A mix of greens and blues dance and become one as lights leap from the water and transcend their environment. There is messiness and beauty. There is dark and light. I am surrounded and changed.
Amidst the chaos, serene lilies emerge, their delicate petals floating upward and away. These lilies represent moments of tranquility and calmness, piercing through the turmoil like beacons of hope. They signify our ability to find peace amidst chaos, to embrace the beauty within the darkness.
"Contrast in Bloom" invites viewers to confront the intricacies of their own existence—to ponder the juxtaposition of their messy and calm parts, the darkness and light within. It serves as a reminder that within every storm, there is stillness, and within every darkness, there is light.
There is beauty and light all around. Sometimes it is hard to remember that. We feel insignificant. We feel small in a world so big and seemingly full of the dark. I choose to remember there is light. There are people helping and there are people doing good.
Hope is at the center of everything. It is a hope that we will be better, that will be stronger, that we will be a higher version of ourselves. This hope exists at the horizon. It’s always there at the edge waiting to be harnessed. We will find ourselves if we continue to do the work and continue to dive deeper. I have that hope for you and me.
Take your lantern and keep looking.
Paint and water make smoke. I bring it to the easel and dance to the music while brushing on blue. Will I ever be good enough? This question enters my mind often while painting but today I acknowledge it and move on rather than obsess. I grab a palette knife and add more colors. I'm entering the flow state. I see it now. I see what it’s supposed to be. I’m no longer a tired mom. I’m an artist and inside there’s a fire.
I ride my bike faster as my surroundings begin to swirl. The wind is picking up now and the clouds are rolling in.
I can smell the rain before it comes, a mixture of stickiness and water. With the drops hovering high above, just waiting for their queue, I make it home with the first crack of thunder.
See more details about this painting below.
What am I even doing? On the canvas I write, “what is my purpose?” I mess it up with my hands and start layering on the paint. In this moment I feel like a good cry. I play the song “Epiphany” and shed some tears. I have been tired and stressed and I cannot produce enough. But I snap out of my sorrow. Did I just discover something new? Yes, I did.
I walk with you at the water’s edge. The sun is shining. The trees sway in the breeze. We’ll keep this moment stamped in our minds, but we do not know it at the time.
Will we stop to appreciate this or will we continue on like it will always be this way? One thing is for certain, the good ol days are upon us.