Today marks the end of an era. Today I've made the decision to stop painting. Watercolors. Inks. Acrylics. Arthritis and painting are no longer compatible in this persons body so they are divorcing. I'm giving the 70 trillion brushes and paints to a friends who has a passion for that medium. My heart is aching a bit. I never painted enough. Always waiting for the right time, the right relationship, the right room...silly to wait and loose precious time. Now I have the time and space and my fingers will not, can not work in concert with a brush. Eight months of trying has led to this day. What to do with the remaining work. I think I will burn most of it this summer....or perhaps next winter...in some kind of ceremony. Someway of acknowledging the peace that water colors brought to my life.
I am reminded of the "trilogy" of the Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe. The final line "good bye and thanks for all the fish.." ~ watercolor muse you helped mend a heart and soul..."farewell and thanks for all the inspiration".
3 comments:
Ah, how that must ache the heart, as well as the hands, alas.
I hope you feel that you had a good run at it. I'm still waiting for my turn.
Peace to you.
-JV
Hi - I empathise with this so much. It is difficult trying to juggle things with arthritic fingers - I know!
There was a wonderful Australian painter called Lloyd Rees who was a watercolorist who went almost blind as he aged.
Lloyd didn't stop. He just painted with the eyes he had and his works turned into delightful impressions with much less detail than his earlier ones...
Thanks for visiting my blogs. Did you realise that there are links to all of the episodes of my Australian mystery on the sidebar? Plus many short stories? You might like to catch up ...
Cheers
June in Oz
I came across your blog via Crowned with Laurels. I am glad I did. Somehow your relocation seems to strike a chord...not sure what or how...perhaps it's because I plan to relocate at some stage and California is a place I'd love to spend time in...you are in CA aren't you?
Also, leaving behind...letting go of the painting. Oh my, that must be something especially if you say you didn't give it as much time as you'd wanted to. I do hope the space left is filled with something equally, if not more, joyful!
Blessings!
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