Recharge And Give Presence. Merry Wishes To My Steemit Family. My Last 2017 Painting.

Dear Steemit family. I’ll be one of the many to wish you a Merry Christmas today.

It’s Christmas Eve today here in Czech and I am fortunate enough to be sitting by a cracking fireplace and looking out of the window to a forest covered by snow, surrounded by my family and my lovely @gladysmak. Although , I admit, the snow is unfortunately melting. Weather has been unusually warm for this time of the year.

Initial sketch with dry pastels was in horizontal position:)

Before leaving Vancouver at the beginning of December, I had a calling to paint a red painting. I don't know why it came, but I learned not to question my inspirational callings. I follow them to the letter.
I don’t typically paint red paintings. The only other one I can remember that I painted in purple was a painting of humming bird, and that painting went missing. Someone took it from the storage place at the exhibition space I rented in Vancouver Chinatown in June 2016. Well, that’s not a great memory, but I do believe that things happen for a reason so I don’t hold any grudge. I hope that it brings solace to the new owner, who could not afford to pay for it.

These two went missing in 2016. My only predominantly red painting was one of them.

"Harmony" painting is not with me anymore, but I accepted it in peace.

The reason why I post my latest “red” painting today is the underlying message of that painting. It’s about recharging, regenerating, slowing down, finding time to relax. The end of year seems to be the opposite of slowing down. The modern society taught us to consume, to focus on the external, show our affection with material gifts rather than tapping into the inner peace and be present with our beloved ones. Give our Presence above all. That is the greatest present we can give.

Step one of the redness

I painted this piece on a carefully sanded wood, because I wanted it to be smooth and glowing (canvas has a threaded structure that is hard to get rid of).

The red deepens with every added layer...

As usually, I didn’t know what it’s going to look like at all. I just started with applying several layers of transparent purple (master oil color) using a fast drying medium. Normally it would take up to 5 days for the purple pigment to dry, but using the fast drying medium made it possible for me to apply another layer the very next day. Eventually the idea of a man sitting in the middle of fall forest came to me. That man can be me, but it can also be anyone. The spine is straight and the heart chakra is wide open, channelling Gaia’s energy all the way up to crown chakra, out to the Life of Forest around.

Before the rays of lights happened, I was already sitting straight, recharging:)

This is how it feels to me when I think of recharging, regenerating, refuelling, relaxing.
May all of your find such moments in this special time of the year, when Sun is born again in the North and new decisions of well-being are born in our hearts.

Final result. Oil on 24x 30 inches wood

Sending blessings to your families and your beloved ones, wherever they are.

I am leaving you with my favorite prayer:

Today I travel the great unknown, grant me the wisdom to be humble. Grant me the wisdom to love, even when love is not returned. Grant me the knowledge to balance my way of being. So I may heal my family, my tribe, my nation and our mother Earth.

I am grateful for every single one of you,

Much Love

Jan
@jankasparec