TRANQUILITY COLLECTION

Elinor’s Prolonged Tranquility collection is a series of Japanese inspired pieces largely focused on harmonizing Japanese Zen gardens and Iowan farm fields. Elinor was fascinated by this juxtaposition and hoped that these pieces would draw viewers to see the beauty of both things. This collection was her last major work. A few of these works are made with built up textures on top of a painting to give the work depth and to give the impression of the stones in a Zen garden. When talking about these pieces, Elinor’s son Mike recounted the way that Elinor painstakingly crafted each one by hand by squeezing glue out of a honey bottle onto the canvas.

This process was extremely restful for Elinor, and it was how she practiced tranquility in her own way. An article written by one of Elinor’s former students, Carol Van Klompenburg, describes Elinor’s personal story behind Prolonged Tranquility. In many ways, this collection came out of a season of required rest for Elinor. In the decade following her return from Japan, Elinor learned that her cardiomyopathy was worsening which would eventually require a heart transplant. At seventy years old, Elinor opted out of the transplant list and began a life filled with rest. Her Prolonged Tranquility collection, in which she found a place of rest, would go on to be described by many as peaceful and restful. The message that Elinor hoped to communicate through Prolonged Tranquility can be largely summed up by the message written on the first painting made for this collection: “How deep is our need for places of stillness and prolonged tranquility.”

To read Carol Van Klompenburg's further reflections on this collection click here.