being vulnerable is a good thing

The painter who has no doubts will achieve little.

- Leonardo da Vinci

A few samples of my paintings
hanging at a little gallery in Shediac, NB.

I'm tempted to say
it's not really a gallery, it's a historical house
but then I remind myself that regardless of what it is,
they asked me to put a few paintings, and I did.

There is truth to the da Vinci quote above.
As I was hanging these last week,
the voice in my head got busy
with trying to distract me.

Why are you even hanging these?

This isn't real art.

Who's gonna see this?

No one's gonna like these.

They only asked you cause they had no one else.

blah blah blah...

I've been painting long enough now
and practicing courage long enough
to just carry on with what I'm doing
regardless of the doubts that linger.

Whenever we put ourselves out there,

whether it be with paintings in a show,

sharing our art through a blog,

writing a book or a song,

telling someone how we really feel -

we are making ourselves vulnerable

and although being vulnerable may not always be comfortable,

it's necessary for anyone who is seeking the truth.

Whether these paintings are good or not,

whether they are real art or not,

it matters very little what others think,

because they are MY truths.

That alone is enough.

So my paintings are here for a month or so,

in this quaint little historical house called Pascal Poirier house,

on Main Street in Shediac, NB. (see below for a bit of a blurb on PP)

(apologies for the bad photo!)

Pascal Poirier (February 15, 1852 – September 25, 1933) was a Canadian author, lawyer, and the all-time longest-serving Senator. Born in Shediac, New Brunswick, he wrote books on Acadian history and language.The Pascal Poirier House (c. 1820–30) was designated a Provincial Historic Site under the Historic Sites Protection Act. The home he was born in has been preserved as a museum and as an important and rare example of early-19th-century Acadian residential construction.

The 1¹⁄₂ storey gabled house, which features a hand-hewn structure, is believed to be the oldest building in Shediac.

And here's why i've been neglecting my blog
for the past weeks...
We had a heat wave here last week
that brought everyone and their dog to the ocean.

We get about 3 months of summer per year, if we're lucky,
so we take advantage of being outside every chance we get.
(my son, pondering his horizons!) 

how beautiful is this?
a wave of sand...

Love the clouds and the colours in the sky...

Just finished this book - filled with
bizarre photos & a tale that had me flipping pages
like a mad woman.
Oh. Right.
I always do that.
(giggle)

Art inspired by the book.
Or maybe by something else going on in my life,
who knows...
acrylic on paper.

I love his face.
Trying to be less detailed with my painting
and just get the shadow vs light.

And then this abstract.
When i finished it,
I kept seeing a rabbit in the middle sitting near a cross (on the left)
so i thought i'd flip it over
the way i often do with abstract paintings after they're done...

But then i saw a skull near a cross (on the right)
with someone kneeling (in red, on the left)
and it scared me, so i flipped it back to the rabbit side.

I'm such a chicken.
(giggle...)

Wishing you all a wonderful week
filled with things you love to do,
people you love to see,
food you love to eat
and music you love to listen to...
Thanks for being here!
xx