(46) Gingerbread Ornament
6 x 6, oil
This is an ornament made of felt, that my mom sewed and embellished with embroidery ( a favorite of mine).
As I painted this, I realized that I am close to posting 50 paintings, and so, I was pondering what I have learned so far, and (drum roll, please) the biggest lesson is that it is easier to let go. Let go, as in, give it your best shot, put down the truth of what you know TODAY, and walk away....detach from the outcome...Ok that is easy for most (maybe too easy for some), but once I take that photo, I am forced to stop tweaking and move on...no choice, the photo writes it in stone.
I know artists who would never consider going back into their work because once you walk away, the chi is gone. The thinking is that you can't correct something because you can't begin at the place where you left off (mentally, emotionally, spiritually), simply because you can't retrieve yesterday--today. Then, there are artists who have things hanging on the walls for years and think nothing of taking them down and making changes once something new is learned. I have always felt that if it isn't exactly as I want it to be, it is never finished, never "good enough"...ouch, I feel like I need to lie down on a sofa and write somebody a check having said that, but, my point is (and there is a point) that the blog is a good thing for reasons I had never even considered. I had hoped to learn about edges, color, value, etc, but I have learned to detach from the outcome because it is the "process" that counts--that zen moment of showing up at the easel every day that I love about it...are you asleep yet? so sorry.
"A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song"...Maya Angelou