Laura's ReVision 118: positive poppy painting

Dear Tina,

I had to go back and revisit your Vision 118 as I had been away from it so long. It is interesting to read what you wrote:

"The metaphor of seeds and future growth reminds me of how you are always so optimistic and hopeful for things to come. You often help me see that when

life is overwhelming."

I needed this reminder for myself and it was nice to hear. I do try my best to live with an optimistic heart. The past few months have challenged me in ways I am still processing. I consciously make an effort everyday to spin my thoughts to positive, hopeful ones. Although not always easy it comes back to my belief that happiness is a state of mind. I have the ability to choose how I look at things and the lessons I can learn.

"If the day and the night are such that you greet them with JOY, 

and life emits a fragrance like flowers and sweet scented herbs, 

is more elastic, more starry, more immortal~

that is your success."

~Henry David Thoreau

Although I chose one painting for my ReVision I found myself working on a series of four. I started with photographs and sketches of the poppy pods I fell in love with last fall. Their whimsical forms and the dainty seeds within them do speak of optimism and growth for me and I wanted to translate that in this work. I experimented with new color combinations, starting with painted backgrounds, then built up layers with stencils, texture and more paint. I chose the painting below for ReVision 118.

My wish is to always keep hope in my heart and spread seeds of love, generosity and growth. I will share the other paintings soon.

"Whether you succeed or not is irrelevant,

making your unknown, known is the important thing"

~Georgia O'Keeffe

xo