10 Year Anniversary: The Painting Diary 26 of 30

Painting Diary 26 of 30: From the Valley of Bones, 2018 

2018 was one of the major turning points in my 10 year journey. For one thing, I was blessed with being selected to paint at Beloved festival in Oregon. I worked on a couple paintings there, a large one featuring a killer whale and her baby, and this one. 

I’m choosing this piece today because it is another example of a painting that was started with zero plan in mind as to what I was painting, I just jumped in and went for it with joy and no worries about wining or losing, even though I was in the hot seat up there on stage for all to see. Several years back, I never could have been up there, exposed like that, much less go in with no plan at all. Like the Forest Spirit painting I posted yesterday, I was able to paint this by getting out of my way and just letting it be. 

I started completely abstract and worked quickly, as a vague emotion and image came to me…I was seeing a smoky landscape full of trees, an entity of some kind was sprouting up from the ashes like a massive asparagus/phoenix. From the valley of bones comes an angel of change, like a cool wind across your skin, whispering challenges and encouragements in the same breath. 

And what massive change was I feeling at the time? Most notably, a girl that I was just barely starting to see came down in her legendary pink bus, Rosie, to meet me for the weekend. We had only been on a date or two and were taking it super slow and just enjoying each others company. I was feeling blessed just to be there at all that weekend and having Carrie there made it that much more special. When I got sick of my killer whales painting she lent me the canvas that I painted this Valley of Bones painting on. 

Long story short, she was a keeper, and a year later we were living together in a magical home in the trees, with magic mist and magic deer everywhere. Did I mention she’s also an artist, madly obsessed with flowers? What does it mean?! I don’t know but I’m going to just roll with it for now…

From the Valley of Bones, acrylic on canvas, 2018