Gillian and the Dragon

Gillian and the Dragon

Gillian and the Dragon - acrylic on cradled wood panel, 20 x 20 x 1.5.  Ready to hang.  Available in December at Artistic Souls Gallery.

I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened.~Mark Twain

So the studio is in varmint mode.  And many of you dear readers have been kind enough to share your favorite kind of varmint, one of which was rabbits.

But rabbits look so sweet and cuddly and non-troublemaking!  Unless, of course, they are dragons. You saw where this was going, right?  You knew it had to happen?  The varmint invasion has begun to morph a little.  You might want to send help. :)

I've been contemplating the experience of existence.  And how very much of that experience is controlled by my thoughts about it.  And my pre-worries and disaster-labeling of things.  These are struggles we all have, I imagine.  But what I'd rather be imagining is a much calmer, more joy-filled existence.

Which I actually have. 

So when the Mark Twain quote appeared in my day, I thought WHOA.  A great many of my troubles have never happened.  Remember the time the water heater surely was kaput and the replacement cost was out of reach?  Um, oh yes, that never happened.  The water heater had a blip, and then it was fine for years and years.  Remember when I thought I had completely failed at motherhood and ruined my kids forever?  Um, that didn't happen, either.  The kids are now outstanding and successful adult humans with big hearts that make me smile. 

And so I find myself wondering..could I, maybe possibly, catch those rascally thought-rabbits before I turn them into dragons?   Hmmmmmm.

(many thanks to reader, poet and friend Mary C. for suggesting the name of the whimsical girl in this piece.  I believe her namesake is an actual dragon-slayer in the modern world.)