New Piece – Collaborative Painting with Lori Reddy

“Vibrations Arising” ( 12″ x 12″) – acrylics & oil markers on canvas – $447

Have you ever been in a situation that repeated itself, only to realize how much better you handled it the next time around?

This little jewel of a painting came out of just such an experience.

My friend and fellow artist Lori Reddy came over in late December for a couple of days of collaborative painting. We finished one and are still working on the second.

This is Vibrations Arising (12″ x 12″ – SOLD) 

We’d paint on one canvas for a while, then switch back and forth throughout the day.

Our two days were blissful, peaceful, creative, and fun.

Collaborative painting is a beautiful exercise in letting go, trust, embracing the mystery, surprise, cooperation, learning, and coming up with something completely different than one person could on their own.

But you have to approach it with the right attitude.

This isn’t the first time we collaborate.

Lori and I painted these two yoga studio murals together 3 years ago. That was a rewarding stretch of my comfort zones and such joy!

But the first time Lori suggested we collaborate on a couple of canvases in 2012, it wasn’t so easy or fun.

One painting went super well. I created the coloured background and handed it over. Lori took it home and used black to reveal the phoenix. It blew my mind and opened my heart to collaborative painting.

But the other one was a trial that kept going on and on, layer after layer, week after week.

I remember feeling protective of some of the layers I produced. I was scared she’d change something I liked. I had a hard time letting go of control.

I was also judgmental and self-critical. I was scared of failure. I didn’t think I was making things better and worried about wasting expensive supplies on a futile effort. I simply wasn’t at my best…

I chose fear. I got frustrated. I wanted to quit. I fought the current, which is exhausting. Then I beat myself up for not doing better. Sounds familiar?

I’m sure it wasn’t all negative, but that’s what I remember.

The results reflected my inner reality, which I’m sure affected Lori’s experience too.

It took months and several layers back and forth to salvage it.

At first, I saw it as a reminder of how I didn’t allow myself to play. I didn’t like it.

Now I see its invitation to grow. And grow I did. Yay!

I love our new piece! It’s a mirror of our inner reality that day. It shines of the high vibrations of love, play, bliss, and collaborative creativity.

My heart sings when I look at it. Does yours?