A poem for my pastels

Be still my heart whilst I paint
so that I might hear the pastel
as it glides across its sanded surface,
textured like a sweet cat’s tongue.
The sound, like a violin
and the sight becomes the orchestra.

                                           ~sandy byers

Waking Up...and happy

One thing led to another and I found myself at a friend's blog that I contributed to last year. I still feel the same today as I did when I wrote this (then) and want to share it here. I also want to share Robin's Paint a Positive Picture blog because I think anytime we share something positive, that's good for all of us.

This is the painting:

"Waking Up"
Soft Pastel 11"x 14" (sold - thank you :)

And this is the positive thought that went with it:
The blessings of each day are not always obvious unless they are the very first thing one looks for when opening your heart's eyes in the morning. Already being blessed with health and a perfect family seems enough for any one person. For me, when you add to that the joy of rubbing pastel dust between my fingers, and the sound of the pastel gliding across a sanded surface, that cup begins to spill over onto everything. This pastel painting of Camano Island, the morning view from my studio on the east side of Whidbey Island, is just one more reason I can't help but put on my happy face when I open my eyes in the morning. From where I stand, each day is a day to look forward to and that makes me smile.

Peace after All

Happily, I am back to say that after three failed attempts, the painting that “wanted to be” delivered itself on my easel. Whew. I was really beginning to think I had lost my touch. In fact, what I just did was gain my loss of control. What a sense of freedom that is! It is difficult to let go and just allow the painting to take over, especially when I think I know what needs to happen; when I have “a plan.” Funny, I think I’ve already learned this in life and now it is manifesting itself right on my easel. Right in my face. That is reinforcement. So, I am going with it. And, I can say it has been a bit tough lately but I can also say I have made the longest and most rewarding strides in my work since I’ve made these latest “allowances.”

It isn’t always about the result. Sometimes, it is about what I learn as I move from one phase to another and that is what I see when I look at a piece of work. That is why I can love something I finished years ago and, even though it is technically incorrect, it may hold personal value to me – it may hold an entire life-lesson. I am not running around trying to “fix” what I did back then. I am trying to build upon the knowledge I have spent a lifetime investing my heart in since then. This is the piece that would not be refused and would not succumb to my directives:

Proof of Peace

16 x 20

A larger version can be seen on my website

As always, thanks for stopping by and, for you artists....

may you find peace at the easel.