a tree to climb

8 x 10 oil on panel

I did not paint this from life, but I lived life in order to paint it. I watched the film Seraphine with my local artist friends, friends for whom I am ever so thankful. This painting references an image from the movie. The fascinating story of Seraphine, sad and beautiful, was told with the use of lingering, quiet moments such as this. And so, inspired by friendship and beauty, and indulging in a quiet moment, I painted.

I actually completed this a week after the previous piece, but have not had a chance to post. I am catching up on life, which is a very good, very joyous, very tiring endeavour. I have drafted and sewn costumes, provided sewing tutelage, crafted gifts, invested time with teenagers I love (mine and otherwise). I have tended my garden, which (not gonna lie) is spectacular. I've experimented with natural dying of fabric and fiber. I've made lists and diagrams of future projects. And I've been designing an addition to our home that includes room for the easel, as well as all the other supplies and works-in-progress I continue to accumulate. I know that at some point I will devote time to the study of painting. For now, it is so nice to remember all the art forms which regenerate me, all the ways I create.

Seraphine and Darlene