I am a lover of all things purple, I need it in my life to feel grounded and at peace for whatever reason I can not really explain but have accepted and embraced that as part of me. This being the case, I felt a strong desire to repaint my bedroom from the yellow colour that had existed from the previous owners, to something I could go to bed at night and wake up to and enjoy. I painted my room a shade of lilac but did one feature wall in grey. When the paint dried, that one wall which happens to be at the foot of my bed, felt bare and really needed something to make it unique. This would be the first thing I saw everyday so I wanted it to be great.
I went to a big chain decorating store to find a piece of art that I could stand to look at long term. Art is very intimately personal. Interpretation and the specific way something makes you feel is unique to each person and alike to none. I sifted through wall hangings, canvas paintings and framed prints but really did not find a connection among anything available. So I left. I went to other stores and forgot about my mission for a little while. Then randomly found myself standing in an art section of a store staring at a white, blank canvas. I tucked it under my arm along with a few other supplies and headed home.
Once home, I set up a picnic table outside with newspaper, paints, sponges, brushes, plastic wrap, and of course the white canvas. I called my three kids to the back porch and said to them: "mommy needs a painting for her bedroom, do you think you can use these supplies and create one for me?" My kids were immediately excited to paint but I saw the pressure of expectation on their faces as they asked "what do you want us to paint mom?" I replied, "It's totally up to you, use whatever is on the table, have fun and put lots of love into it!" I completely stepped away while they worked and just sat watching them take turns and trading off the tools and colours, adding their own special touches. They announced when they had finished and we let it dry in the summer air as they washed up from a job well done.
The finished product was everything I asked them to produce and was the perfect piece I sought after. Every tick and swirl and smudge and finger/hand print is appreciated because it came from them and I will treasure this painting for several years to come.
Sometimes, exactly what you are looking for can be found right in your own backyard (literally) if you just sit back and watch the beauty unfold. ;)
