"Blind Hope" October 25,2008

Blind Hope

by

Cathy Hegman

72 x 48

acrylic on canvas

The painting above is entitled "Blind Hope". I painted this a couple of weeks ago and it is a very accurate depiction of where my life is right now. It is probably the largest painting I have ever painted. The canvas came to me when one of my best friends,Tina Bradford, passed away earlier this year. I was blessed to have been given all of her art supplies, and this huge canvas was in the mix. I might add that the size of a painting can really enhance the impact. The life sized figure commands your attention, this is something to think about when you are deciding on the size of your paintings. Large paintings give a feeling of importance just with their size, and in exhibitions they will gather the most attention. A small painting can be more intimate but a large one will get the attention first .

We all face tough emotional times and I have had some really troubled times lately and it has manifested in my art, as an emotionally charged painting. I have heard the expression,"just give it over the Lord" so many times and as of late I have dealt with some problems in which I have had to do just that. There are times and problems that we are simply not equipped to deal with on our own and we must have a higher power to turn to for help. This is where the title emanated, Blind Hope, as I have a deep hope that the Lord will work my problems out in a way that will glorify Him and make life feel in sync for again for me. The figure shape in the painting is Hope she is blindfolded with what appears as a bandage to express that she is wounded and blind and not simply born blind, life has done this to her. The egg is in her right hand balancing on an open palm, showing the balance that we seek in life that makes us feel in sync with our world. The egg is symbolic of the hope for an answer to be born to lift the problem. The other hand is in a postion to grasp or hold the egg but the hand is empty, showing that we cannot control some aspects of our lives, that only the Lord and our hope in Him can resolve the problems for us. The figure stands alone as all of problems are ours alone and we are responsible for how we handle them and how we allow them to affect us.

I used the light areas behind the figure to signify that there is light around us even if we cannot see it with our eyes. The light is in an circular shape that connects to the figure and completes behind the background unseen by the viewer. (One of my children saw it as an angel's wing). I chose to paint the figure in a gesture of submission instead of standing tall and strong, as that is how we appear when we are emotionally wrought with problems, and we are submitting and praying to God. The abstract background is used as a metaphor for life and the many things that go on in our daily lives that surround, touch, and support us both clear and unclear in appearance. The background is painted with warm hues of red and gold with blue used as a contrasting hue. The contrast of the colors keeps the background interesting and somewhat electrically charged. I often email my paintings to my family and friends and get their feedback before I send them out into the world. This painting was one that garnered alot of comments from my family and that is why I chose to blog about it. I hope you will comment on it and give me your thoughts on the painting too.

Cathy Hegman

Thank you for reading and have a wonderful week!

All artwork and text posted on this blog are solely owned and copyrighted by Cathy Hegman and should not be reproduced or copied in any form or fashion without the expressed written permission of Cathy Hegman. Anything included in this blog is solely the personal experience and thoughts of the artist and not meant to be anything more than helpful guidelines for others to read.