My Painting Fell In The Lake... And Diana Laughed :-)

My painting fell in the lake... and Diana laughed!

As I stood there frantically pulling staples out of the sides of my canvas to remove it from the stretcher bars (so that it could air-out, dry-off, and prevent any damage being done to the painting by the water it was now soaked in) my patron Diana couldn't help but laugh... hysterically.

That is one of the reason's why she is so awesome.  

And this is what we made together:

Assabet Wildlife Refuge, 2017, 12x20 inches, oil on linen.

Diana was one of the first people that responded to my "free painting" offer – where I announced that I would create a free painting (called a "study") for folks that may be wondering what it would be like to have a subject that is special to them transformed into a work of art.

Diana didn't have a subject in mind... partly because she thinks so many things are beautiful.

So part of my job was to get to the heart of it, and un-earth the subject that would capture what she really wanted.

After some sketching and some long walks... we found this beautiful location in the Assabet Wildlife Refuge (one of the most peaceful places I have ever been).

As I worked on it there were days when it was freezing cold... there were days when it was outrageously windy, and there were times I couldn't work on it at all because I had to wait for the snow to melt! 

And, for goodness-sake the painting even went flying into the lake! 

But you know what I'm going to remember most about making this painting?

I'm going to remember the incredible peacefulness I felt every day that I got to spend outside at Assabet. I am going to remember watching the wildlife, listening to the beautiful silence, and feeling the calming energy of this place through every cell of my body while applying brushstroke after brushstroke to the canvas. And most of all... 

I am going to remember Diana laughing. 

I am going to remember that when I was worried about the painting surviving it's dip into the lake after it got ripped off my easel by the wind... my patron laughed and reminded me that nothing is really that serious – that even something stressful and crazy can be fun and light... if we treat it that way. 

I can't say that I can always do that, but it certainly is nice to be surrounded by people that remind us to be light – people that remind us that sometimes... you just have to laugh. 

I am also going to remember the smile on her face when she saw her painting finished and framed for the first time... and when she texted me the day after I delivered it:

 
 

Mission Accomplished! Photos from the unboxing :-)

For those of you that like to see the process... Here are a few photos I took of the painting being created... from sketch to finished product.

Dustin Neece