The outward work will never be puny if the inward work is great.
Meister Eckhart
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I'm feeling down on myself today. Yesterday I entered one of my paintings in an exhibit of the artists' group I belong to, the Artist Of Bristol. I was told the picture had to be framed in order to hang there. I only had three pictures framed. A old quick drawing of some flowers that I don't think much of, but my lady friend at the time thought it was worth something, so she framed it. Another isn't bad but it's only my second painting and it's destined for another art show. That left the picture I entered. It's a small comical piece of blobs and globs which I don't like. I worked very hard on it but it really isn't good. I'm not proud of it. It's puny. I care for it as a mother would a backward child, but when I looked around at some of the other work I was asheamed to even leave it with them and almost didn't.
I have other, newer works which are much better but they're not framed. The local framer is very good, I'm told. But he takes a long time. And I don't know how much he charges, but I can't afford to have it done anyway.
Tonight there's a reception which I will probably go to. Maybe I'll just look around and leave. The hard thing is that I could show much better work if I could have had it framed. It's very disappointing.
I spend the money on food instead of frames.
The Vagabond
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WINTER QUESTION
(This is not a contest.)
Hold your breath, Spring is coming any minute
Given the resources and opportunity, what one thing do you want to do in 2010 that you've never done before?
You have the Winter to answer. And Winter is almost up. Answers will be posted on the first day of Spring. 24 responses so far.
DB - The Vagabond
3 comments:
Hope you meandered down tonight, it must be exciting to have a painting hanging, even if it is not your best.
If you were an alcoholic you wouldn't even have bothered at all. And would have used the money on alcohol instead of frames. Ha. I thought it was exciting that you decided to put the framed one in the exhibit. Hope you make it there!
One of the opportunities that comes with being old in The Great Recession is that of being entirely aware of our limitations and daring to assert our existence anyway. Putting myself out there in old age is one of the most courageous things I've ever done. It's painful; it's exhilarating; it can feel like being a kid in second grade again. Those wise aphorists knew that we don't have to skydive to be adventurous. Be en-couraged.
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