Speaking of Art Blog

Marsh Jewels, pastel, 10x10"

I just finished creating this pastel painting 2 days ago.  Compared to most of my recent work, this one is rather quiet.  Yes, there’s a sharp contrast between the center of the Marsh Hibiscus and its pink-white petals, but for the most part, that’s it for drama.  In most of my paintings I usually punch the drama even more.

So why did I choose to paint this quiet themed piece right now?  I wasn’t sure why when I started a week ago, but as I worked on it my subconscious revealed why.  While I painted this, I kept concentrating on all the wonderful experiences I’ve had during the past 5 years while I babysat our granddaughter one day a week.  Then just this past week, that chapter ended because she’s off to kindergarten 5 days a week now.  Where did the time go?  I was thinking back to when she was an infant, and then a curious and very active toddler, then a preschooler, and when I blinked, here she is going off to school. 

I recalled all the things she and I have done together over the past 5 years.  But here’s the interesting part – they’re not earth-shattering events.  They’re pretty ordinary interactions that I was recalling, like showing her how to eat with a spoon or fork, when to say please and thank you, how to enjoy reading a good book together multiple times in a row, how to wait her turn at the park when she’s sharing a slide or swing, how to pronounce a word correctly, and how to deal with strong feelings that erupt.  Small things…..every week….for 5 years.

So what in the world do those memories have to do with this painting?  It occurred to me that while the Hibiscus is the star of the show, it’s the jewel like Goldenrod buds that really help that Hibiscus to shine.  Goldenrod blooms are ubiquitous in the upper Midwest right now.  They’re growing everywhere, and they are pretty much ignored.  But look at how beautifully they give a vignette type framework to this painting.  They are small, but very important in this composition.  So, I took the time to render each unique one individually with pastel pencils.  Each one helped me to recall yet another task that I helped our granddaughter to learn about life skills.

While I know that including tiny Goldenrod buds in a pastel painting cannot be equated with teaching a little child to hold hands while crossing the street, what I can glean from my pondering thoughts is this one thing – small everyday things are not insignificant.  They are sometimes all important.  Taking time to do them well can be very important, like when I’m creating Goldenrod buds on a piece of pastel paper or when I’m nurturing a developing life.  Small things.  They give me such joy.