30 Paintings in 30 Days, Day 1

"Amabella" - mixed media on reclaimed wood, 6" x 18".  Ready to hang.  Available on Artfinder.


[wind] [clop clop] ARTHUR: Whoa there!
[clop clop] GUARD #1: Halt! Who goes there?
ARTHUR: It is I, Arthur, son of Uther Pendragon, from the castle of Camelot. King of the Britons, defeator of the Saxons, sovereign of all England!
GUARD #1: Pull the other one!
ARTHUR: I am. And this my trusty servant Patsy. We have ridden the length and breadth of the land in search of knights who will join me in my court of Camelot. I must speak with your lord and master.
GUARD #1: What, ridden on a horse?
ARTHUR: Yes!
GUARD #1: You're using coconuts!
ARTHUR: What?
GUARD #1: You've got two empty halves of coconut and you're bangin' 'em together.
                            - from "Monty Python and the Holy Grail", Scene 1
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And so it begins.  Day one, in the studio, essentially banging coconuts together and creating the illusion of something else going on.  Like Arthur, I believe in what I'm doing, even if the guard sees through my props and playacting.  This movie is one of my all time favorites.  Yes, it's funny and off-color and British.  And there are llamas in the opening credits, and then later animation and a sorcerer.  But the thing that draws me in every time is Arthurs unwavering conviction...his tenacity, perseverance and belief in himself regardless of what is going on around him.  He is on a mission, wearing blinders and plugging his ears, tuning out everything and everyone.

And isn't that just exactly what we need to do as humans?  Believe in ourselves and the magic that can happen even if it is just coconuts banging together.  Which means ignoring the people who say "you can't" and those who say "it will never happen" and pushing forward relentlessly toward your goal.  It helps to have a trusty servant (and if his name is "Patsy", even better, right?)  but a supportive friend or two will do.

This is my sixth 30 in 30 challenge.  SIXTH!  I feel like one of those crazy ironman marathoners who pits themselves against the elements over and over again, defying all odds (cue large wooden rabbit catapulting toward my studio) and who simply can't resist one more go at it.  Thank you, dear reader, for coming along for the ride this month on our trusty imaginary steeds.  I hope you'll find it both motivating and entertaining - and if not, blame the coconuts.

​"Amabella" was inspired by a dear lady who is about to become an auntie.  Her niece-to-be is going to have the most marvelous adventures and forever support no matter what quest she sets out on in her lifetime.