Spread Your Wings, Oh Butterfly

"Spread Your Wings, Oh Butterfly"
Watercolor

For about the last 6 months, maybe more, I've been in a cocoon. Not bad sometimes, but detrimental when you don't want to face the world. Which is where I've been. On the other hand, it can be good to be in a cocoon especially as an artist because there's lots of ideas to be tapped into within the self. And quiet, alone time is necessary. To incubate, process, reflect. And now as I am aware of where I'm at now, I realize how low my energy is. Supreme effort to paint. Yet, the good news is.....

For the last week or so, I've been painting almost every morning for at least an hour. An antelope, a dolphin flying the air, a lion and now the butterfly here. Focus and determination really has to be my support now, for much of the energy I have lately has been going to cleaning, throwing away, looking for a job (not necessarily in that order). But I realize I need to take some of that precious energy (which is really pretty darn low lately) and devote some of it to my creative life. It is my therapy, my lifeblood and many other things words cannot describe.

When I was painting the butterfly, I started reflecting on a workshop I took many years ago when I lived in Florida. It was a chinese brush painting class and we painted lots of butterflies in that class. I think hints of those techniques came through as a created the creature above. The butterfly floats, I float the paint and twirl the brush like a dance. Also, there's elements of stained glass effects in the watercolor, spiritual symbolism.
I have to keep going, one moment at a time, facing each project, all aspects of what needs to be done. But I know I am saving/and or reviving the life of my heart and soul when I paint, And for those reasons, gotta paint.....