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Saturday, July 20, 2013

The Greatest Painting of your Life is Waiting

"Antelope Island -- Buffalo"  West of the Great Salt Lake
An artist suggested that all paintings begin as puzzles. You have an idea of what you want to do on canvas, but once you start to fill in the shapes and the shadows, the painting takes on a life of its own. The shapes sometimes change, new colors are added, the canvas, the puzzle, is not resolved until the final brush stroke.

I, on the other hand, must do a little more planning or my paintings may end up as muddy globs. I do think there is magic involved when an artist intuitively follows his or her muse to solve the puzzle and is willing to make gut-inspired changes and additions. As an artist matures and becomes more skilled, this “magic” happens more and more.

Our lives are somewhat like a giant painting. We start out with a blank canvas, and we tentatively explore our options as we go along. Our footsteps leave a trail, a pattern of personality and choices; a splash here, a drop there, a wide sweep of self-gratification, timid accents of color as we test the waters of independence and freedom of choice.

Along the way, dark shadows and jagged lines form regrets and pitfalls. Circles of inspiration and poignant highlights show us the way forward and guide our paths into the higher realms of confidence and success.


The finished painting is waiting for us out there in the ethereal chambers of consciousness. We mix and dab continually, trying to make sense of our composition. Life, indeed, is a puzzle. Knowledge and practice sharpen our focus and reveal the things we truly believe and hope for. The final stroke, when it comes, may be a complete surprise or it may be a fulfillment of everything leading up to this point.

As with life, when a painting is finished we will know it. Every act, every thought, every choice will signify its completion. When there is nothing else to change or add to, we lay down our brush. So it is with life. When we have completed what we were born to do, we will slumber.

Featured Artist Robert Hagen from Australia. The images are blurred for copyright protection. View his YouTube video and then visit his web site. Fantastic!





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