Gold shimmering cursive letters flow across the white canvas.
"Freedom to Be"
Be free to...
Smile
Dance
Savor
Open
Swirl
Be whimsical
Laugh
Learn
These words came to mind as I looked at the fresh white canvas. After they were written, I reached for my sponge brush to cover the entire canvas with a blue and white blend. I'm drawn to blue and also love light green. I'm finding these two colors are a base in my current paintings.
I wasn't sure where I was going with this next piece but I knew I wanted some twirls and circles. Also, a heart beat. This painting needed a heart beat with many colors.
The heart appeared as well as many dots, lines, circles, and smudges. I worked on this for a day or two and then let it dry. My paints, covered on the side of the canvas tucked away for the next inspirational nudge.
Our granddaughter, always intrigued on what I'm painting, pops in from time to time to ask questions and see what colors are splashed on the canvas.
One day while "Freedom to Be" was resting, little hands discovered drying brushes in the jar and dazzled them freely in the wet paints. She wanted so badly to paint with Yaya.
Returning to my art room, I noticed my nearly completed painting with smudges of color all blended to make a muddy gray color in the lower right corner of the canvas.
As I was examining the new addition, she approached me with a quivering lip, tears, and deep sorrow for getting into my paints. "I'm so sorry Yaya", she said. I got down on my knees and embraced her for a long hug. "I just wanted to help you paint Yaya." She explained. I said, "I know baby. Thank you for apologizing. We will paint together. This is a good moment to talk about when Yaya is painting a project, what's ok and what's not ok and understand Yaya's space." She said, "Yeah. Can I paint with you in your space?" I said, "Of course." I brushed her curls away from her eyes, wiped a tear, and kissed her forehead.
We set a date and she began her own painting project in her own little space in my art room.
Patience and grace.
Breathing in and out.
The next day, I stepped back and looked at the canvas and smiled. Her little hands are part of it. I began to blend some colors together and covered up the muddy grey smudges. Then flowers appeared in that very spot. How fitting. Flowers of many colors. After that dried, I added another layer or two. You'll never know there was a diversion!
She was totally able to enjoy
the "Freedom to Be" for sure!
I personally love Gustav Klimpt. He's one of my favorite Artists. So in this piece there are a few whimsical elements inspired by Klimpt. I look forward to creating more.
I love the vibrant colors. All the colors of the rainbow and more.
(I'm still trying to figure out how to sign my name in paint and what feels right. It's a little tricky. Some Artists sign their whole name, first name, first letter of name with full last name, last name, print, cursive, on the front or back - it's kind of a free for all. For now, I'm just painting my first name.)
While working on this project, I ran across an article about Author, Pooja Lakshmin's book Real Self Care. It resonated with me so much. I've tried to articulate this thought and she nailed it. I will be reading this soon to dive deeper into the four principals she refers to.
The four principals of Real Self-Care
Setting boundaries and learning to deal with guilt - "The only way to make space for yourself."
Developing self compassion - "How do you talk to yourself?"
Get clear on your values - "Use your internal lens to make big choices."
Self power - "Real self-care is a personal solution and not a commercial solution."
Take time to lean into Freedom to Be.
All the best,
Bridged