yellow

As I sit in the middle of Cheesman park in Denver on this sunny February day, my entire body thanks me. I close my eyes and see a light, joyful and yellow washing over me. I’m bathing in sunlight.

I suppose the inspiration for every painting comes from experiences I have and today I am committing this warmth to memory for future use. I use various yellow pigments all the time, yet this yellow I have yet to create. I am actively dissecting the color I am currently feeling in hopes that I can recreate it in the studio. By looking at the feeling and all the elements that have led me to this moment I am also documenting the presence of this new found yellow.

This yellow is pure unexpected sunlight on a winter day. It is contentment found in surrendering to doing nothing but enjoying the park with my dog and a bag of snacks. It is relaxing into a gentle wind that blows the forgotten golden blades of exposed grass. It is knowing that the seasons change and life goes on. The clouds eventually move on and the devoted sun still shines.

I know with my heart that emotions, thoughts and concepts are nothing but clouds in the sky, often blocking the nourishing sunlight and limiting my view of life. It is easy to whither and shrink into myself with a blanket of clouds or a snow filled sky. The time spent under this blanket has its purpose. It beckons rest and self-awareness. Then moments like this today beckon expansion and growth from this awareness. It is as if the seeds of possibility are sprouting. The innocence of a new perspective promises joy. A beautifully naive and pure light emanates today, uncontaminated by conditions or expectations.

It just is…pure and simple sunlight. Delicious!