Growth and color and an (almost!) finished new painting

“We have to continually be jumping off cliffs and developing our wings on the way down” Kurt Vonnegut 

 

I’ve been thinking this week about what it takes to keep growing, whether as an artist or a parent or a friend or an individual. It’s the hard, daily work of trying new things, making mistakes, celebrating life and small successes, and getting up each new day with the determination to try again.

As spring continues to bloom, I’ve been so thrilled by the color and shape and growth right outside my door. Love, love, love.

 

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Milestones, bunnies, and the power of art

“I have come to understand that what I am saving by making art is my own vital life.” Toby MacLennan

 

My sister posted a quote recently that I just love:

 

I’ve often wondered why I felt compelled to make art.  And one day quite by surprise this sentence came to me with the strength of a command: You are saving things from being lost!  Over the years I have come to understand that by making art I am certain I am saving my childhood capacity to play from being systematically destroyed.  I am certain that by making art I am honorably retrieving from the dumpsters of our society, my awareness of the life of deer and the smell of black dirt just plowed up from a farmer’s field in Iowa.  I know that by making art I am preserving my ability to lay down on the ground and stare at a blade of grass until I am filled with wonder.  I know I am preserving my capacity to stray out from under the shadow of an idea and look at my hands as if they were just being born.  In fact, over the years I have come to understand that what I am saving by making art is my own vital life.

 

There are so many reasons why art is so important to me and to so many of us. Awareness, play, wonder, connection. Art calls on the pieces of ourselves that are less tangible, that are harder to define, but that are oh so necessary as part of a life well lived.

Let’s start our morning with some happy color. Not only do I adore these flowers, but this is one my favorite colors to paint with. Nature has the most beautiful palette to choose from!

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Have a little faith (plus: painting progress and life around here lately)

“Have a little faith in me” John Hiatt

 

The song Have a little faith in me came on the radio the other day and while it’s not a song I usually hear, I felt myself pause at the word faith.

Have a little faith in me.

I felt like this was the universe talking, saying what’s your rush? Don’t worry, I’ll get you where you need to go.

 

The original BREATHE painting, temporarily back in my studio for framing!

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Paint, pause, examine (painting progress and Isaac’s 9 month photo shoot!)


“Reexamine all that you have been told” Walt Whitman

 

I’ve been appreciating lately that finishing a painting is not a linear process for me, especially as I review my in-progress photos to share. Colors change, an evening scene becomes a morning scene, colors change again, a grove of trees becomes a hill of flowers, etc. I need a lot of flexibility, time, and room to explore, which is partly why I love acrylic paints so much – they are very, very forgiving and allow for lots of layers.

Here’s where I’d left my current painting last time, though as you’ll see below, the words follow the stars might no longer work:

 

I’ve been stretching this painting out over a number of weeks, adding layer after layer to the background until the colors speak to me and I can add the next element. I’ll likely never be the artist that can paint live in front of an audience, but that’s okay. Instead, I paint, pause, examine. Paint, pause, reexamine.

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Shine like the whole universe is yours (plus: painting progress!)

“Shine like the whole universe is yours” Rumi 

 

 

Hello, magnificent world.

Thank you for showing me as always that there’s beauty everywhere and that fresh air and sunshine are healing for the soul.

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I carry your heart (plus: painting progress and Isaac’s 8 month photo shoot!)

“I carry your heart with me (I carry it in my heart)” e. e. cummings

 

This is how I want to focus on the passing of Valentine’s Day this year:

I carry your heart with me (I carry it in my heart). 

I always found Valentine’s Day stressful growing up, as getting valentines from classmates felt more like a popularity contest than an expression of anything genuine. I’m in a much happier place now but I still like to think about creating space in my heart for anyone who needs it. So many people (including you!) have touched me simply by being here and being your wonderful selves.

That’s an amazing gift that I don’t take lightly. Let’s carry each other and keep each other safe.

 

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The stickers are READY (plus: new paintings and updates)

“Because you are alive, everything is possible” Thich Nhat Hanh 

 

My friends: this will be a shorter post this week as we’re right in the heart of the holiday season and I’ve been enormously busy. Here’s a typical weekend day right now:

 

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Breathe beauty in (plus: it’s time for a holiday SALE!)

“Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror. Just keep going, no feeling is final” Rainer Maria Rilke

 

There’s so much unrest and uncertainty in the world right now that I imagine most of us are feeling the effects.

I’ve been wrestling in my own mind about how to balance the enormous stress of a turbulent world with the wonders of every day life.

I don’t have a magic solution but I do know that a great antidote to stress is beauty and so I’ve been looking for beauty in all of my quiet moments.

Here’s one of my favorite parts of Fall: the gorgeous color. I also love trees and plants for their reminder that while change is inevitable, no change is final (life will shift again into a new season before we know it).

 

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Thank you for being (plus: finished paintings, an upcoming sale, and more!)

“The greatest blessings of mankind are within us and within our reach” Seneca

 

I hope this week’s blog post brings you a little color and joy, especially this week when life has felt so very intense around the world.

Isaac and I were out walking in the neighborhood the other day when we discovered this sign:

 

 

LOVE! I’ve carried this message around with me since.

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5 ways to fill your well (plus, painting progress!)

“The wound is the place where the light enters you” Rumi

 

How do you fill your well?

This week I’ve been thinking about how to fill back up our wells when we’re feeling depleted / tired / stressed.

Ive been stumbling through my days lately as Isaac is going through a growth spurt and has been waking up many times throughout the night. I know we’ll get to the other side of this but in the meantime I’ve been seeking ways to keep my spirits up.

I’ve made progress on my stickers, which always makes me happy, and so that’s the first way I’ve found to fill the well: carve out even a few minutes here and there to do the thing you most enjoy doing.

Here’s month 11, which I finished last week:

 

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