A Day of Reflection

Something you should know about me is that I have not always been interested in art, at least I didn't think I was.  My mother is an artist.  I have seen her drawing and painting a hundred times.  Never once did it occur to me to pick up a pencil or a paint brush and give it a try.  I often wonder if I was intimidated by her talent - a feeling that I could never measure up.  However, a larger part of me believes that it has simply taken me a very long time to find my way.

Below is my lastest painting.  This original acrylic was done on an 18 x 24" gallery wrapped canvas.  It is the first "human subject" that I have ever attempted.  Painting people REALLY intimidated me!  But I find rugged cowboys irresistable, so I decided to go for it!

This painting, that I have put off doing for months, has turned out to be one of my favorites.  I am now planning to do an entire series of cowboys!  I named this handsome wrangler "Reflection".  I look at this painting and find myself wondering what he is thinking about.  Is he thinking about a lost love?  Is he reflecting on his life?

The art of painting is so interesting to me.  My progression on canvas is almost always the same; a fine start, everything is looking good, then I hit a wall of discouragement.  There is a span of time, somewhere between start and finish, where I am sure I have failed, that I might as well paint a big black "X" across the canvas and call it a day. But I keep working.  At last I start to see a glimmer of something real, something that brings me joy.  I wash my brushes, clean up my paints, and then really stand back and look at my work.  The best feeling in the world, and it doesn't always happen, is when I wonder if I really, actually painted that.  Is this my work?  It seems so surreal.  It is amazing to accomplish something that you really didn't know was inside you. 

 My forty-something years of gathered wisdom has taught me this:  the reflection that you see of yourself in the mirror, or the reflection of your story thus far, may only be a fraction of who you are and what others see you to be.  Dig deep.  Listen to your soul, and don't be afraid to try something new.