“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”
T. Edison
This quote, attributed to Edison, strikes me as the story of my life. I am a worker. A maker. A creator. I like overalls and getting into my work with a zeal that requires a good washing afterwards. There are times, I must admit, that I wish I could find a quiet “cubicle” job where I poke at paperwork in an air-conditioned room now and again, but that feeling evaporates when I sit down and start working. Or when I have to take a break to feed myself because I have forgotten, again. Or when I look up, out of my space and see the Ancient American Indian sacred circle that denotes the long time use of this land for spiritual and divine use. I am blessed and I know that to carp about my lot is vain.
The Painting is coming along quite well. Today I am shooting to finish one more. Finish means I am ready for someone to see it. I am not too sure finish ever means finish, because I can work on these mandalas for quite awhile. In fact to a point of distraction and over work to some. It is hard for me to ‘complete’ a piece in a rapid manner. It seems to take an investment of myself, my time and a bit of contemplation of each work, then BAM! the next step presents itself to me and I move into the next layer of the painting.
I have 4 more days of painting left. This means I put away the paints and brushes and begin producing for the Farmers market , my Etsy site, the San Pedro Art Association and of course the de rigure holiday present giving season. My friends are so lucky I am a jeweler. They get silver and copper baubles instead of hand towels or candles! All kidding aside, I feel it is time to really examine the elements of my creating, the cycles, the pressures to move from one discipline to the other, the discipline of focusing on one craft or medium for an extended time....Theresa was right, I needed this time to really develop my works and to create a consistency, a style or at the very minimum a seed of icons to return to in a couple of months. I anticipate returning to painting after the new year. This will, with any luck, provide me with plenty of time to hunger for it again.
Or not.....
