The butterfly counts not months but moments,
and has time enough.
Rabindranath Tagore
hi everyone.
The butterfly painting is done.
I finished it rather quickly - which is sometimes how it goes
for certain paintings.
Two weekends ago, there was an accident near here.
A young man was killed (18 years young) and he loved butterflies.
His mother said that she would think of him always,
especially when she saw a butterfly.
I painted this for her, and for him,
although i now question whether it'll help or hinder her healing.
I guess she can always hide it somewhere if it's too painful.
One never knows much what to do with such suffering...
These photos are not the greatest... (no natural light)
I've painted a few paintings like this one,
the kind that just seem to pour out of me.
They're usually done with intense energy and a controlled urgency
and although i don't much believe in angels,
whenever this happens so quickly,
it always moves me.
I only hope Nic's mom likes it...
And something that makes me smile...
I love Mark Twain's sense of humor and intelligence.
Don't we all know someone with 2 university degrees up their ass
and the common sense of a pea? ;-)
No offense to those of you who have 2 university degrees.
If you're reading my blog, you're already intelligent enough.
(giggle)
I also finished the boat painting a while ago.
I'm only posting this one close up,
since you're probably all so fucking tired of seeing it by now.
Notice the little Acadian flag up there... :-)
(vive l'Acadie!!)
By the way, i've been getting so many bogus anonymous comments on my blog (usually advertising Viagra, Levitra, Valium, etc), I'm seriously considering setting up the word verification thing. But i really hate that word verification thing. Do any of you know of any other way to rid ourselves of these anonymous advertisers?
If only they knew how much i don't need Viagra... :-)
I've had very little time lately to comment on your blogs.
Please know that i'll be back soon. Can't wait to see what you've all been up to.
love and lollipops
xox
Wow! This is really good. You're talented ^.^ I'm your new follower.
ReplyDeleteI blog about my Arts and so on, welcome to follow me back:
http://www.purelyenchanted.blogspot.com/
Thanks!
XoXo
Wow I love your butterfly!!! Seems I read in your original post that you don't usually do butterflies...you'd never guess...it is beautiful! And I really love your boats, especially with the acadian flag...looks great!!!
ReplyDeleteI am not sick of your boats painting! and this butterfly is beautiful. I hope she absolutely loves it and takes it in the spirit in which you give it.
ReplyDeleteMark Twain cracks me up! :)
It doesn't bother me to delete any spam comments when I have it set for approval before publishing the comments. Makes you wonder, though, doesn't it? Are men that desperate that they would buy little blue pills from spam comments? That they are sitting there reading a blog and see--Oh, little blue pills--gotta get me some of those! They wouldn't keep spamming if somebody wasn't buying them. Sad commentary, don't you think?
I just love this painting! the colors are amazing:)))
ReplyDeleteSo glad to get a chance to catch up on your posts. The summer got away from me!
The work you do is so inspiring.Fran XO
Absolutely Beautiful!! ~xx
ReplyDeleteHehehe...no, sorry, don't know an Anti-viagra add solution. I did recognize something in your description of how you painted the butterfly, though,...and by the law of synchronicity somebody sent me a link to a really nice TED speech about that feeling yesterday. I thought I'd share it with you too.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html
I also once painted a painting for a woman who'd lost her daughter. In the end I decided not to give it to her. She'd told me the tragedy more than 10 years after the sade event. Overwhelmed with her story and my own emotions, I painted a really intense painting about loss. But when it was finished, I realised that her speaking to me about her daughter was already a huge comfort. Another step in the process of mourning. And I too doubted if my intense painting wouldn't set her back. I do have an open house in my studio this week, though...perhaps she'll come...then she will still see it.
A couple years ago Now, I made a slideshow with music for a friend who had lost her dog. I'd stayed with her 2 times and taken lots of photos the first time, then some more with Gracie and her dogs the second time. I, too, was sad about her dog, and BEing far away I couldn't offer up close and personal comfort. The idea came to me like, well, like a butterfly, and so I did it. After sending it I worried I'd done it too soon, it wasn't appropriate...
ReplyDeleteTurned out a few days later she emailed me and said she had watched it hundreds of times and it had really comforted her.
