Gratitude

Story Summary

Gratitude began with the word "Grateful" written on the canvas and grew layer by layer through color, experimentation, and reflection. This creation honors everyday thanks, from small moments and unexpected kindnesses to big life shifts and opportunities. The story behind it includes playful exploration with tools, brushes, and textures that matched the spirit of appreciation. The painting invites you to pause, notice what’s going right, and let gratitude color the way you see your life.

Story

This creation started out with the word “Grateful” and the first insight I got was to paint a huge heart to capture it. A grateful heart sees gratitude in this life. I believe that word and way of being in life creates a deep richness. As I began this painting I started with a brand new brush. Mind you, this brush was a simple brush you buy at Home Depot. At the time, the other brush I regularly used was either drying from another painting or I wanted to try painting out with a new brush. I began and I thought yellow would be a great color to start. The first treatment I did used yellows and greens. I got done and thought…”this needs more work.” I decided to do another treatment and it went from yellow to grey and bluish. I tried a new technique that helped create a beautiful texture on the whole piece. As I looked at and viewed, it was nice, and yet I recognized it was missing color. It “needed more work…” I decided to do another treatment and it went from yellow to grey and bluish. I tried a new technique that helped create a beautiful texture on the whole piece. As I looked at and viewed, it was nice, and yet I recognized it was missing color. It “needed more work…” I did another treatment and I decided I was going to add an orange circle. Each time I looked, it seemed to beckon me to add. While at the Art Supply store, I purchased a new bottle of orange paint and drew a foot and a half diameter circle and from there let the paint go on. I kept on saying as I painted, “WOW! I can’t believe how much paint is on this piece.” I got done and was REALLY happy with how it turned out. The third time was the charm. I was on a client call a week later and my client who had been seeing me share my art said, I love your art. Is that piece behind you, yours? I said yes, he said do you have a buyer for it and I said no. He said, “send me over a picture and I can show it to my wife.” Shortly after, I was having a coaching session with a friend, and I had an opportunity to see the value of the piece. We had the conversation about my art and we did a session that connected me to my heart. I have been sharing, “my art is my heart, and it’s guiding me.” He and I talked and he asked me to get out of my head and ask the painting what it was worth. I came up with a figure that surprised me. It felt VERY uncomfortable at that point and something inside of me was saying that was the price. I meditated over the piece for the next few days and I felt aligned with that price and that is how it came up. I am waiting to share and have a campaign around the official sale of the creation.

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