At first I thought this painting was about the trees, but as I worked, it was about the path...and so much more. It's about the process:
observing...correcting...seeing...adapting...persevering.
It's about the path into the unknown.
Beginning with no idea where you are heading--it can be so stressful. But lately, I'm learning to just put one foot in front of the other. One foot placed after another creates a path and eventually, you've moved on, you've gained experience, you're not at the beginning anymore.
One of the first Bible verses I ever committed to memory says: "In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will make your path straight" (Proverbs 3:6). This painting reminded me of that truth: Even though I feel as if I have no idea where I'm heading right now, God IS making my path straight, as I commit to leaning on Him, rather than on my own understanding. All the stress of the unknown is lifted, because He has promised to set me straight. He loves me. I can trust Him. I can keep walking.
I find it funny how my life and my artwork intersect, even when I'm unaware of it. I had been looking out at the water at the end of this dock, and as I turned, I was stunned by the entanglement of white branches against the bright blue late winter sky. But as I developed the painting, I began to struggle with and focus on the path. Painting, like life, is a struggle. No matter how much I think I understand what's there, I very quickly discover that I have no idea what I'm doing. I panic. I step back. I begin again. So very much like this stage of my life.
New Beginnings, 2022