Work in progress: Laughing Lion Heart/4'x4'/Melted Crayon on Barn wood/2017
When approaching this canvas of salvaged barn wood that is roughly 4'x4', there was an undeniable pang of fear that forced itself to the surface of my awareness. That fear is probably one that most, if not all, artists experience at one point of their career or another. The fear started as a whisper but quickly became a booming voice, echoing in my head, "What are you going to put on this giant thing?" I closed my eyes, took in a long soothing breath, and in the garden of my heart was a magnificent lion. He was at peace and radiated a quiet strength that shifted me back into the present moment. It was in that space that I couldn't help but laugh at how I let a little voice grow into something so imposing, and I knew that the "Laughing Lion Heart" would take his rightful place on "that giant thing," the canvas.