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Remember Everything
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"Remember Everything" - oil on linen-wrapped canvas, 26 x 32 x 1.5 inches. This is unframed but ready to hang. (click on the image to purchase)
“I don’t want to lose a single thread
from the intricate brocade of this happiness.
I want to remember everything.”― Mary Oliver, FELICITY
There are many of us who are leaning toward becoming unraveled right now. The temptation to lose the thread of our happiness is palpable.
It's easy to understand. I confess there are days I watch the metaphorical spool of thread rolling down the sidewalk, twisting and tangling in flotsam and jetsam until I feel discouraged - it is so much work to untangle and rewind the threads of our connections and beliefs.
And yet...underneath this roiling maelstrom of dystopian events is a growing undercurrent of connectedness, compassion, feisty rebellion and hutzpah. The intricate brocade of this happiness will not be so easily unraveled! There is Kelly with her blue bracelets of safety, Helaine with her megaphone of DANGER WILL ROBINSON and Thea with her bottomless well of encouragement. There's Liz with her community of rebellious artists, Erica the queen of crow memes, Sara of the tender heart and also my own husband's optimism and intellectual parsing that keeps my inner Calamity Jane at bay. Dotty who asks "what if" and keeps her own blog readers curious and asking questions, Carl whose Herculean work ethic reminds us there are things to be done - no time for wallowing! All of these and so many more who are glimmering, sparkling and glowing in the world, lighting up the exits and pointing the way forward.
I have the feeling my ball of twine is no longer at risk of unraveling completely. Thank you, dear readers!
I have the feeling my ball of twine is no longer at risk of unraveling completely. Thank you, dear readers!
About the art: beginning with a well-gesso'd linen wrapped canvas and a long brush laden with thinned paint, I made a rough sketch of the figure, leaving the wing feathers mostly undefined. To achieve a super dark background, I worked first from the outside-in, laying down a wash of darks and cutting in to the edges of the figure. Then working from the inside outward and allowing the edges to blend in places with the wet darks. A dance of back and forth between the inside to the outside and then the reverse to keep the darks building in intensity and some of the edges wispy. The requisite 80 million layers on the wings and dress. A month of drying time before coming in with a thin, wet brush to create the ball of "twine" and have it stand out from the rest of the piece.
The inspiration for this one came from the psilocybin journey I took over the summer, where I could "see" a feathery presence gently protecting my heart and spirit. Perhaps we all have wings...
The inspiration for this one came from the psilocybin journey I took over the summer, where I could "see" a feathery presence gently protecting my heart and spirit. Perhaps we all have wings...
The November Reader Giveaway continues! Leave a comment on any blog post this month to be automatically entered.
And the Once-a-Year Sale is ON NOW! Get your original art while it lasts - the artist has murderous intentions with gesso!
And the Once-a-Year Sale is ON NOW! Get your original art while it lasts - the artist has murderous intentions with gesso!
Thanks for the reminder of all the people around us, lighting the way to the emergency exits. So honored you consider me among that inspired company.
Hang in there everyone. Much joy awaits. Don't drink the KoolAid of fear, stay gently aware. xo
Thank you for being a sparkling light in this community and in my personal life!!!! xoxoxo
And the light! You have painted light in so many places. I love seeing it strike a feather, a breastbone, a knee. And I love the way you light the exits out of the roiling maelstrom of dystopian events with your words of connection, words that glimmer, sparkle, and glow.
Thank you.
I guess we are all pointing the way forward these days and it's nice holding hands with y'all as we make our way.
And here's to old hippies and silly psybin! ha ha! My journey wasn't so silly, but I did choose a "heroic dose" for the therapeutic benefit. Next time, a silly dose for sure.
Hooray for holding hands as we make our way through the muck! xoxoxo