Curriculum Vitae for Becky Jo Minsky (a.k.a. Hull)
Bankstown, NSW 2200
Email: platypy@unwired.com.au
Professional Experience - Artistic - USA / Australia
Although I began drawing realistic portraits when I was five years old, I still consider myself an “ emerging artist”. I am mostly self-taught and a multi-media artist, designer, fledgling writer and poet. I now write under the name of Becky Hull. I have been publicly exhibiting and selling my artwork off and on since 1975. My original fine artworks and signed limited edition prints are in various private collections throughout the states of Colorado, Florida, Oklahoma, Ohio, Texas and Michigan in the USA. I also have one painting in a corporate collection in Colorado. I came to Australia in 2000 and became a Permanent Resident of Australia in April 2008.
Public Art Exhibitions, Shows and Artistic Awards Received - USA
1989 - Business of Art Centre - Manitou Springs, CO, USA - Studio Artist
Visiting “Resident Artist” for six months… created fine artwork at public group fine art studio and sold my work through studio gallery. Studio was designed so visitors could watch resident artists as we worked. JPTA Agency in Colorado Springs funded my stay there.
1986 - Festival of Trees Exhibit - Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, Colorado Springs, CO
Decorated a Christmas tree for this exhibit using my own hand-made original designs which I sold to local private collectors directly at shows and through boutique specialty shops.
1987 - International Art Challenge - Hollywood American Dream Festival - Los Angles, CA, USA
Received Award Of Excellence and won Gold Medal in New Age category for “It’s Only Water/See of Dreams”
1988 - Springtime In The Rockies Show - El Dorado Art Gallery - Old Colorado City, CO, USA
Won Merit Award ribbon for “It’s Only Water/See of Dreams”
1989 - Starfest ‘89 Art Show - Star Trek Convention - Denver, CO, USA
Won Best of Show ribbon for “She Walks In Beauty” and won First Place ribbon in Fantasy Category for “Inspiration”
1990 - New Western Images Exhibit - Pikes Peak Area Artists 1990 Invitational - Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center
Colorado Springs, CO, USA
By special invitation, created “Dream Weaver” especially for this show
Public Art Exhibitions, Shows and Artistic Awards Received - Australia
2007 - Royal Arts Easter Show - Sydney Royal Easter Show - Sydney, Australia
- exhibited “Refuse To Despair”
2008 - Royal Arts Easter Show - Sydney Royal Easter Show - Sydney, Australia
- exhibited “A Piece/Peace Of My Mind”
2009 - Arts Alive Fairfield Prize Exhibition - Club Marconi, Bossley Park, NSW
- Received 'Highly Commended' Award for “Joy and Sorrow"
References in Australia
Mr. Kon Parris - Parramatta, NSW - Phone and FAX (02) 9687 - 8055 / Email: parrisart@exemail.com.au
1. Artist Statement: “Joy and Sorrow” 2008
Joy is a bright yellow lovebird , so small it can nestle in the palm of your hand. It’s name is ‘Precious’. Pure of heart, full of Life and Love . . . it flies after Sorrow whenever it can and sings an enchanting song about the Beauty of the Moment. All too soon, it disappears in a burst of brilliance like a phoenix into the sun.
Sorrow lingers and sighs “Woe is me.” She laments “If only . . . ” and weeps inconsolably. Blinded by Grief, she stumbles along in her own private Darkness and wishes for her heart to turn to stone or freeze solid so she can no longer feel the Loss of Joy.
Grief marks us. The scars of Loving and Losing - all the scars that can be seen and the ones we carry within our heart, mind and spirit - those are merely proof that we have LIVED. Because the Pain of Loving and then Losing can be so overwhelming, it is natural to fear Losing again and thus to try to avoid Loving again and so tempting to try to numb ourselves to the point that we feel nothing at all. It is that kind of thinking that helps create a Winter of Discontent and makes the world a colder, more inhospitable place for all living creatures. If we do not feel Sorrow, we also cannot feel Joy. Do not turn away from Love because of Fear of Loss if and when Love is offered to you. Love is a special and Sacred Gift. Love is healing - for those who give it and those who receive it. Love gives us the power to do almost anything except raise the dead, and even then . . . Love tries.
Life is Change . . . yet no day is over if it makes a memory.
The memory of a past Joy is like a glimpse of sunlight on a cold, snowy winter day . . . As pale as the winter sun is, it is still bright enough to bring tears to our eyes and show us the Beauty that surrounds us. Even though it may be so cold, we cannot feel the warmth of the winter sunlight on our skin, it is still warm enough to melt a heart frozen by Grief.
So be gentle with yourself and learn to make Peace with your Pain. Take comfort in the possibility that Joy may find you again. But know this . . . Joy likes to play “Hide and Seek”. It rarely takes the same form twice. How else can it surprise us when we least expect it?
Becky Jo Minsky
October 26, 2008
2. Artist Statement - ". . . Releasing Hope To Banish All Despair . . . "
“. . . THEN It squeezed me tighter still and something deep WITHIN me broke .
