“Like a Tree” 20×20, oil on canvas Buy Now

It’s been a hellofa week. Tomorrow I’m running the Louisiana half marathon in Baton Rouge (which I wrote about at the end of my October 31 day painting challenge and did the official art print for) and I’m trying to figure it all out logistically. Tonight I’m painting at a wedding in Kenner which, of course, I knew about when I signed up for the race, but now that’s it’s here, I’m just a great big ball of anxiety. How will I get my daily paintings done? Will I get enough sleep? Will I be able to go to the bathroom before the race or will I have to stop during it and ruin my time? These are life’s big questions. Meanwhile I’ve got a five-year old with versions of “are we there yet?” on repeat as I’m trying to cross my t’s and dot my i’s for this whirlwind of a weekend. 

I feel his pain. Is it really only day 13? Are we there yet, team?

Honestly, this silly race means a lot to me for reasons I’ve written about before and the thought of it not going well is devastating. Do your best, yoga reminds me even when I don’t want it to.

I know that around this time tomorrow, when I finally get through all the hoops I’ve got to jump and I’m just running (albeit in this frigid weather) I’ll feel a little more like the figure in this painting. But for today I’m not so much feeling like a tree rooted deeply in the ground, firm and in control but more like the pines I watch swaying in the wind and looking like they will most certainly snap. 

But they never do.

In the background of this painting I’ve scribbled some thoughts– mostly about being a tree that bends and how painting is just so hard. Spoiler alert– I have grandiose plans for some new paintings, but tomorrow’s is a little bluebird– an image I’ve done before but one I just needed right now. See ya on day 14!