Working oneself out of a rut

Work in Progress (peony lilac narcissus), 24x30", acrylic on canvas


I've been stuck. And we all know that the best way to get unstuck is to work through the stickiness.  So, this past weekend, this piece has been extracting the negative stuck feelings (ambivalence, procrastination...).   

A note on the subject of the painting... the trees around New England have been reduced to bare branches in the sky and the sun is going down around 4:30 pm.  Winter is not my favorite time of year. I can hardly describe the elation that Spring brings to me. So, I decided to bring Spring to myself!!

Quote

All of the flowers of tomorrow are in the seeds of today.

-Indian Proverb

photo by AF-Photography on Flickr

Music- Peter Warlock

Apparently, Peter Warlock was quite the character.

Quote

Deep in their roots, all flowers keep the light.

-Theodore Roethke

photo by flowerchild60 on Flickr

Peaceful Warrior

Last week, I watched a movie that I had been wantign to see for a while, but based on it's description, was not sure I wouldn't be reduced to a sobbing mess. You see, I haven't been able to go bicycling/running for well over a year.... and the site of cyclists on the road still fills me with a sense of longing and the burning feeling of missing out.

Peaceful Warrior is based on the true life story of Dan Millman who was a championship gymnast. He was in a motorcycle accident that shattered his right femur.  He overcame his injury and joined his team in winning the NCAA gymnastics championship. If you just knew those facts, you would think it was very nose-to-the-grindstone recovery. All physical.

But, there's a different element. There is the mental element that is the core of this movie. A kind of  re-evaluation of goals and re-stocking of life. The notion of fleeting happiness is addressed.




There is no way to happiness, happiness is the way

Music- Cheryl Wheeler

I listen to Cheryl Wheeler often when I paint.