AN Egg of Preconceived Notions shattered,
RELEASING Hope to banish all Despair .
NO longer pliant puppet toy, no longer Sacrificial Lamb .
EMPOWERED by the Light of Truth .
NOW Something Different, Something More .
REPELLED
FEAR recoiled, confused,
WITHDREW . . .”
- excerpt from an accompanying poem titled "Fear NOT" that was inspired by the painting which I painted near the end of 2007.
I wrote this poem in June 2009 under the name Becky Hull.
Becky Jo Minsky
June 2009
3. “ Fear NOT . . . ” Poem by Becky Hull (copyright 2009)
WE cannot live through Fear, but Fear can live through us.
IF we allow it .
POSSESSED by Fear, our lives are not our own .
WE cease to be our own selves .
INSTEAD, Living Dead puppets,
BOUND with filaments spun by Dread.
PULL our strings attached, we dance in Mindless Panic on COMMAND.
MERE tools to be used and abused and manipulated .
HELPING Fear grow stronger .
SERVING Its purpose perverted far beyond reason .
TRAVESTY of what once was survival instinct designed by NATURE.
ALLOWING ancestors to survive,
PREVENTING extinction as a species.
NOW our Fear betrays us . . . mutated . . . contaminated . . .
“ WILD Animal ” part of us that would eat the rest of us alive .
SURVIVAL Instinct that’s gone feral,
FOAMING at the mouth with perpetual perceptual rabies .
PSYCHOTIC, amoral, Most Cunning Dark Creature of the Psyche,
SHADOW of Humanity . . .
SERVANT of the Anti - Mind .
I know You for Who and What You Really Are .
THE Signs are all there .
LET those who have eyes
UNDERSTAND what they see .
REPULSED by Love . . . The “ Water Of Life ” .
HEEDLESS of Beauty . . . nothing Sacred .
NOTHING safe. . . . after Innocence lost,
DESTROYING everything You touch .
YOU feast upon the Divine Spark within our very Souls .
BANE of Our Existence, I know You .
IF we allow You to roam free much longer,
YOU will be the Cause of our Extinction .
FENRIR, Primal Fear Incarnate .
TERRIBLE Wolf of Ancient Legend .
PROPHESIED to devour the Earth at the End of Days .
YOU are known by many names by many peoples .
YOU have many, many faces . . . all different, all the same .
I see You .
WHO let You loose on this unsuspecting world
TO stalk humanity far and wide ,
HERDING us like frightened cattle in a storm ?
NIPPING at our heels and the back of our minds ,
LIKE the rabid wolf that You are ?
STEALTHILY stalking us over Time .
DIVIDING the People into groups of “Us and Them“.
THE same and different . . . but not really .
RAVENOUS Hunger, never satisfied .
CONSTANTLY searching the human herds for signs of Weakness . . .
THE “ Perfect Victim ” .
YOUR blood - chilling howls of triumph echoing louder in our MINDS.
PARANOIA creeping ever closer, closer, closer . . .
THROUGH coldest darkest moonless starless nights .
TREMBLING at Your approach,
HEADS bowed in resignation to an unkind and unjust Fate .
TOO many give in to Fear without a fight .
I defy You . Get out of my mind ! ! !
ARROGANT Leaders shamelessly use You
ALONG with our foolish tendencies .
TO fear what we don’t understand and to hate what we fear .
EASY to control then aren’t we ?
YOU isolate us in preparation
TO be held and used for their Cruel Amusement . . .
THE next Great Hunt and Harvest of Souls .
UNWILLING Sacrifices of Corruption and Greed,
FED to Fear, tormented by Need .
I have wept and tasted your salty, bitter tears .
TORTURED Souls beyond the counting,
I ’ VE heard your anguished cries for help .
SILENT weeping, pitiful huddles,
WAILING loudly Goodness knows .
WHILE wild howls and desperate shrieks ring through the Lonely NIGHT,
AND in my ears still ringing .
MY heart has bled like you and yours .
FEAR grabbed me too with icy touch .
AROUND my throat it coiled slowly squeezing .
I could not breathe, I could not scream ,
THEN It squeezed me tighter still and something deep within me BROKE . . .
AN Egg of Preconceived Notions shattered,
RELEASING Hope to banish all Despair .
NO longer pliant puppet toy, no longer Sacrificial Lamb .
EMPOWERED by the Light of Truth .
NOW Something Different, Something More .
REPELLED
FEAR recoiled, confused,
WITHDREW
TO find an easier prey to stew .
I did not let the Fear consume me .
ALAS before Hope was released tho,
CONFUSED, I let It take My Youth . . .
SMALL price to pay for Freedom for All
FROM Tyranny and Oppression .
POOR Victims of What Should Never Be . . .
I will Avenge you if I can .
GOD willing, if it is up to me . . .
I will cage the Awful Beast - In - Man .
DEEP within the jungles hidden deserted Mayan temples stand.
TOPPED with Sacrificial Altars, Gates to Heaven closed forever.
