Friday, May 15, 2009

THE STAFF OF LIFE
8x10
acrylic on panel

Sometimes images come to mind when sitting in a coffee shop, or just while listening to music. 
Not all paintings are done with the classical subject planned and assembled like a bowl of fruit. Artists, I think, should try to strive for the spark, and strike when it is hot. We all fall into the, .. ho, hum, what should I paint next? But, while that is happening, it may be a perfect time to let your mind feel its way through the layers of life, and just paint what seems to be a moment of unplanned creation. 
  This painting is one example of that. I didn't see it for real. I wasn't looking at a photo of it. I did not set my easel up next to the scene, ... but I did have a culmination of feelings and experiences that led me to paint this. I bake my own bread. I visualize the warmth of the sun growing the wheat. The staff of life, out there in the fields, waiting to be harvested and milled into flour. And, the smell of the end result when the hot bread emerges from the oven. What an aroma! From the wheat fields to the table. What a miracle of sequences.  From a stalk of wheat to a loaf of bread to sustain life. Go figure huh?
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This painting is available for purchase