I was really angry when I painted this piece. But in a good way. Someone I care for very deeply was being unfairly treated at work and called me to tell me about it while I was working on this painting. Usually I can't multitask and talk on the phone while I paint - but for some reason I painted while listening. My defensiveness and love on behalf of this person swelled while listening to the unfair treatment they were experiencing, and I so deeply wanted to fight on their behalf - to set things right. As I painted, my loving anger went down on the canvas, and the painting was finished an hour later - my quickest piece to date. Maybe you can relate - those times when you want to fight for those you love.

The piece has another level of story behind it - not having to do loving anger. I painted the word "Useful" in thick paint under the canvas so that the word is still visible through the finished piece. I painted this word as a reminder to myself that not everything I do has to have a utilitarian purpose behind it. Not everything I do has to be in service of "success." It's okay to take the day off and rest, hike, play, take in beauty. To "waste time." Our culture tells us to work harder, work faster, be smarter, be more successful. I'm no stranger to hard work - but more often than not I benefit more from being told to relax. If that's you, too, then take this as a reminder to go easy on yourself and not always be counting the usefulness of your hours. You matter. Most the time, rest is the most "useful" thing we can do.

This painting was created on a 1.5" thick canvas with the painting continuing around the edges. It arrives unframed.