SIZE:
61”W x 41”H x 1.25”D (framed)

DETAILS:
Original Oil and Acrylic Painting on Linen
Framed Under Glass in Maple
Signed by the Artist on the back
Certificate of Authenticity provided

ABOUT THIS WORK:

I recently watched a video on portrait oil paintings where the instructor encouraged Artists to begin, and continue, their work using as few brushstrokes as possible. This stood in direct contrast, I realized, to how I paint: hundreds of tiny brushes, thousands of tiny brushstrokes used in a single painting. I wanted to try it, to experience the opposite of the familiar. I dug around and found my widest oil brush (it hadn’t even been used before, no surprise), mixed a variety of greens together, and began to cover as much ground, with as few movements. To my surprise, it only took a few strokes to cover each leaf.

Where else could I paint with a wider brush? Where else could I benefit from less movement?

Now that I’m unlearning and deconditioning from perfectionism, why is there still a need to overfunction? Might I, and even others, benefit from me in fact, doing less? Are my efforts to help, to plan, to fix, to perform often superfluous? And worse, are they often an interference? Could they not only be blocking my flow, but the flow of those around me?

One of the most intriguing parts of the Monstera plant are the holes it intentionally contains. I’ve watched these plants during trips to Mexico and Costa Rica, allowing water to flow through their leaves, wind to blow freely through, and sun to reach their lowest stems.

To me, they summarize flow.

I’ve experienced flow before; a flow state while painting, or gardening, or running. What would it be like though to experience flow when I’m not in creative or physical pursuits? What if my being could operate, exist in a consistent state of flow?

The former - always present? - engineer in me started visualizing flow; visualizing current, voltage, power. Visualizing Ohm’s Law. Ohm’s Law states that V= IR. Voltage equals Current times Resistance.

Current - let’s call this flow - is inversely proportional to resistance. If the resistance is higher, the current is lower. If my resistance is higher, my flow gets blocked. As I lower my resistance, I get more flow.

So what am I resisting?

Control. Or rather, letting go of control. This is a tough one for me. Releasing control requires a great deal of trust. Of releasing the outcome and replacing it with confidence in the ability to flow.

As I work to let go of control, I’m experimenting with shifting from:
action, doing, giving, analyzing, decision making, figuring out, solving, fixing, planning, leading, achieving, accomplishing, organizing, initiating

towards:
feeling, expressing, intuiting, being, following, allowing, receiving, sensing, creating, experiencing, trusting… flowing.

To see the process and read the full story behind this work visit Art Letters

SHIPPING:
Shipping charges will be calculated and billed separately. Please email mione@mioneplant.com to receive a shipping estimate prior to purchase.

To request additional photos or a video of this work, please email mione@mioneplant.com