"Everybody knows a work of art takes at least an hour!" Lucy to Linus, (Peanuts)

FineArtViews Painting Competition - Twice in the Fav 15%

http://canvoo.com/boldbrush/badge/13203 three times selected for FAV15%, Fine Art Views Bold Brush Painting Competition

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Shortlived but Going On

The incredibly beautiful poppies we had in the garden a week ago are now almost gone. I love to see them come into bloom but am almost immediately sad because I know how quickly they will be gone. This pastel is from last year - I got motivated to paint them while they bloomed. This year I just took some time to sit with them and stare for a while. It seems impossible to duplicate that vibrant red/orange colour in pigments. The paintings are a poor second to the original, but at least one can keep the picture around and look at it indefinitely. My grandmother could not bear to have poppies in her garden as they reminded her of the Great War. I look at them and see there is still beauty to be appreciated in spite of the mess the planet seems to be in.
Painting anything is hard for me right now; I get this way sometimes. I will finish Lyndia soon, I know, but then it is time for new things. I do not lack for ideas at least but wonder how important anything I do really is and then I recall reading somewhere that to despair is a kind of sin, although Samuel Beckett said "the only sin in the sin of being born." "You must go on."
"I can't go on." "I'll go on."
Beckett - The Unnamable

3 comments:

  1. Beautiful poppies! Isn't it sad that they must die? But then I guess we wouldn't appreciate their beauty. Take a breather. When I feel that way it's a sign I need to sit back, put in my favorite movie, have a glass of wine and chill. Then I get online and peruse my favorite blogs for inspiration. Yours is among them. thank you for your wonderful comments on Male 1! Hang in. This too shall pass.

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  2. Poppies, one of my favorites. Love your colors.

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  3. very delicate and beautiful karen .

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