Daily Art- Contemplation in Red

Contemplation in red

full painting

(the upper left hand corner of this painting is being washed out by my inept attempts at picture taking, sorry)

close up

‘Contemplation in Red’ from the faces series #3
24″ x 36″
oils
finished sides, no frame needed, ready to hang

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***

Here is the quote that was the inpsiration for the work:

“Hope is a state of mind, not of the world . . .
Either we have hope or we don’t;
it is a dimension of the soul,
and it’s not essentially dependent
on some particular observation of the world
or estimate of the situation.
Hope is not prognostication.
It is an orientation of the spirit,
and orientation of the heart;
it transcends the world that is immediately experienced,
and is anchored somewhere beyond its horizons …
Hope, in this deep and powerful sense,
is not the same as joy that things are going well,
or willingness to invest in enterprises that
are obviously heading for success,
but rather and ability to work for
something because it is good,
not just because it stands a chance to succeed.
The more propitious the situation
in which we demonstrate hope,
the deeper the hope is.
Hope is definitely not the same thing as optimism.
It is not the conviction that something will turn out well,
but the certainty that something makes sense,
regardless of how it turns out.”
~Vaclav Havel
***
Today I go to work with hope in my corner.
The fever pitch of working means I don’t have a lot to report about.
I see my kids as if they are waking dreams,

floating through the studio with kisses and needs to be met.

I hug my mate as if he were a visitor,

surprising me with his arrival upon my doorstep.

I eat every once in awhile and sleep too little.

I stand under the running water and forget why I am there.

I am tired and my body aches.

Possessed by the effort to work harder,

driving myself to the finish line of something to be proud of.

Waiting for no one, taking no prisoners, allowing no distractions…

the paint flows like wine, and my creative thoughts pile up on themselves like driftwood on the shore.
I just work harder is all…I just don’t stop.
I know that some of these new works are the best I have done to date.
Others… not so much. Such is life.
I have little or no interest in them after they leave my easel…
I do not care what happens to them now…

orphans they are.
I am just glad to be rid of them from my minds eye;
like the feeling of removing a large thorn from under a nail.
The end result is not what I am after.
Living in these moments of being one with the work…

that is what ignites my inner flame…

that is what matters most…

being burned alive in the flame.
Being burned Alive.
Charred bones in the calabash bowl.
I am grateful to work myself hard

and press myself for my best.
Today I work for the knowing.

I work for the joy.
Leaving ego on the side of the road,

with her good buddies fear and doubt.

I told them all to find a ride with someone else…

there’s no room at the inn for you…
Beat it.
Waking in the morning,
the smells of oil paint and sweat are
like honeysuckle on a hot summers day,
sweet and inviting.
Today I work with hope in my corner.
***
I hope you all have a good day…
I am off to the salt mines.
I am swinging my pick and shovel.

I am getting a second job, well at least I hope I am…I have my second interview for the position on Friday. This will mean much, much less time in studio. I have a large inventory or as we say around here, “homeless artworks” so I will be liquidating the studio over the next couple of months. So, if you are looking for new art, you will find some really good deals around here. Please, don’t hesitate to ask about anything you may have seen…really, I’m too poor to be offended by best offers. Step right up and slap some change on the table, it’ll all be fine, really it will. Artists have been trading fine art for goods and services since the days of old, so this is not a big deal. I will continue to paint…just a little slower for now. The world is in a money crunch, so I am not expecting a magic wand situation here, just maybe get through the rest of the year without having to work 70 hours a week for 8.50 per hour. Yup, I’m living large, I tell you what. We will also be moving…again soon. We have to downsize (from a 3 bedroom to a 2 bedroom house for all 4 of us) to reduce overhead.

We have been listening to the news and the markets…we are having our own little economic meltdown over here. Children keep having birthday’s, holidays are coming and we expect the heating bill to rise upwards of 30% this winter, fast approaching here in KY. At this time I am still paying off last winters bills…so this should be real fun. Do I sound bitter or like I am whiny? Because I’m sure not. I am a lucky, wealthy woman…this is a recession…I’ve lived through three of them now…so I am an old hand at this…reduce, stay small, and trim any wants out of the picture. It’s all cool, really. Just buy some stinking art, please!

Heather
http://www.badkittyartstudio.com/
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