Love of the lost -- the power of art

Untitled (work in progress)

Acrylic, acrylic ink, imitation gold leaf, 

and real silver leaf on canvas

8 x 8 inches

Barbara Muir © 2019

Before you read this please know that I'm not sad.  I am lucky
to feel joyous in my life.  Still I can't talk about love -- my blog
topic for this whole month of love -- without touching on how
deep love is.

I don't know if there's a heaven.  No one really does.  And
I'm not religious, so that's hard.  But I certainly hope there
is a special wonderful place for the people in my life who are
gone, and who I miss so badly. In this month of love, this is an
important topic.  Clearly the most vital part of love is to be
loving to the people actually in your life who can receive your
affection, kindness, overwhelming attraction, care, joy, hilarity,
and time.

But the power of love extends beyond this world.  Because
we love the people we love so powerfully that they are with
us, in our metaphysical hearts even after they die.  They
stay with us.  They speak to us inside our heads.  My mother
still criticizes, and instructs me like she did when she
was living.  And she also says I'm doing a good job, and
calls me darling in a way that only she could, with so much
tenderness.

I'm thinking of this, because I wish my niece, the subject of
this painting, was in heaven, or some place wonderful.  That's
in part what this little portrait is about.  I loved that girl,
and wish her a happy time wherever the soul goes.  Like my
mother this sweet young woman is with me always. Painting
her portrait is making me see so much more about her.

Have a loving the living, and the people you've lost, day.