Resolving Issues: Step Back To Look For Solutions

Several months ago I started a 36×36 painting. I had no looming deadlines, and I was at a place where I could explore new techniques that had been bouncing around in my head. Unfortunately, those ideas did not work out well, and the painting was an embarrassment I felt should be hidden.

The next day I boarded a plane to Ohio to visit my mom who suffers with Alzheimer’s disease. My oldest brother is her caregiver and it was time for him to have a break. While watching all the activity at the airport I thought of my “failed” painting. I could hear the voice of my friend, an accomplished artist, saying, “It will be interesting to see how you resolve this.”

The first time she uttered this phrase about one of my works in progress, I thought it was a kind way of saying “you screwed that up!” I still hear her voice, and it has allowed me to be gentle with myself and helps alleviate my frustration. I am encouraged to step back and think of solutions. Most often, my so-called screwed up painting turns out better than I originally intended! I am happy to say I have resolved the issues with “Feminine Rising” (pictured) which I began in September.

There are many bumps in the road as I travel through life. My art has taught me to apply this same philosophy: If I step back and look for solutions, my life often turns out more beautiful than I imagined.