The Wounded Healer

How many of us have thought how lovely it would be to make a difference in the world around us? To help to improve the lives of the needy? Especially this time of year we seem to become aware of those who are often forgotten in our business of living, amidst bill paying and getting to appointments on time and and making dinner. I've always thought a rewarding life would include helping hurting hearts to find hope, however it was never part of my plan to become one of the suffering.



However, as I mature in years I'm finding that my awareness for the pain of others seems to grow in proportion to personal experience of suffering. My own pain seems to grow a necessary humility into my offerings of assistance. Where before I remembered the hurting from a position of strength, I am discovering an unfamiliar kind of compassion in reaching out from my weakness. Weird. I never would have welcomed suffering, but its lesson is humility and grace. May we all learn it quickly.

A New Kind of Family Portrait

A couple of weeks ago, I put up what I thought was the finished family portrait I did for some friends. After looking at what I posted, I realized I had NOT posted the final painting. So here it is:


The family requested the color scheme. (I was even able to incorporate some of the paints they had used for walls and furniture in the room where the painting was to finally take up residence. It was painted on a hollow core door and due to procrastination it took far longer to complete than originally intended. However, I am really pleased with the results. The figures are from a photo shoot of family members cut from hand painted papers. Each family member is represented in the piece.




At our photo session, I staged each family member in activities that would translate well latter into the final work as it unfolded. It became both a portrait and a prayer.



I'd love to do something like it for another family or individual. My prices are extremely reasonable and I love trades...