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The Harvest is Plenty, 36X48, oil on linen, 2014, by Carol L. Douglas
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Today I put the finishing touches on the above painting and
tipped it into its frame.
Jesus sent out disciples two by two, telling them, “The
harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore
pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” Those
of us who spend time in the agricultural world understand this metaphor: we sow
seeds, we tend plants, and when the harvest comes in, it’s a lot of work and
we’re generally short-handed.
But what if the order of things is interrupted? What if a
line squall off Lake Ontario flattens the entire field right before the combine
arrives?
When wheat ripens, it has heavy, nodding heads on delicate
stems. As summer deepens the wheat assumes a color that has no equal in the
artificial world—it has a shimmering beauty that’s impossible to capture in
paint or photographs—much, in fact, like human souls. Looking at the field from
the angle of the threatening storm, we should stand convicted of our need to get
busy.
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| Ack! I have to teach in this space on Saturday! |
Speaking of “tip,” my studio is quickly becoming one. I’m
generally pretty neat but framing and painting in the same space is difficult.
(I have a wood shop in our garage but it isn’t heated and it’s still painfully
cold outside.)
I’m running three fans in the hope that these paintings will
be dry enough to transport on Thursday, which is my promised delivery date.
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| Last painting, detail. I'll finish it tomorrow and tip it in its frame and then deliver on Thursday. Talk about cutting it fine. |
I’m finishing my last canvas—hardly where I expected to be
when I started this in November, before unexpected surgery and recovery trashed
my schedule. On the other hand, the one passage I’ve finished makes me pretty
darn happy.
Let me know if you’re interested in painting with me in Maine in 2014 or Rochester at any time. Click here for more information on my Maine workshops!
