About the Artwork
'Contentment'
oil and mixed medium on linen by artist Jo Kaiser
The stillness of contentment.
Contentment comes from within when life is balanced. As I painted, the subject was in mind and I found myself painting from one hue to another. In the centre there is darkness which we have to acknowledge and accept before we can feel at peace. The falling of colour is freeing. Finally, the blue hues falling into white is the cleanse and ultimate goal of contentment.
This art piece is owned by a private collector and has generously provided NCAPES with her consent to use as our branding.
'Message from the artist'
Jo Kaiser
Almost 20 years ago I lost my brother to suicide. Andy was my big brother. He was strong but gentle, reserved but funny, vulnerable and empathetic. He was human. When he decided to take his own life it shattered our family. My sister and I made a pact to never keep secrets about our own lives from each other, we have kept that promise as Andy's gift to us. We never fully recovered as a family and the mark it left in all our lives has left scars that each of us have had to care for in our own way. My paintings of expressionism have allowed my scars to heal over time. Sometimes the scars feel rough, sometimes they even weep. But I find that having courage to express through painting has allowed me to find peace for Andy and allowed my scars to slowly heal. Contentment.