Enchanted Forest in PA

"Enchanted forest in PA" by Hilary J. England
oil on canvas, 12" x 16"

It has been difficult for me to get out regularly this year and paint, and that hurts me deeply.  February was an incredibly difficult month, with several very bad, seemingly back-to-back events that happened to people I love, and I was literally rolled as if by a tsunami.  I am glad February is gone.

But, on the last day of February, I was able to put the evil month behind me with a soothing painting of the local forest.  Sitting in the gentle quiet of the woods, on a soft, rotting stump, watching the light filter through the trees.  It healed my soul and made me able to put my armor back on and get back into the swing of things!

So, I think that is what much of art is: a way to voice the voiceless feelings in our soul.  The things that wound, and the things that heal.  To mourn, and to be grateful.  To rage at our powerlessness, but to regain and reclaim a little bit of our control and translate it into something beautiful and comforting.

I look forward to a good year from this point forward :-)

~Enjoy <3