Painting for the love

It’s been several weeks since I sat down to paint, and well over a month since I last posted here. Creativity seemed to be taking the summer off and leaving me quite uninspired. The painting I have done was either because it was necessary for a class or just because I knew I needed to paint.

But, a couple days ago, I decided to paint for something bigger and more important and inspiring than a class or out of the necessity to just keep painting. I decided to paint for the love. For the love of my daughter. For the love of painting. For the love of giving without expectations of any form of gain. And, like magic, inspiration began to flow and the joy of creating returned from all the elsewheres it had been these past months.

Wednesday, the 19th, was my daughter’s birthday. She’s my only child and I love her more than I could ever put into printed, typed, or spoken words. I painted this galaxy watercolor painting for her birthday. I hope she feels the love.

 

Find the love friends,

Angie

 

 

Layers of Mistakes

  This painting is titled “Beautiful Mistake”. I started this painting, maybe three or four years ago, when we were still in Misssouri. For about 3 years, I got together with around ten to thirteen ladies every Tuesday morning to do art together. It still is one of few things that I miss terribly from our time there. The ladies were, unknowingly, part of my lifeline in getting through an incredibly difficult time in my life. And, I will be forever grateful for it and them. It was in this class, this painting got its beginning, then it came home with me to be finished, where the mistakes began. One layer after another of paint that just wasn’t working. I continued to try and remove what I could of what I was unhappy with , and then layer over it with more and more intense color. All the while thinking I was just making a mess that would eventually be trashed, or at least stuck in a drawer somewhere out of sight and maybe someday I’d use it as a reminder of what not to do. Then it happened, the last layer of background was put in and dried, and I decided to go ahead and paint the flowers. I’m glad I did. I ended up loving it! But, I didn’t think anyone else would like it. I showed it to my daughter, Haley, and she loved it too. I matted and framed it, and it now resides with her.

It happens, more often than not, that our mistakes and bad choices, whether intentional or unintentional, usually, bring us, at best, unpleasant consequences. And, unfortuantely, sometimes, lifelong regrets. Unless, of course, we are one of “those people” who have a perpetual horseshoe up their butt.

I believe, that this is just a fact of being mere mortals, imperfect and yet, still beautifully created. Created with the resiliance and ability to take our mistakes, bad choices, and regrets, and somehow, in spite of, or even because of, the pain, the grief, the unpleasantness, we can, layer upon layer, fashion something unexpectedly beautiful.

I’m thankful for the beauty that has come from the ashes.

Angie

Then and Now

The Cardinal and The Nokomis Sunset…

The Cardinal is a very early watercolor painting from many moons ago when I first started my watercolor journey.

The Nokomis Sunset is one of my most recently completed watercolors.

I entered my first juried art contest with this one, just a few weeks ago. I didn’t place in the top three, but I did learn a lot, and gained a bit more confidence in my ability as an artist. This piece did receive an honorable mention, and I was given a gift card for the local art store. Although I didn’t win 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place, I did place at 5th. And, I’m quite happy with that. The fact that I pushed myself out of my comfort zone, beyond my fear of not being good enough, and entered the contest at all, well, means that I won!

Fear is real, we all have it. But, regrets are real too.

XOXO,

Angie