TESTAMENT to the Folly of Man .
MIDST stone ruins crumbling , built by people Hate infected.
LONG ago . . . now turned to dust .
CENTURIES later, I still see traces of. . .
FEAR’S blood - stained tracks
AT the Altar stones of Cruelty and Lust .
UNHOLY Fear, Abomination,
MOST people think the warrior priests of Maya
SACRIFICED their victims to blood - thirsty gods,
SOMETIMES to beasts .
NOT true says I .
T' WAS You received the warm, still - beating hearts
OF “ Honored ” Victims .
TRIBUTE and Reward for Your Obedience .
THINKING to tame and use You Fear,
THEY did not know You as I do .
YOU can not be tamed, for You are Evil through and through .
TOO late they learned to their Undoing,
THAT You belong back in Your cage .
UNCHAINED Terror of the Mind, Rogue Defender of the Faith .
CREEPING close to Bethlehem , camouflaged by Greed and Need.
SLINKING round in shadowed alleys,
CALLING the Faithful of Mecca to their knees .
HIDING within the cooling mosques,
WHEN sun goes down You roam the streets.
WHISPERING lies and half-Truths to those who’ll listen . . .
THOSE Poor Souls raised on meager diets of “ Not Enough ”
FOR far too long .
MARKED by Grief and brutal treatment,
WITH wounds unhealing, living in a World gone Wrong .
FAMILIES shattered by wars unending .
NOW their Rage and Hurt fermenting bubbles of Righteous INDIGNATION.
FIRE FLOWERS in the Making,
SPOILED Fruit of Tragic Circumstances .
OF course they listened, who would not ?
EASY to convince them,
BLAME the Others for the Pains You’ve caused .
TERRORISTS completely Terrorised . . .
VENGEANCE now their Sacred Song they use to call the Faithful TO Prey.
INCENDIARY of the Blinded Faithful
WHOSE “ eyes for eyes ” no longer see .
PROVOKING Panic when you are able .
PREACHING Intolerance in variations .
INCITING Unholy “ Holy Wars ” and
JIHADS like swarms of angry bees with nuclear stingers,
CAUSING riots by the score .
YOU do not fool me any more .
I know Your Game, I know it well .
“ DIVIDE and Conquer ”, same old same .
I see Your tracks and smell Your spoor .
THEY are not the Enemy, they never were .
YOU are .
TROUBLEMAKER, Peace - Breaker,
POISONER of Dreams .
CORRUPTER of Faiths ranging freely without restraint . . .
SAVAGING the People You were meant to Protect .
EVIL is as Evil does . . . Chaos You create .
WITH Your actions leaving Destruction in Your wake .
YOU would bring us all down like animals of prey . . .
AND destroy Creation if You may .
I deny You .
WITHOUT the help of Fear, Armageddon could not be .
YOU are a self - fulfilling Prophecy of Doom aren’t You ?
WHAT will You do if and or when,
IN spite of all Your efforts to enslave Man . . .
SWEET Peace should chance to Bloom ?
WITH enchanting fragrance rare and Life Renewing .
HOPE’ S Delight ,
RADIANT in the brilliant morning light .
HERALD of the Sacred Dawn . . . Momentous Day,
WITH Love for All to guide their way ?
WHAT then oh Wicked Beast - In - Man ?
HOW will You inspire the World to embrace Mayhem,
AND lead us to Despair and Ruin ?
ANCIENT Fear, apart yet not,
COLLECTIVE Part of the Worst in Us,
YOU have no power over me .
I’M now immune to Your Poison Lies .
CAN’ T You see ?
AND I am not alone .
WE’ VE cut Your ties that painfully bind .
OUR minds are Free, our hearts are Strong .
WE know Your tricks, We know You’re Wrong .
SHAPE - SHIFTER wearing Devil’s Mask today ,
AND priestly robes tomorrow .
SOMETIME Power Hidden Behind The Throne,
YOUR face may change , but Your Essence doesn’t .
YOU stink of Evil whatever you do, wherever you go .
HATE - Made - Flesh, Beast - In - Man.
FEEDING on the Best in Us since Time Began .
YOU can not exist If We All Deny You ! ! !
BEHOLD ! ! ! We are the Children of Tomorrow .
REBORN from Strife and Pain and Sorrow .
TRANSFORMED by Grace,
PHOENIX Spirits One and All .
HERALDS of the Sacred Dawn .
CARRIERS of Brightest Hope are We . . .
PRECIOUS Flowers to set Man Free .
BLOOMING on the Edge of What Is and Is Not,
WE know Where Angels Fear to tread and Why .
GUARDIANS of the Inner Light that Shines
FROM Dusk of Long Dark Night of the Soul . . .
TILL glorious, glorious, Miracle Dawn .
HERE to Bind Thee Forevermore from this very hour .
WE Expose and Rebuke Thee Vile Fear for What You Really Are .
BE gone from this World anon . We do not want you Here.
YOU have no place in Heaven on Earth to Come .
GOD ’S Plan has Changed, You are Undone ! ! !