HOPE

This is a self portrait of sorts.. About my feelings about my Self. There is a beautiful song titled "The Color of Roses" by Beth Nielsen Chapman. The line I love most says: "Life gives us magic and life brings us tragedy Everyone suffers some loss Still we have faith in it Childlike hope." The first time I heard those words in Beth's song, I burst out crying. It was shortly after my dad's death.

Sometimes in the night, I dream of straining to overcome some obstacle. We all have those dreams. Nothing is going right, we feel weighed down with the hurtles ahead. I know when I have those kinds of dreams, I am stressing about something. My dreams tell me to pay attention.

But when the sun comes up the next morning, as it always does, I feel the hope rise within me and I reach for a sense of calm and knowing that all will be well. You can't see the writing with this photo, but I used Beth's words on the door. This is my mantra that I hold onto within my own being. I used the symbol of the house to represent my own Soul. Things can come and go and my windows to the world show me life's mystery. But I know I reside within my own sanctuary. My knowing protects me and keeps my house in order.

So here's to HOPE. Always hold tight. Ta

note: I found this "canvas" in a dumpster.. I was driving around the back of some business buildings with my husband, and spotted it sticking out of the trash. I stopped, backed up and jumped out to pull it out. I realized it was the wooden seat to an old bar stool. My husband snickered at me, but I was tickled to find a "canvas" perfect for painting on. Upcycled Art, saving the planet one discarded piece of trash at a time! YES! The closeup shows the multiple layers I used. The background has various papers collaged then painted over. I painted her face and for her hair I used torn fabric and dictionary page strips. I also collaged thread into her hair. The colors of the closeup are truer than the photo.