Hope

9"x12" mixed media on canvas

I recently read Kelly Rae Roberts book, Taking Flight inspiration and techniques to give your creative spirit wings - which is full of inspiring ideas and projects. In Taking Flight she shows how she paints faces. I am inspired by Kelly Rae's art, creativity and words.  You can learn all about her and her book here. http://kellyraeroberts.blogspot.com/ Thank you so much Kelly Rae for your inspiration and instruction - this was the first time I felt confident to try painting faces, other than snow people. More about that soon.
I decided that I wanted to paint my own inspired girls, they are like my companions in my creative space. This is the first in a series of 3 paintings I am calling my girls.

Her name is Hope, she is a gardener, she is planting seeds of hope.

It was a shock to me and everyone around me when I was diagnosed with bladder cancer last fall.
Cancer has so many challenges that come with it - both emotional and physical because first you deal with the task at hand of getting it out of your body and making sure that that part of your body is OK, but then there is this vulnerability that lingers where you wonder, do I have it somewhere else? Why did I get it? What's next?  You really get the opportunity to look at your own mortality and decide how you want to live your life. Whether you are living with cancer or living cancer free, you still get to choose how to spend that time. It can be a huge gift and a teacher if you let it.

The thing is we all have to live our lives fully today and everyday because each new day is a gift.
There are no promises about tomorrow.


We have to have HOPE!
Hope keeps alive our dreams and wishes. Hope plants seeds for the future
.
I like this poem by Emily Dickinson

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chilliest land
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5