Opposition

Something that’s been on my mind lately is the truth about opposition, that without the bad, we would n’t understand the good.  The hard and sorrowful times in our lives dig a well in a our hearts that later can be filled to the brim with joy.  I believe that the deeper our sorrows, the deeper our capacity to feel joy because we truly understand the difference.  Because we have felt the bad, we can appreciate the good.  Anyone who hasn’t struggled, who hasn’t felt sorrow, doesn’t feel joy as deeply because they don’t understand the contrast.  It is much easier to take things for granted when you haven’t lived without them.

These things were on my mind this week as I worked on three new canvases.  The color really conveys this idea of contrast and opposition.  The black background perfectly highlights the bright colors and splatters.  It looks messy and chaotic, but I worked hard to put my paper clay and paper pieces in the right places, so despite the look of messiness and chaos there is order to it. Life is messy sometimes, and seeing through that mess can be pretty difficult.  But life is still filled with bright moments, and I believe that if we live in the best way we can, things will work out and someday we’ll be able to see how all the messy moments and dark spots blend together with the bright to create a unique and beautiful tapestry that has a lot of value and purpose.