Every once in awhile this happens. Stories unravel in front of paintings and I listen. I am a vessel for their secrets.

“I know I’m over sharing. I wanted to thank you and appreciate you for your art. I just love your work. There was one painting that brought me to tears.”

I smiled.

Just the Way you Look 40″ x 30″

“Can you show me which one?”

She brought me over to the painting Just the Way You Look and began to describe how the pink heart shaped image was strong yet breaking open.

“That’s my heart.”

Everyone sees a heart in this painting yet it was unplanned.

I had painted 20 or so paintings on paper before moving on to a 40″ x 30″ panel.  The painting came together fairly quickly until the end.  It was time for the pink spray paint and I had once chance at it.  The practice was behind me and now it was time to trust my hand.  There would be no way to scrape the pink off and keep what was underneath if it didn’t work.

Movement and energy guided my hand.  If I had stopped to think or analyze it would have been all over.

I never thought it looked like a heart until people brought it to my attention.  People see what they need to see.  And I couldn’t resist this old song that reminded me about the other half.

This game of art is one half skill and the other half is something else.  Something bigger.

“You gotta have heart.  All you really need is heart.  When the odds are saying you’ll never win, that’s when the grin should start.

You gotta have hope.  Mustn’t sit around and mope.  Nothing’s half as bad as it may appear, wait ’til next year and hope.”

To hear the 1958 version click HERE.

XOXO,

Francesca