Learning to Be Astonished

"Learning to be Astonished" - acrylic and charcoal on arches 300 lb watercolor paper, 15" x 22".  Available here and at Artfinder.

My work is loving the world...
Am I no longer young, and still not half-perfect? Let me
Keep my mind on what matters,
which is my work,
Which is mostly standing still and learning to be astonished.
--Mary Oliver from The Messenger

I am learning to be astonished.

Not by the state of the world, or politics or pandemics, which filled my astonishment quota in the past.  No, I am learning to be astonished by everything else.   By the evening light filtering through gnarled, bare trees.  By the tender green shoots springing up through ice and snow.  By the feel of a hand in mine.  Astonished by words of encouragement, a sweet smile from a stranger or a dog who gently ducks her head under my hand for a good rub.

I was too busy before to truly be astonished by these things.  I could see them, appreciate them.  But astonishment is new to me.  And there is space for it because I have slowed way down.

Learning to Be Astonished

And isn't it lovely permission, Oliver's words, that our work is "mostly standing still and learning to be astonished"...permission to pause, savor, stand.  Let's stand here together, dear reader, in rapt astonishment. :)

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About the art: Beginning with a Notan from a recent hike (and reader poll!  Thank you!) and applying the 3/5 rule for gestures with figures (3 minutes to capture the gist of it with charcoal and 5 min to lay in the values with a brush  water and titanium white).  Then deciding to do TWO at one time.  

The remainder of the piece was created with layers of acrylic paint, a water sprayer, layers of glaze (color diluted with matte medium) and a rubber wedge, paper towel, fingers and brushes.  Resisting the tiny details and heading toward abstraction, like standing on the edge of a cliff...is THIS too far?  How about THIS?  ha ha!
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