Minerva and Mia Find Balance

"Minerva and Mia Find Balance" - acrylic on repurposed wood, 12" x 21" x .75".  Ready to hang.  Available here and at Artfinder.

Here's an exercise for you - take an uneven piece of scrap wood and let the edges dictate the subjects and shapes.

This piece of scrap wood was grabbed from the discard bin in a woodworking facility about two months ago.  Something about the shape intrigued me.  I have stared at this every day since then, and finally decided to give it a go.  It started with an underpainting of gold gesso, and the idea that time and balance have been overarching themes recently, and somehow this piece would be about that.

What I love about Minerva and Mia....even though their very purpose seems to be holding things in place, they do it with acrobatic grace and a cheerful demeanor.  Which I aspire to do one day, instead of being clumsy (I broke a toe last night trying to sit down - don't even ask) and growling about too many responsibilities and stresses.

Minerva and Mia Find Balance

"It isn't 'resting bitch face' ", I say to my family, "it's MY FACE."   They don't believe me.  But truly I have not mastered (yet) the art of gracefully handling pain (or gracefully sitting down, apparently) and certainly have no chance of winning any game where a poker face is required.   Minerva and Mia have much to teach me.

The summer solstice arrives today - the longest day, the shortest night.  Plenty of time, dear reader, to contemplate all those balls you're juggling and the beams you're holding in place.  And the tick tick tick of father time, reminding us of its finiteness.  Or, we could jump into the mindset of the mouse, observing from a safe place, wondering why humans are so odd and perhaps going back inside the clock for tea and biscuits.  Hmmm.  I say we have tea.