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| Abiquiu Ancestor (30" x 30," oil on canvas © Melinda Esparza) |
There are some things we cannot rush. We must wait, and, sometimes, walk several paths until we find the best road. I felt that last year when I stood on Forest Road 151, north of Abiquiu, NM. And, I felt that a couple of weekends ago when we drove up to Phoenix to adopt our new dog, Zorro.
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| El Zorro and Diego November 2012 |
Going deeper: I just read James Shepard's recent article in the Williams College Magazine, and think you might find it as eloquent and deeply reassuring as I did.
"Imagine you come across a little girl in a sandbox, and you ask her what she's building. If she says she doesn't know, you don't answer, "Well, then, get out of the sandbox." If she says she's building a castle, you don't answer, "Oh, there's an original idea. Nobody ever built a castle before. Think your castle's going to be any different than anybody else's?
If that little girl has poise, she might respond, "I don't know. I haven't built it yet."
Isn't this what many artists hear (especially women artists)? Isn't this something we say to ourselves in many different ways, including in secret? May you add poise to the conversation!
I encourage you to go read the rest of his article, and check out the link to his name.
This painting and I have wrestled for a few months (no deep cuts, just a small scratch or two for me), and I might have finished it today, and won.
Where are you on your path? A good dog or two can help you walk it...
