Video – Sunday’s ART of Truth – ‘Metamorphosis’ – Healing Grief – 4-30-23

 Video – https://youtu.be/KILhyK9wkbc

Hello friends, welcome to Sunday’s ART of Truth. Today, I am working on a 12 x 16 Gallery Depth Wood Panel, creating this beautiful and inspiring abstract butterfly.

This Sunday’s ART of Truth comes after the death of my mom earlier this week. Whew, breathing.

My mom passed away on Tuesday April 25, 2023. One is never quite prepared. Regardless of relationship or history, death is never easy. The story with my mom and family is quite complicated, so the traversing through this has been unexpectedly difficult. I had not been in relationship with my mom for about 34 years. Though I had seen her for a brief time some years ago, my life was built without my mom. I did see her some months ago and it was a gift to both of us, as well as my sister who was with us. There were gifts of words, laughter, good food, and dessert shared. It was amazing. I will never forget it.

What I want to share with you is the rawness of heart and how art speaks to me. It allows me a possible avenue for expression in, what feels like, an impossible situation.

I started with a blank slate, a 12 x 16 wood panel. I was quite selective in picking my papers, as I wanted them to be the words to my story. I used the She Decided paper from Shawn Petite’s collage collection. It talks about being brave, making choices that are positive and bold. It always speaks to me no matter how many times I read it. I also used French letters, also from Shawn’s Shop. I love the old-fashioned script, reminders of long-ago times when life was much simpler. Letters of love. Letters of relationship. Story. Everything we do and everywhere we go becomes part of our story. I used vintage newspaper article paper that also speaks to me of someone’s story, somewhere. Stories that shape us and our world.

I chose deep passages of color both in the background papers and the inks I chose. We have times when our journeys are dark and ominous, but we also have times when the light bears down on us and restores us. Yellow is my favorite color so I love that I was able to bring that color in so vibrantly.

I chose the butterfly and the theme, metamorphosis with particular purpose. Metamorphosis is not a moment in time. It is a slow shedding, a new birth. It is a journey, a becoming. I think about the butterfly and how they struggle through the stages of their new birth, just as we do. Their journal takes hard work. It is exhausting. Guess what, they don’t know in that dark place that when they shed that dark cocoon, they will be a beautiful butterfly. They just push through.

I wanted this butterfly to represent new birth. I wanted it to paint a picture of the beauty that comes from change and growth. However painful, it is essential to becoming who we really are. There are layers of life and learning that we need to see to in this world. Just like the layers of paper and paint, there are layers of things to be pulled back to expose the perfect beauty that awaits us. There are things to cast away like the butterfly’s cocoon. There are things to reckon with. This is the hard part, isn’t it?

I also think of the new life that I believe follows this one. A life where we shed our earthly bodies and we get new ones. We are done with the pain. We are done with the brokenness. We are done with the striving. What a wonderful thought that is. I look forward to the days that come after our final becoming.

I think we all want to have the best obituary written for us. The best montage of all…

Did I live well?

Did I love well?

Did I give forgiveness?

Did I module the heart of God?

Did I allow Jesus to heal me?

Did I allow others to love me well?

Did I live out loud?

Will I be known as one who gave freely, offered kindness, and laughed poignantly?

Will I be who I wanted to be? Who He wanted me to be?

Unhinged, in the best way. Unhinged from the demons of the past. Metamorphosized and slathered with the love of God. Able to see beauty and share hope.

Will my baggage be filled with the laughter of small children, helping hands, and memories that never fade?

My mom had a lot of brokenness within her. I wish that she had been able to receive the depth of healing that I have experienced. I know that on this side of heaven, we still deal with the crusty bits that are gross and painful, however, on that side of heaven…

There is joy unspeakable and full of glory.

There is no unforgiveness, just love.

The things of this life will no longer matter.

We will be with those that we love. We will sing and dance and praise God from everlasting to everlasting. Our sorrows will be no more. Our joy will overtake us.

This is what I believe.

That is all I have for this day.

I will continue to encounter my woundedness and ask for healing. I will continue to show up and be the person God wants me to be. I will continue to love as best I can and give out of that love. I will continue to honor my sacred story, and I look forward to the day when my final metamorphosis comes. Oh, what a day that will be!

Be beautiful & blessed,

Beloved-Reborn

 Supply list under photos!

Supplies used:

 

Distress Crazing – https://www.amazon.com/Ranger-TDA47957-Crazing-Distress-Collage/dp/B01CUG33XC/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1QPNQIKRJ7DRT&keywords=distress+crazing&qid=1682562518&sprefix=distress+crazin%2Caps%2C889&sr=8-1

Masters Touch Black Gesso – http://Hobbylobby.com

Isopropyl Alcohol – any store

DecoArt Crackle Paint – http://DecoArt.com

Alpha Lower Case Stamps – Michaels – https://www.michaels.com/product/medium-lowercase-alphabet-wood-stamp-set-by-recollections-10147652

Alpha Upper Case Stamps – Michaels – https://www.michaels.com/product/large-uppercase-alphabet-wood-stamp-set-by-recollections-10147657

Background Papers – Collage Packs – ShawnPetite.com –

https://shop.shawnpetite.com/Collage-papers-Instant-downloads-c12373759

Daler Rowney Acrylic Inks – Marine Blue & Indian Yellow – https://www.amazon.com/s?k=daler+rowney+acrylic+ink&crid=1N0GWV8FLX8JC&sprefix=daler+rowney+ac%2Caps%2C972&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_15

Liquitex Acrylic Inks – Raw Umber, Raw Sienna, Sap Green Permanent, & Gold – https://www.amazon.com/s?k=liquitex+acrylic+ink&crid=3UOXOOO0QORJY&sprefix=liquitex+acrylu%2Caps%2C754&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_4_15

Liquitex Matte Medium –https://www.amazon.com/Liquitex-5616-Professional-Ultra-Medium/dp/B001UNYH32/ref=sr_1_4?crid=10FYZW6SAO0E7&keywords=liquitex+fluid+matte+medium&qid=1682562434&sprefix=liquitex+fluid+matte+me%2Caps%2C902&sr=8-4

Shawn Petite Stencil – Layered up 3 tile and flowers – https://shop.shawnpetite.com/Layered-up-3-tiles-and-flowers-stencil-8×10-p444088310