Day 16. I made a thing to think about getting rid of things?
“For the Birds who Own Nothing– the Reason They Can Fly” 6×6, oil on canvas
The title for this one comes from a line from Mary Oliver’s poem, “Storage” where she tells a story of collecting all her excess possessions into a storage facility only to realize she doesn’t need them at all. So she throws everything away and in the poem exclaims:
“Things!
Burn them, burn them! Make a beautiful
fire! More room in your heart for love,
for the trees! For the birds who own
nothing–the reason they can fly.”
I am thinking today of the things I can throw away and perhaps become a little closer to the birds who are unburdened enough to fly: the untouched creams and potions in the top drawer of my bathroom, the magazine on the side table that lured me with its beautifully photographed recipes and has gone and will continue to go untouched, my inclination towards comparison and envy, my dearly protective but quite heavy ego.
All 31 paintings will be on display at our gallery celebration February 24th from 5-8pm. The show will also feature other artists who have been part of a 31 in 31 community.
Denise Hopkins
January 16, 2024
blog
Related Blog Posts
Be Still and Know: On Stillness, Hustle, and the Art of Making
A reflection on hustle, stillness, creativity, and the hummingbird painting Be Still and Know - a piece that changed when...
Ready to Ride: On Memory, Making, and the Year of the Horse
A childhood Chinese restaurant, a rooster, the Year of the Horse, and a few unexpected horses scratched into a vase....
I Go Before You Always: The Words We Carry With Us
Some words stay with us for years, waiting for the moment we need them. The story behind I Go Before...
One Response