Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Day 100 of 100

Day 100. Here it is.





Yeah, I'll admit: trumpets woulda been nice. Or a little drumroll.


Instead, it's just the sound of me snuffling back tears from a very long, hard day. And the sound of me munching milk-soaked shredded wheat just before midnight, the dinner I forgot to have earlier.

Spent 12 hours helping an elderly relative switch homes. I'm not at all sure she is is capable of living at this current level of independence. Another move might need to be on the horizon. Or maybe I am overtired and not optimistic enough and just really need a good night's sleep.
And maybe underneath, I still ache for someone to share this burden of care with me, and maybe even, sometimes, take care of me.

Well, what I DO know is that these 100 days of playing with watercolors has awakened in me another whole language of expression.


When I woke this morning, struggling against the demands of the day before it ever started, I went to my paints. Dripped and dribbled some splotch of each color in my paint set. Had no idea of some grand overall design. Just knew that Day 100 needed to incorporate EVERY color I had.


Came home some 12 hours later, so far beyond tired, and went to the paints again. Filled in all the white places. Wasn't sure what to do next. Head about to droop onto the wet page as midnight neared. Then I picked up the rigger, dipped it in the aquablue and started outlining.


What came out at the end makes me think of stained glass. So my final piece of this incredible 100-day endeavor uses all the color available; does not limit itself to some photo-realistic expression; and makes me think of church windows, lit with light and lifting thoughts to the heavens.


When all is said and done, I am satisfied, more than satisfied, with this 100 in 100 days project.


Amen.

7 comments:

A.Marie said...

I have been following your progress, and have enjoyed your pictures day by day! Congrats on making it to Day 100! :)

Anonymous said...

Congratulations!!!!

Rowena said...

Yay! You did it! It feels so significant, doesn't it? I love that you used all the colors and then came back to it later. I love that you used it as a sort of nonverbal release of your hard day (sorry about that)

What reward are you giving yourself for making it all the way?

You deserve a reward. :)

Sharon said...

YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! You made it! You set a goal and reached it! The final pic is gorgeous. I knew before you wrote it that you had used every color. The outlining was a great idea. This one should be framed! I love you--wish I could have been there yesterday to help you and encourage you.

aquamaureen said...

Thank you, all my friends and cheerleaders. Your comments mean so much to me.

How shall I reward myself??? Hmm, hadn't even thought of that, but now, I shall ponder it . . .

One thing that feels really good: I also do a weekly painting for ThursdaySweetTreat and often use my 100 5x7 picture for that submission. Well, today I had no 100 to do (it being Day 101), so I grabbed my 9x9 artist's pad. Weeks ago, I would have trembled at trying to fill a 9x9 page. Today, it just flowed. Wow. What a difference.

Thanks again to everyone who has honored this 100 in 100 journey by cheering me on.

Lauren said...

Maureen, Congratulations on completing this rigorous 100 day project! It's been a wonderful treat to watch what you've created. And I have to say, looking at this picture, and then reading your words, I couldn't help but see the picture as a sort of jigsaw puzzle of life. That's what was going through my mind as I was reading your words. And then when you related it to a stained glass window in a church, with God's light flooding through...I felt a little ah ha moment....the puzzle of life with God's love flooding through....

Thanks again for sharing every step of this journey with us.

Amanda Fall - Sprout editor said...

Wooohoooo, we did it!!! I'm so proud of you. :)

I LOVE the outlines here--definitely made me think of stained glass even before I read that. I hope you play with that concept more.

Thinking of rewards....remember what we'd talked about earlier, where we thought you might put up all 100 of your pieces where you can see them? Why not take one of those huge pieces of styrofoam we got from Grandma's house and tack up all your artwork???? Can you imagine the power of seeing them all at once?