My sisters and I loved to play in the tree groves and outbuildings on our farm when we were kids. We played house and dress-up; we created one-act plays and musicals; we planned our futures. Our lives took many twists and turns since those childhood days, but there's still something magical about spending time thinking about the journey ahead.
As I was creating "The Road Less Traveled," it took some twists and turns as well. At first I was planning to paint my memory of our childhood tree grove retreat with the gentle rolling prairies and perhaps an old barn in the background. But as it took shape, the painting became more the story of my life. It became an uphill climb along a winding path with each flowering bush and twisted tree along tne way representing a major life event: falling in love, children, education, career choices, moves, happiness, heartaches - each helping to shape the person I am today.
"The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost iinspired my painting, especially the last two lines, "I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." It shows the winding path of life, "knowing how way leads on to way," as Frost says, we make choices that impact the next step on the journey. There is a woman on the path, pausing as she looks ahead, seeming to contemplate how far she has come, and how far she has yet to go. The piece was created with palette knife, shaping layer upon layer until I was satisfied with the texture and the depth. My goal was to have people feel like they could walk into the painting. Comments from viewers include "Magical!", "Breathtaking," "It talks to me," The texture and color contrast are stunning!" "It looks like a storybook cover."
If you are interested in "The Road Less Traveled," please contact me at linda@lindadonlinfineart.com. Prints and other products are available on this website. If you know someone who would also enjoy this blog post, please feel free to forward it to them.
I am having a sale in July on commissions for the upcoming year. Contact me today!
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