Books
"...and then I have nature and art and poetry, and if that is not enough, what is enough?" ~ Vincent van Gogh
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“Ecstatic Encounters: Poetry and Paintings Worth a Thousand Words” is an ars poetica: a marriage of visual art and poetry. It is a collaboration by artist Jesse Glenn and poet Brandon Thompson. At the core of this project is an effort to capture the universal experience of personal influence. We hope to illuminate the simple stories of the people and places that touch our lives. This book is a culmination of our work together, as it presents each of Jesse’s lovingly-crafted paintings alongside Brandon’s accompanying ecstatic poetry. Both of these mediums, visual art and written word, come together in this project with the intention of capturing the essence of our subjects. Throughout this book, you will witness our dance with archetypes and images, each representing the individuals and experiences who live in our hearts and touch us along our Paths.
There is a duality present in most of the phenomena that we encounter along the Way. What may seem common at first might later reveal its hidden beauty, its more mystical nature. What we initially encounter as mundane could perhaps, in time, show us its hidden inner complexity, its profundity. These are the themes that we are striving to explore in this collaboration.
Welcome to “Ecstatic Encounters.” Through people and experiences, we are literally all connected. May our work together, as presented in this book, offer you a glimpse of this great truth of human living.
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What are people saying about "Ecstatic Encounters: Poetry and Paintings Worth A Thousand Words"?
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"Jesse's art is highly creative and flexible in style. He favors a palette that is soft and true; and he creates a wonderful fluidity of color and lines. His work is distinctly stylistic and ideal for illustrating this collection." - Ronald D. Gosses, International artist and recipient of the Kentucky Colonel Award
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"Brandon's ecstatic poetry plumbs deep and delicate recesses of human experience, evoking in the reader's heart a palpable resonance - and a zest of gratitude. Fror Brandon gives compassionate voice to thoughts and emotions often left unexpressed, and whose utterance allows us, his fortunate auidence, to feel profoundly seen and lovingly understood." - Cheryl Lafferty Eckl, Ecstatic Poet and Storyteller
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"Painting is silent poetry, poetry is eloquent painting." ~ Simonides of Ceos
