It Came Back

Normally I don't post twice in one day but today I finally took brush in hand and got back to the canvas. I was in an unable-to-paint mode all week long and was getting a bit depressed by it. It happens once in a while especially after completing a work that took a lot of effort and even more so when it's well received. It's funny how that works. I did good so now I can't paint? What's that about?? Too much pressure, I think, to repeat doing "good." I finally stopped caring about it today and was able to work again. It was fun too! I didn't allow myself to struggle...just let my intuition take over. Now this painting, which I haven't been too excited about, is beginning to look like something!  Thanks to all who have left such nice comments about my last piece going into the BoldBrush competition FAV15%. 


The images of the disaster in Japan have been with me all week too. I was in the 1971 earthquake in LA and I know how terrifying it is to have the earth move under your feet, your
home roll and shake over your head and feel powerless to anything at all about it. The aftershocks are almost worse because they go on for days, weeks, and months and you don't know when they will come except you know they WILL so you are in a state of tension all the time. I remember opening our apartment front door (once the initial quake stopped) and most of the water from the building's swimming pool came rushing in! The authorities came down the streets and had us all evacuate since we were right below the dam in the valley and it was ready to burst... fortunately it didn't. Stayed with friends in the Hollywood hills, wakeful all night waiting for the beams above our heads to start crashing down on us. Fortunately that didn't happen either. But many people were killed in that quake and there was a lot of damage. The people in Japan have my heartfelt sympathy. And the people in Haiti are still dealing with their disaster from last year. Worrying about being able to paint or not is pretty trivial in the grand scope of things. I am very grateful for my good fortune.