A visual artist longs to express something deeper than paint can easily hold — what she calls the music in her soul. She only has brushes and paints, so the feeling inside her must be translated into color and form. That mismatch creates a quiet frustration. The copper jar and pale green bowl in front of her seem to laugh silently, almost as if the ordinary objects know they are just sitting there being themselves while she struggles to make art speak. The mood is intimate and slightly unsettled: lovely, still objects share the room with an artist’s restless desire. There is beauty in the scene, but also a pang of longing for a more direct way to release the music she feels.
Quatrains 1 — Summary
Brushes and paints are all I have To speak the music in my soul-- While silently there laughs at me A copper jar beside a pale green bowl.