#2906 Black Eyed Susan Friends 16x20 inches on gallery mount canvas |
The world needs more "joy" to quote Fred Eaglesmith. We recently enjoyed a "Concert of Small Halls". Fred Eaglesmith and his band played in nearby Athens and it was a night of music to remember. Fred had almost died from an undisclosed illness that he mentioned during the concert. Tif Ginn, his wife (2014) and lead guitarist being the one and the same, nursed him back to health. His message that night was to embrace what you have and the simple things in life. He summed it up in one word "joy". I could easily be a "Fredhead".
Fred Eaglesmith is the stage name of Frederick John Elgersmar. Fred is known for writing songs about trains, rural life, down-and-out characters, lost love and quirky rural folk. He has produced 20 studio albums over his 30-year career with more on the way. We plan to go again to another show!
There is much that needs fixing in the world. Climate change, broken political processes, disease, and a host of other environmental threats are issues that those in power choose to either ignore or simply do not understand. There are no easy solutions although scientists and humourists have tried to educate for the last couple of centuries - a mere microsecond in the 4.5 billion-year history of the universe. "Preaching to the choir" does not change the world controlled by a few oligarchs and a web of wealth and deceit...
I do not fully understand quantum mechanics but have come to grips with the multiverse. I even appreciate qubits and quantum computing. Classical physics and quantum mechanics are compatible but there are still many questions and much to learn.
A simpler approach to life can be found nearby. The joy of nature surrounds us every day. One can never have enough flowers either. Important answers can be discovered by simply slowing down and appreciating the nature that survives despite humans.
A winter storm with snow dominated the weather pattern. I decided to stay in the Singleton Studio on a blustery day. The outside work and play in the forest could wait. The photo of a group of black-eyed Susans had been on my list of inspiration for almost a decade. The day had arrived to be inspired. And the world needs more flowers anyway.
Black-eyed Susans are officially named rudbeckia hirta. The flowering plant is in the Asteraceae family, native to Eastern and Central North America. It has spread to the west and even somehow lept the Pacific Ocean into China. It has now been found in all 10 Canadian Provinces and all 48 of the states in the contiguous United States. Rudbeckia hirta is the state flower of Maryland.
Sometimes the story behind the painting can be important. This is more than just another flower painting. During my 35-year career with the Atmospheric Environment Service and Environment Canada, one of my favourite expressions was "you gotta laugh" in response to some of the inexplicable decisions being made. It was impossible to fix the bureaucracy so I decided to chuckle and focus on joy and nature while trying to make a difference with my art.
A co-worker recently graciously reminded me of my "you gotta laugh" mantra as he witnessed what was happening in the world - a narcissistic period of human behaviour controlled by oligarchs in a quest for ever more power and wealth in the Century of Fire. Leave it to the artists to tell the truth whether they be musicians or cartoonists.
This particular canvas had been in the Studio for years and its time had also come. I am not fond of gallery wrap canvases as it encourages one to focus too much on the sides when really, only the front matters.
My Studio "office chair" was also starting to fail. I was happily painting away and suddenly noticed that I was below chin height at the bottom of the canvas. I tried a couple of quick fixes but then decided to just stand. The details of the flowers were less important than the freedom and joy they can impart so I let the oils really fly!
This painting was on and off the easel for more than a month. The final touches of the brush were applied in January 2025... We will see what the future brings but I plan to bathe in the forest and the lake and protect the natural beauty of Singleton for as long as I can...
Thank you for reading these thoughts if you made it this far. I strive to remain positive...
For this and much more art, click on Pixels or go straight to the Collections. Here is the new Wet Paint 2024 Collection.
Warmest regards and keep your paddle in the water,