Serenity

(The staple-free sides have been painted so you can display your new painting unframed. This is a digital photo. The scans above are more accurate.)

This painting is yummy like candy. A gorgeous expressionist exclamation. It is also a bit like a flag. With deep bright colors and that bold central symbol. It is a playful abstract painting with an important simple message. The words in this one read, "Embrace the mystery". Because life is not supposed to make sense. It is not a challenge or a puzzle. Life is a gift to be savored whole. As it is. Bruised spots and all. Even the contradictions and complications. One grand colorful pulsing mess.

That is why we have hearts. To embrace the mystery. Brains are good for some things. But brains have a limited capacity for drama and depth of experience. Our hearts are limitless, though. Our hearts can accept it all and not miss a beat.

How Serenity was created..... After the black acrylic gesso dried, I used my fingers and some dental tools to sculpt a big heart out of fine artist-grade stucco in the lower center part of the canvas. This heart is raised from the surface of the canvas and is visibly textured. Once that dried, I used a variety of brushes to frame the heart in all sorts of bright colors. It feels to me like a series of windows opening onto the heart. And all of the incredible colors swell and soften and move through the piece in a natural way. I built up these colors over the course of several days, allowing each color to dry before the next was applied. And finally, I used tiny detail brushes to clean up edges and add key highlights and paint the words.

Serenity was created on a professional quality gallery-wrapped canvas. The staple-free sides have been painted. This piece looks wonderful displayed unframed directly on the wall. Or it can be easily and affordably framed as it required no matting or glass.