The End Of A Journey

This was what I started with on week 1.

This is the finished painting.  It is painted on Bristol Vellum paper and measures 34 X 60. I really am loving it.

I love how these prayer flags came out.  Sometimes such a simple view or a part of a painting can be such a delight.  In DEEP we were encouraged to take photos like these.  I have done this before and really like the idea. I think this will be something I do more often from now on.

This little vine I painted is another little spot that makes me smile.

The journey with this painting over this long period taught me a few things. Often I did not like the painting, did not know what was coming next. I was able to able to let go of any preconceived notions of what it had to be and let it become what it was supposed to be. That involved a lot of letting go.  I had never painted a dog before or sheep.  It taught me that I could do those things and it wasn't that big a of a deal.  Now I realize I can paint anything I want. I feel less limitation than before I started. I learned to follow my intuition with the painting. Painting can be a metaphor for life. All the things I learned with this painting can be transferred to everyday life. Letting go, listening to my intuition, feeling less limitation in life are all good things.  I am so grateful that I went on this journey.

 I've a little confession to make. I hide my art. I have some on the walls but its all in the basement, in my studio or office.  People who come over never see anything I have painted unless they go downstairs. I have decided it is time to change that. I have taken this painting and tacked up on a wall upstairs.  Its the first thing someone will see when they walk in my front door. Now that is a statement. The first of many.  I think taking BIG and DEEP is about painting but its about bravery too.