Figuratively Speaking - Growth

My babies were huge; at least the first two were off the charts.  My third child arrived with great fanfare but no delivery drama, as he was dropped on my doorstep.  He was my "chosen child" and was very tiny, very strong, and very scared.  It took months of holding him pretty much around the clock to get him to settle down and feel secure and start to gain weight. His arrival into my life was a pivotal moment.  His presence has been a molding force in my character.  The unique challenges and exciting victories he has brought into our family have made us who we are.  Thank you Harry!  He is not so little anymore.  He has grown into a fine man who is sweet, funny and really muscular.  The rest of us are stretched out tall.  He is the shortest but by far the strongest.  We are all so grateful to have had the opportunity to love someone who is so different from the rest of us.  It has been a life lesson.  The grandkids all were huge babies too and have stretched out to skinny tall people.  Watching us all grow and change and become who we are is such a privilege.  Growth, like moving, working and learning, is necessary to have a full life.  It isn't easy, but then, who said it was going to be?  Go Figure!

Figuratively Speaking - Sorting It Out

8"x10" oil  $75

It was a discovery for me that I really like the shape of circles and bubbles.  I have always loved bubbles, their shape, flexibility, reflective quality, but didn't realize how drawn (pun intended) to them I am.  Generally I paint alla prima (doing the entire painting in one session) but I let this one percolate for a while while "sorting it out."  What I mostly love about painting abstracts is that it makes me think differently.  A book, a movie, a play, a dance, a poem, music, even an exquisite meal, that makes me think differently brings me joy.  I am currently reading a satirical book about the ideal Republican.  I believe its intention is to look at the foibles of Republican thought and policy by expressing an inflated belief in them, but mostly it comes across as sarcastic.  I am not sure its intention is to also poke fun at a particularly narrow minded liberal attitude about conservatives, but it succeeds on that end as well.  So why am I reading it?  The reason is to understand the author better.  This is the second book I have read recently to better understand these authors as humans, because they touch the lives of those I care about.  Then I think about writing a blog and how that tells something about who I am.  Too bad we can't read our own writing totally objectively, or evaluate our own artistic endeavors totally objectively.  All we can do is try to "sort it all out" as best we can.  Go figure.

Riding Lessons

6"x6" oil  $75

I learned so much in doing this painting.  I was highly distracted while working and was rushing to get it done.  I was not happy with the results, but I decided not to wipe it off, but to see if I could revive it.  The main reason I didn't like it was because it was fussy, overworked and dull looking.  I was able to breath life into some of the colors by glazing over it with transparent paint.  I decided to go with the soft edge look, because, well, what else could I do?  Since it is of my granddaughter, I can't help but feel fondly towards it.  What do you think?