Grateful

Original acrylic painting on cardstock

Measures approximately: 2.75" x 3.5"

Completed in 2010.

Grateful. I am. Above all else. Grateful for every blessing and every challenge. My life has never been easy, but it has been beautiful and I am grateful. When I am despairing, when I feel lost and disconnected and ready to give up, the ONLY difference between those days and the good days would be gratitude. It really is that simple. My life is the same, I am facing the same problems day in and day out. But on the good days, I am grateful and that gratitude protects me from self-pity and from anger and from jealousy. Gratitude is like some sort of all-purpose vaccine. I hope this warm colorful expressive painting inoculates your home or office and offers all who see it a moment to appreciate their own fortunate lives.

About the words series: The one critical bit of advise I have heard most consistently throughout my career is this, "Do not paint words. Do not mix words and art. The images should speak for themselves."

Perhaps because of this, I always want to paint words. I understand where the criticism is coming from and on some super-visual pieces, I opt not to include any words. On other pieces, I work very hard to integrate words as compositional elements so that they are subtle and do not detract.

But that does not satisfy me. I want to paint words like this. I love painting words like this. Words have made such a HUGE difference in my life. Healed me. Brought me back from the dead. I was raised by books, made whole by books, befriended by books. I want to celebrate words. Put them on thrones. Throw parties for them. That is my ambition for the new word paintings I am working on now. To pass along my love for these words. Inviting you to my word party.

Plus, I think these paintings will make kick-ass cards and prints and mugs and things.