Life is like a game of cards. The hand that is dealt you represents determinism;
the way you play it is free will . —Nehru
The words of longtime Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru seem to fit well with what I felt from this new piece that I delivered this past week to the Haen Gallery in Asheville, NC. It’s called Will and is a 10″ by 30″ canvas.
For me, this piece is about enduring, weathering the winds and tides of change while sticking to one’s objective. I see a lot of strength in this tree. A lot of will power. It bends, it strains, yet stands.
As Nehru inferred, we are all subject to strains and obstacles that we could easily let waylay our best laid plans. But we also all possess the ability to will ourselves past these barriers, if we only choose to do so. This decision to do so is one that many give up on much early in their struggle and settle for a mediocre version of what they foresaw for themselves. The tree in this painting refuses to settle.
That’s what I get from this piece. Maybe you’ll see something other than this and come away with a completely different read on this painting. That’s okay and as valid as my own translation. Hopefully, it will have something to say to you…
Redtree Times 