“Remember When” 30″ x 48″ Oil $2,000

Sometimes the personal meaning, or source of a painting, shows up after it is complete.  Initially I wanted to paint the image of this young girl exploring outside.  It reminded me of those days of getting lost in the freedom of being outdoors on a sunny day near the shore.  I loved her wild-but-contained hair, and the fact that she was getting dirty in her cute, frilly, pink bikini.  (Those two things were, by the way, the most fun to paint.)   The background, however, created a darker mood than I had intended.  It took me to the experience of being an adult, caught up in the worries and stresses of life;  in reality I have a pretty safe, stable life, but still there are plenty of times when I ruin a moment by worrying about what’s coming next.  So I wanted this painting to be a reminder that what I put my attention on becomes real: If I worry, that will grow.  If I act from a place of freedom and wonder, THAT will grow.