It's a Beautiful Day

It has been awhile since I've blogged. It has been 6 months since my sweet mother passed away and the tears and grieving are becoming more sporatic. Missing her still at night seems to be happening. Night time is the time when we all settle down and ponder, make lists, and do our creative thinking.

My painting process has been going well. I am doing the "Mountain Messages" series along with others-"Sisters Series, Dance Ballet and Hidden Treasures". They have all been keeping me very busy. I am presently working on 20-40 paintings all various sizes at this time. It is wonderful and challenging. I love going from one painting to another. Painting parts here and there where I feel the need to touch with my fingers or brush. It is very rewarding and fun to do. The painting on the left is called, "Slide into a Dream" and is from the "Mountain Messages" series. These are all done on 2"x12"x12" canvases. I am finding I prefer a more ethereal feel to these paintings bringing more fantasy and dreaminess to them. I will continue to paint until I find other challenges and pathways to "fall into" as I ask "what if?" while I paint. Look for more paintings to be posted soon or check my website at www.DebMagelssen.com.

"In the Fire" from the "Sister's Series"

This painting is actually a part of my "Sister's Series"© and is called, "In the Fire"©. It is inspired from the loss of my mother and the grief my family experienced. My sister's were very supportive and courageous during my mothers two year illness and subsequent death. It would have been very difficult to go through the surgery, horrid hospital stays, etc., and all the pain my mother endured, had it not been for them, and for my father. Watching someone you love go through so much suffering is not what any of us expects or wants.

Since my mother's passing, I am finding "Hidden Treasure's" in many of my recent paintings. You may, or may not, have read about my "Hidden Treasure's"© series, (see previous blog), and how the series was birthed, but in this Sister's Series painting, I am seeing the hidden treasure of suffering along those you love-without being bitter. I believe this is a gift. It is all what we tell ourselves. Positive or negative-it is our choice to choose how we are going to react to difficulties and challenges in our lives. Even though this experience is hard to embrace, I am able to say that it has left me feeling free and joyful. Don't get me wrong, I will miss my mother terribly and I still need to keep tissues close by, but I am seeing some positive things happening-especially in my paintings. As my heart and emotions heal, I am excited to see the results as I expand into new expressions in my paintings.