Living the PANTS off life
With gratitude to and for a beloved Auntie
My Auntie Maureen named this painting.
Autumn Blush.
Here's what I love about the name she chose -
We typically think of blushes being associated with youth
Spring
Yet in autumn, here is an unabashedly beautiful
Blushing
Gathering of dahlias
They bloom each year
When a lot of nature is getting ready for its lovely long sleep
Just…
The audacity of that
To bloom and be one's real self
to feel the permission from within
and allow it out
requires knowing that in every season…
Of the year
Of life
There are amazing and joyful opportunities opening up for us.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Another reason that I love this name
Chosen by this beloved auntie
Involves a question:
Why do we blush?
Human beings blush
Feel the blood rushing to our faces, neck, chest
When we feel something strongly.
This was part of the art learning that came up for me in creating this painting in the first place.
If you look between the flowers, you’ll notice some very dark values.
Deep greens, deep dark reds.
Colors that on the value scale of very light ←—> very dark, are pretty close to black.
Before I applied those very dark values, the viewer couldn't see the flowers around them as well.
(You can see that in this post that I shared the day I started the painting… Which I did while dancing to a playlist I'd just made up called Groovy 70s Music :)
There's something here about living life to the fullest
The contrast and vividness of a life fully lived
It feels similar to bringing attention to lights and darks and art
The values that really make the dahlias in this painting pop
Are the very same
As those essential to living life to the fullest.
To experiencing life’s joyful “pops”
I'll say this.
It feels really vulnerable
There was resistance around applying those deep values!
I was afraid that I would somehow screw up the painting.
I'm so glad I tried it.
The contrast highlights the beauty inherent in these dahlias.
When I stayed with the middle values
In art… and in life
Not too light and not too dark
When I didn't take those risks
When I wrapped myself up in cotton wool to stay safe
I was missing this important lesson
Yes sometimes I fall
Sometimes the painting is terrible
But I've learned as a pastellist:
The medium is very forgiving.
I can simply take a paintbrush, gently brush out what isn't working
Try again.
Here’s the third thing I love about this name chosen by my Auntie Maureen
I've had some amazing mentors (in art and life!)
She is SO one of them
It's no coincidence that it was she who suggested this name.
Auntie Maureen lives from her heart.
She bravely encounters the challenges, faces them full on.
She revels in the joys.
She role models the PANTS off of a life lived absolutely to the fullest.
I'm curious… How do you live your life? Do you feel that you can just brush out what isn't working and try again?
I'd love to hear.
Stay curious -
So much love,
Kay
FYI! In our next edition of Art Creativity & Wellbeing's Autumn Curriculum we will go deeper into this idea!
We will learn about focusing on PERIODS. Not COMMAS.
So paid supporters, stay tuned! And here is where you can become a paid supporter to receive the Art Creativity & Wellbeing curriculum, featuring 7 important tools that have been helpful on my journey. May they be helpful on yours, too ✨