Speak Your Truth. Always.

This is part of my Map Series. I titled this painting, "Speak Your Truth. Always." My abstract maps are meant to explore our relationships between physical place, connection, belonging, and our collective personal journeys. I'm exploring color, texture, and line. I'm focusing on the interplay of "positive" and "negative" space as I reflect on my own positive and negative growth experiences from the past few years. The cracks are how the light gets in. I'm using these maps as a form of art therapy to explore living more simply while celebrating nature, color, texture, and line. This particular map was painted in the days leading up to the election while I was filled with optimism and excitement for my daughters and the generations of women that came before me, to see our first woman President elected. I finished this map on election night, heartbroken, angry and numb. I turned off the television as the election results started coming in; filling a televised map with red. I escaped to my studio to paint and sort through my feelings. I cried. My tears are in this painting. 

Please do not numb out. Now is the time to speak up for those who do not have a voice. Speaking the truth, and speaking up for others can be scary but silence is more frightening. We must speak our truth and defy the ignorant voice in the White House. He is not my President. He does not stand for what I believe in. I believe in human rights. I believe in climate science. I am a citizen of the planet. I believe the World needs more LOVE, LIGHT and TRUTH right now. Do not accept alternative facts. Do not give in.

Resist and speak your Truth.

“Many people, especially ignorant people, want to punish you for speaking the truth, for being correct, for being you. Never apologize for being correct, or for being years ahead of your time. If you’re right and you know it, speak your mind. Speak your mind even if you are a minority of one. The truth is still the truth.” – Mohatma Gandhi

Election Musings....

I've spent November working on two new Maps while reflecting on our greatly divided country. It breaks my heart to see the news. The hear the hate in our President elect's heart, if he even has one. I think it may be two sizes two small. In a nation divided, I'm painting my own maps. Trying to process what is happening around me. While I heal my broken heart, I will finish my own maps and work on more of my LOVE Wins paintings so I can spread more love in this broken corner of the world. 

Love Wins

These hearts are from my LOVE Wins Series. As many of you know, I find a lot of inspiration in  the teachings and writings of Brene Brown. It was a rough couple of weeks with the election and a rude woman who came to my last art show and made a game of insulting my work, my titles, and encouraged her young daughter to do the same. It was so sad to watch and my heart broke for her as I wondered who had done so much damage to her to make her so broken as a human being.

I've taken comfort more than ever lately in Brene's words and hope they help you too.

“We cultivate love when we allow our most vulnerable and powerful selves to be deeply seen and known, and when we honor the spiritual connection that grows from that offering with trust, respect, kindness and affection.

Love is not something we give or get; it is something that we nurture and grow, a connection that can only be cultivated between two people when it exists within each one of them – we can only love others as much as we love ourselves.

Shame, blame, disrespect, betrayal, and the withholding of affection damage the roots from which love grows. Love can only survive these injuries if they are acknowledged, healed and rare.”
― Brené Brown, The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are

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This little green heart is the last one left in my shop. You can find it for sale here.