare you for the inevitable action and movement that are often required to pursue new year goals.
The sea is also a reminder that exploring the new year may involve travelling across water to visit new or familiar lands. If one of your 2019 goals involves exploring British Columbia, the image of the sea may inspire you to take a trip to Victoria via ferry. Or perhaps the image of the sea propels you to explore the New Westminster Quayside and Queensborough neighborhoods via the New Westminster Q to Q ferry service.
There are also images of three tall, leafless trees. These leafless trees reflect the importance of embracing the new year with an open mind. Your new year explorations may not be immediately filled with swashbuckling, epic adventures. Yes, it’s true that the new year is here. Yes, it’s also true that your new year may start off bare. Nonetheless, even though you may not see the immediate beauty of your 2019 goals, take a moment to observe the presence of the leafless trees as a reminder to continue pursuing your aspirations.
The use of a rainless, bright landscape illustrates the luminance that is associated with a new year. Ignite your new year exploration engine with a bright, upbeat feeling.
The inclusion of the parked boat on the sand is a reminder that we can start our 2019 exploration at a still point. You can start your journey from a stationary stance. You can also begin your new sojourn using a tool, an object, or a mechanism that may not be fully utilized in the beginning stages. However, as time progresses, you, along with the object that facilitates your journey, will eventually increase your potential to achieve greatness in the new year.
Within the galaxy of artwork, interpretations of paintings that reflect explorative aspects of a new year can inspire us to pursue our goals. I hope my interpretation of The Far End can inspire you to ponder and wonder about the meanings hidden within paintings.