The thing is, when there is a loss you DO feel all alone with your grief, YET your loss is shared by others. It's all part of the circle of Life.
Your painting, your feelings, those are clearly inspired, and of course you know already you have a good heart. Trust that painting. It will mean more than she will BE able to express, likely, and it may even BE a bit of a jolt, but trust it to carry the deeper comfort you, as a mother, wish you could give her.
Thanks for sharing your butterfly, too, as it reminded me of my last Golden, Reba, who died 9 years ago. I have always felt her presence when I see the exact sort of butterfly you have painted. I say HI, and I say it out loud, and I know that it is HER. Can't prove it but don't need to!!!
Definitely there is comfort to BE found in your painting[s]...
xoxo
So glad to see the lovely completed butterfly, she's beautiful, a heartfelt painting.
ReplyDeleteAnd I still love the boats, too.
As to spam, my blog is automatically set to filter spam, and it seems to work. Otherwise you could choose to moderate before they are added to the post.
The moment I had posted that comment I went to my spam box, and sure enough there was one of these nasty message links. What is the matter with some folks?
ReplyDeleteHi Pauline, I loved your painting of sailboats!
ReplyDeleteObviously I liked the butterfly painting, and why you painted it.
and Mark Twain's phrase is excellent
many people have too much study but has no sense of humor. in my country we say that they are above the horse (this is because they are believed to be someone important, and deserve to be in a statue sitting on a horse) Ha Ha :)
OK, I am sending you a big hug!
PS Do not worry if you do not have time to stop by my blog, I come to yours
PS2: do not put the verification word, please!
I WANTED TO SEE THE WHOLE BOAT PAINTING!
ReplyDeleteLol. That just published before I'd finished ranting! Sorry about that. I also wanted to say, in a normal tone of voice, that your butterfly is a beauty, and I love that 'it painted itself' feeling too. I also love that you did it for the mother of that boy and then felt concern that it might be counterproductive. Love that Mark Twain quote too; you could say it 'resonates'. (Starting to hate that word and yet it is so often appropriate.) Happy day to you Pauline. :) xx
ReplyDeleteI'm a big believer in following your instinct, and in this case, your initial instinct was to give her the painting--
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about the painting 'painting itself'. It's an amazing feeling--
I would rather have the spammers than have word verification--
The butterfly is beautiful, and hopefully will bring happy memories.
ReplyDeleteI'll vote for seeing all the boats too (never heard of Acadia before - you learn something new every day).
Sorry to hear that you're having trouble with spam. I'm hoping you don't do the weird word thing, but will understand if it helps your sanity. Have you tried limiting comments to registered users? It may limit some people, but should let most through (wordpress, typepad, etc)
Common sense of a pea? I know some people where that would be an improvement!
xx
Thank you for the lovely comments...
ReplyDeleteRita: yes, it IS a sad commentary indeed.
Mandy: thank you for the video and your shared story. Yes, inspiring.
Currie: Thank you. ((BIG HUG))
Jez: i'm gonna look into moderating the spam. Otherwise, it'll just go directly in the trash - as always.
Roberto: We are more alike than different. We also have a saying here for those who feel more important than the rest... we often say, "get off your high horse". Or at least we WANT to say this. ((hug))
Tara: you scared me there for a second. heheheee...
Nigel: stay tuned for a lesson on Acadia. ;-) xox
So sorry about your friend's son. ((hugs)) Beautiful butterfly.
ReplyDeleteLove your completed boats. I'm not sure why, but all these recent posts didn't show up in my reader. I'll have to check my settings again.
Stay inspired!
Great post! Your butterfly is stunning (the M. Twain quote perfect). Loved the boats.
ReplyDeleteSuch a loving and thoughtful gift Pauline. So obviously straight from the heart--I'm sure it will be loved and appreciated.
ReplyDeleteThose boats are fan-friggen-tastic! Really superb job
And, well, you know where I work. Don't get me started on post-secondary education... ;-)
Pauline, your candor always makes me CRACK UP! I really wish you lived next door to me instead of the evil and obnoxious cat lady. lol The boat painting turned out GREAT! The butterfly painting is beautiful and I'm certain it's something Nic's mother will always treasure. ♥
ReplyDelete