New Paintings, New Venues - Dublin Hosts A Graceful Death

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A Graceful Death Goes To Dublin

At the end of October, I am taking the paintings to be exhibited at a Private Venue in Dublin.  This exhibition is not open to the general public, and will available as an Invite Only showing.  This is the first time I have exhibited this way, and it is a very good way of asking those who would be interested in the exhibition on a number of fronts.  There will be those who have a professional interest in the subject of End of Life and Bereavement and Palliative Care, there will be members of the medical profession, there will be those representing Religion and others who may be interested in the paintings as works of art.  The organisers of this Private View will also ask friends and family, as this subject is a huge part of every person's life.

I am very happy about this Dublin Adventure.  It will make me aware of a new audience.  I wonder how it will go, and what the Irish and I will make of each other.  I don't know how Irish people view death and dying, I have never asked them.  Maybe they are open to the subject and talk about it more, maybe they are able to cope with it through religion.  Maybe they aren't.  I am intrigued, and realise I will only meet a microscopically small selection of the population, so I won't have all the answers at the end of this showing of A Graceful Death.  I won't ever have all the answers to anything, though.  Much though I would like them.

Here, then, is a new and not yet finished painting for the exhibition.

It shows me sitting as a Survivor.  It shows me as someone who has come through the darkest of times into a happier phase of my life.  Here, I am Transcendent.  Losing Steve has not disappeared, I am not as if it didn't happen, but I am living a life Beyond.  The yellow around me is about sheer life, love, hope, light.  It is Newness, Joy, Heat.  I sit without smiling, I am calm and I am without any props, and I don't need to have any expression, I just Am.  And I Am Better.  Steve lives with me alongside my life as it is now, and my life has moved on to include happiness, peace, laughter and love.  I am a Survivor.  

The painting is not yet finished.  I want to add the chair I am sitting on, and some other little details like my earrings, and touching up my hair a bit.  And the hands need some work and my ring needs to be added.  But I love love love this yellow colour.  It is absolutely the Right Thing to me today.

More on the Private Dublin showing of A Graceful Death as it unfolds.  It will be showing from Thursday 21 October to Monday 25 October.