I painted this the week before last, after a visit to NY to see my family and before the holiday depression set in (don’t worry about me, I’m fine now). Being far away from my loved ones (except my wonderful husband) is hard and missing them happens some years. Looking at this painting, though, I can see I was feeling playful and having fun when I made it. Usually, a title pops into my head as the painting progresses, but this time, it didn’t happen, but my friend Gwen Reneé suggested Garden Party and it felt just right. Perfect. So there it is.
Last week, as the holiday sadness kicked in, I painted this.
Totally different mood, hmm? This was a painting I had to paint. No one but I will ever know what it’s about, but suffice it to say I had a long ago trauma I needed to process. Doing that through images is a method that works for me.
I don’t particularly love the painting; it’s jumbled and busy and dark, but that’s how I felt about the thing. Making it did help move me along to forgiveness and healing. Now, I will put it away and move back into having some fun.
I already started prepping for the next batch in this new series of work I’ve been developing. This is the boring part, but perfect to get done when the creative spark goes out for a bit. I gessoed eight canvases and yards of watercolor paper that I will be working on accordion/concertina book fashion while I am in France in January for a two week residency. More on that later. For now, fresh surfaces and a fresh start for the New Year!
Speaking of the New Year, I’m curious to know how you plan to start it out. Vision board, Tarot reading, Word-of-the-year, Meditation practice, Gym membership (god forbid), Intention, Make or Break habits? None of these seem to resonate with me this week, so help a sister out: What will you do? Let me know in a comment here, please.
Love your questions. I start again attempting to balancing my life with adult “kids” and writing about my life. My notes about being in the convent and the KKK encounters, could be a movie.
Shirley T
I have had the same rituals at New Year's Eve/Day for many years. During the last week of the year, I create an evolving journal entry called "the year in review." I reread the Chronicles of Narnia, and The Gift of the Deer by Helen Hoover. If possible, on New Year's Eve, I walk a beautiful labyrinth etched into the sanctuary floor of a nearby Episcopal church. As I walk in, I reflect on the word I've chosen for the coming year. Sometimes, in the center of the labyrinth, a different word appears, and I've learned to trust that, and walk out of the labyrinth with the new word instead. On New Year's Day I do a Tarot reading for the year. I choose two cards from the Sams/Carson Medicine Cards deck to explore a balance of energy needed in the upcoming year. I do a numerology reading for the coming year. Sometime during that day, I visit Mother Ocean, offer thanks, and set an intention of trying to trust whatever comes. I'll let you know how that works this year!