Pieta

Here it is! I'm pleased and delighted! Delivered it this morning to my dear patrons. Below are some symbolism thoughts. Or lack of!


A most amazing discovery! Turtles and Roses have the same number of legs/ petals. I was making Mary's heart jewels here as simplified roses, and realized that I was also making little turtles. This is so cool! Because? Because roses are favorite pals of mine- just like sea turtles! And now I see that they are the same, somehow. Five parts, one center. And some say this world began on the back of a turtle. And another says if we just stare at a flower long enough we'll be brighter.

Hummingbird. This little hummingbird came to visit a few days ago in a dream. He was this blue and much fluffier, and so so tiny. He flew by me and I was like, "What th-.... Hey! Whatcha doing?!" And in response he wiggled and smiled like a puppy that could not contain himself, to the point where it seemed possible that he might not survive his glee. He didn't say anything, but his visit was so sweet and cute that I wanted to put him in this picture. Unfortunately he looks a bit trapped, but not to worry, he's a friend of the lady, and she's just holding him there for a bit so she can let him fly about at precisely the right moment.

In the original painting by Georges de La Tour, Mary is holding a skull. That didn't sing to me, so I painted her with a jar. A transparent container! And with our little blue fluttering pal it shows how she delicately contains the big tinyness of timelessness.

I admire how Mr. de La Tours spoke with her skirt. It's poofing on Mary's belly, it's crimson red, and striped with gold. To me that says: she can bare children, is carrying one now, and the line is golden.
All these gold strands and stuff is one way I see the invisible communion of love. Mary is watching her man post-crucifixion. What woman hasn't seen that? Seen her man get nailed down? Often there's nothing to do but keep watch with him, let that heart bleed a little. Many men are getting strung up now with layoffs, collapsing investments, etc. Some of rightly being crucified as thieves. Jesus was crucified with two thieves- the first saw his own errors, the second made fun of Jesus. I just hope I follow the example of the first.

Yellow Rose. (Hey Nana!) Just above the rose is the base of a jellyfish. My Uncle Jim gave us a book of pictures from Archipelago, and in it has all these amazing sea creatures, one of which is a jellyfish that has fringes of lace snowflakes. So this is part of the jellyfish I saw.
That violet flower is a morning glory. Morning Glories... open for the Sun! The baby sea turtle is surfing the waves of the sky, going to give a little kiss to the Main Man. Sea turtles are amazing in that no matter how far from home they go in the entire wide ocean, they can find their way back home. May we too!

He asked, "Who do you say I am?"

I've been wondering about stars. Yesterday I was looking at the rainbow puddles at the gas station then the warm glowing votive candles at the mission, and thought how nice it would be to swallow them both into my heart. Do you think that's how the stars did it? Did they just put the lime in the coconut and drink it all up? I bet they did!
Hopefully I can make this insane enough to be unbelievable. Mary Magdalene is having a look here at the scene. The major challenge right now is that Jesus is dead, which is like a half-truth. I am out on my errand to buy purple paint because I ran out. Just got it. Now I'm in a fast food restaurant with free wifi drinking coffee in a shopping center and... do you ever look around and say, "What the hell is this place?" You know the Leon song- "Stranger in a Strange Land"? Yup. Last night I got that throw-up feeling looking at my painting. I had just read a little bit from The Book of Hopi. About what the Spanish priests did to the peaceful people? Jesus Christ. What a bunch of Satanic men. So I'm endeavoring some sort of balance here with Mary. I don't know, we'll see. Thank goodness for the ocean. I will go back to her today.


Thankfully I now have a 3 x 5 foot canvas here at the house in St Augustine, thanks to Dad and his truck. I've a week to create and complete this piece before heading back up to Beaufort next Tuesday. This morning wild parrots, sand pipers, and a breakfast-seeking osprey were all out and about at the beach. I'll paint inside with the windows open.