Things the Heart Knows

"Things the Heart Knows" - mixed media on 300 lb watercolor paper, 15" x 22".  Available here and at Artfinder.

This is the final piece from the Freedom in Watermedia workshop with the incredible Stan Kurth.  Ten  paintings in four long days.  Many of them already sold and delighting the eyeballs of others.  Artists - if you are considering a Stan Kurth workshop - do it!  (this message brought to you by FANS OF STAN KURTH, an imaginary organization of which I fancy myself to be the head cheerleader)

There are many shadowy images layered within this one.  I find another each time I look.  Kurth's process facilitates this.  When you suspend planned paintings and launch yourself into a fully intuitive process, the things your heart knows but maybe your mind can't see end up sandwiched in the paint.  Your job is then to keep your mitts off of it and resist the urge to polish and perfect.  Let it be what it is.  Hmmmmm, what if we could do that with ourselves?

I'm trying, in my newly upended life, to notice the imperfect beauty in others.  To place weight on the vulnerable and quirky and odd.  To allow space for others to let their authentic selves be present and restful.  And to keep my own imperfect self front and center.

Things the Heart Knows

Not an easy feat in a world of enhanced images, carefully curated words, autocorrect and delete. It is so tempting...so easy to refine, polish, edit, enhance what we show to the world, just as we have difficulty letting the hand of the artist (that stray pencil mark, that dripping paint) remain uncovered in our work.  But I am convinced, if we crave authentic connection, we must resist - mitts off!  Let your own self shine.

And now, we return you to your regularly scheduled day. :)​