Uncategorized

Beauty in Tragedy

Art with a Story, Uncategorized

“Beauty in Tragedy” (below) is one of my watercolor paintings.

I don’t always share the meaning behind my paintings, or at least not all of it. But I will this one because of the somewhat unfitting title.

This was painted from a photograph I took over 5 years ago. It was taken during a hiking trip to Jack’s Mountain, PA. It holds a lot of meaning and memory for me. It was one of my dad’s favorite things to do – to hike in the woods. Though it holds treasure and beauty it also holds memory that is tainted by tragedy. By loss. By grief. At the time of painting this, it was nearly 5 years since my dad’s death.

When I look at the photograph, I feel sadness, but I also feel hope because time brings healing. Beauty is still found in tragedy and struggle, and so, in the painting I added white wildflowers to represent healing and growth that time offers. We are not the same people. Experiences, painful or joyous, change us. And I know God has a purpose in his death—I’ve seen Him working – and for that I’m grateful. And amidst the grief of losing him is when I started doing art again.

You can visit the painting here.

The Ups And Downs in the World of Art

Lessons Learned, The Journey of An Artist, Uncategorized

“Ughh,” I said quietly, my poor brush feeling the huff as I placed it down on my art table with a tad bit of purposeful force.

It wasn’t always like that, I reflected. That was a cool response compared to what it used to be when I felt like an artistic fraud.

For most of my life, I felt like art was my identity. It was who I was. It was what made me unique. It was my biggest offering to the world. And to feel as if I had lost that was to feel like I lost who I was. The reason I was something. The reason I was created. (Yes, I know that it was a false sense of identity but that’s where I was at the time.)

All artists experience it . . . those dry days. The days when your artistry feels defeated or perhaps impossible. The idea is in your head, but you just cannot get it to paper. Or perhaps there is no idea. It can happen for many reasons. Perhaps you have exhausted your creativity in one area after doing too many paintings in a row or perhaps you are afflicted by emotional turmoil or physical fatigue. Regardless of the cause, it can completely devastate an artist if not prepared. It can feel like you have lost all of your artistic ability. On those days your vision is blurred. Your perfectionism heightens. Your expectations intensify. On those days your art has died.

Boldly scribbling on paper, ripping up artwork, smashing the brush bristles into the paper, throwing pencils. Sadly, these were some of my past occurrences when I hit a dry patch. I had no idea when the creativity would return, or if it would.

It’s not easy when it happens. But it saves a lot of heartache if you walk away and come back. Sometimes hours later. Sometimes a day or two later. Sometimes a week or more. I’ve learned to be more attentive and proactive of my limits, so those dry moments don’t push me into frustration. Another way to handle it is to switch mediums or arts (like music or writing). If you don’t have one, try something new. And then come back to your original.

It’s important to remember, the dry artistic spells are fleeting—they are temporary, and the creativity does return. And when it does, all will be okay once again. And sometimes your refreshed outlook creates even better art.