Thursday, September 16, 2010

I have not blogged in so long that there is way too much to try to catch up on.


First....my friend, Louise, who sometimes commented here, passed into her next Great Adventure not too long ago. But before she left us, she blessed me in a mighty way...and continues to do so.

On Monday, July 26th, 2010, she wrote this in my comments:

"This is the dawning of your life..You're ready to start the heart & soul mosaic of "Dances with Brush".... I hear Pianos, guitars,castinets....they're playing your song..its the never-ending story of the brush that could bring so much joy ."

'...ready to start the heart & soul mosaic....'


When I read those words, they indeed felt like a blessing and somehow, I recognized that she spoke a truth.

A few weeks later, her many facebook friends gathered in our special cyber-space around her and her family and held vigil for her as she passed.

During the several days this took, I joyfully...and often tearfully....worked on a special painting. One that I hoped she could feel in her soul as she made her transition. I certainly felt her Spirit with me as I painted. I kept hearing her repeat my own words back to me, which I had written in my blog of August 27, 2010....TAKE MORE CHANCES!!!!.....I did and this is the result.

ASCENSION
36 X 48




Still, I knew that I wasn't going the distance. I knew I was holding back.....staying safe.

Fast forward to yesterday.

But first, I have to lay some groundwork.

A week or so ago, I happened to catch a PBS program about painters of New Mexico. One of them was of special interest to me. I was in awe of her freedom of expression! She literally dances with her brush and canvas...only she doesn't use a brush...she uses knives and trowels! I mean the kind of trowels used by plasterers!

So....yesterday, I took myself to a high-end gallery here in Tucson. I haven't been there in over ten years. Guess who's paintings were being shown????

If you guessed the lady from the PBS program, you're a winner!

Often, I come home from visiting art galleries wondering why I don't just give all my art supplies to someone more worthy of using them. LOL Yesterday, I came home inspired by that one artist, to actually paint like no one would ever see it and to TAKE MORE CHANCES.

I have occasionally painted with a palette knife....but almost always with fear and trepidation. Yesterday, I threw all caution to the four winds and let my soul soar!

As I danced with my canvas and knife, I could almost hear Louise laughing with joy and cheering me on.

When I was finished...which didn't take very long.....I felt like I'd just been set free. And I felt full of joy! I loved the painting!

FREEDOM
24 X 36




I wondered, as I went to sleep last night, if I could possibly repeat that same freedom of expression again.

So, first thing this morning, I tried again.

FREEDOM #2
16 X 20


What you can't see in these photos is the very thick, textured paint which seems to just breathe life into them!

I am smiling in my soul.

I am grateful beyond belief.

Guess the name of the painter lady whose work inspired me?

It's Louisa.

Do you find that interesting?

I do.

Here's a link so you can see Louisa's work.


http://www.marksublettemodern.com/content/McElwainbiography.lasso










http://skayspeak.blogspot.com/

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