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Many of you are probably
aware (or unaware) that I had basically ceased painting about two and a half years
ago, thus the lack of activity on my website. Creating had lost its joy. I had become
hypercritical of my work and dissected it to the point that I had become unable to
move forward on any of my projects. My attempts to make any progress on my many works
in progress were painfully depressing and empty. In layman's terms, I had lost my
mojo.
The above portrait is of one of my dearest friends. She is truly one of the most
amazing souls to ever be put on this planet and I was blessed to have her in my life
for the past 25 years. She was an author, gifted astrologist, a psychic medium, had
her own cable show and communicated with those who have moved on from this physical
plain to the afterlife. She wrote the Starscrolls from the 70's that you and I used
to buy at our local stores. I still remember buying those as a teenager and being
absolutely blown away at how applicable they were to my life. At the time, I had
no idea I would one day meet and become friends as well as a neighbor to this inspiring
and insightful woman who would become so important and influential in my life.
Joy has watched over my life for over two decades. When I was going through my darkest
years, she would call me up out of the blue and say, "I just did your chart.
Get your butt over here" and always at times when I was at my lowest. To this
day she continues to watch over me.
Joy passed on from this life and on to her next journey on April 6th of 2007. It
was of very short notice and she did so of her own choosing and as a direct result
of her elevated spirit. She had lost her eyesight three years prior to this which
only served to raise her consciousness to another level and she used this opportunity
to assist others in their life struggles. She called me about five weeks before her
passing and said we needed to talk. She was very concerned with me leaving my art.
As I said previously, I'd lost my mojo and had ceased painting. However, I knew I
had to put my gift to work for her Life Celebration, yet I only had one week to do
so. The first five days were horrible. The portrait was going nowhere. I awoke on
the fifth day to view my work and I was mortified. I called my buddy, Mark, and said
"I gotta get outta here. Let's meet up for happy hour. I need a break."
So we did. I was seriously fretting because there was no way I could present this
suprise portrait to her family for her Life Celebration. It was dreadful.
At one point in the
evening I excused myself to freshen my cocktail and went into the bar as we spend
our time on the patio...smoking is only allowed outside which SUCKS but I digress.
So I go inside and there is a Tina Turner song playing on the Internet jukebox. I
started to bee-bop to it while thinking this is a really good song. And then I heard
Joy.
"There ya go
Kevin. I want you dancing and singing and celebrating in front of the canvas. Get
rid of all of that maudlin crap you've been listening to and celebrate."
I almost dropped my
cocktail.
I went home, changed
all of the music on the cd carousel as well as my attitude and got busy painting.
I had two days. I'm still dumbfounded that I accomplished creating 90% of the painting
in such a short period of time. Joy had given me back my mojo.
Joy's life celebration was AMAZING. Arias, violins, acoustic guitar duets, Edith
Piaf renditions. All of the performers were incredible including her two children,
Elliott Anders on keyboards and her daughter Terri Nunn, lead singer of the hot 80's
band, Berlin. When Terri saw me arrive with the portrait, she took it in, rubbed
my shoulder and said, "You could really be somebody one day." LOL
As I picked up a program,
I was once again rocked. The photo Joy had chosen for the cover was the exact same
photo I had chosen to paint. Her husband, Jerry, who was unaware that I had done
the art work, was equally shocked when he learned that I had no idea that photo was
being used for the cover of the program. Then he smiled and said, "That's Joy."
Since Joy's passing on to her afterlife, she has visited me on four occasions. Jerry
called me recently to say he was ready to let the painting go for a spell. I hadn't
had time to sign or varnish the work prior to the celebration. He told me how it
brought her spirit to him. He spoke to the portrait and it greatly helped him through
his grieving process. I was honored.
Due to the time restraint,
there were two things I wasn't able to do to the portrait prior to the celebration.
Two days before I was to pick it up, Joy once again visited me in a dream during
the night. We sat on a bench and she told me I should not add anything to it. I explained
to her what changes I wanted to do. She lovingly rubbed my back and said, "Kevin,
it is what it is." Those are perhaps the simplest and most poignant words ever
spoken. I woke up and couldn't argue with her wisdom. So the portrait remains as
it is.
Joy gave me my mojo
back. I'm painting again. What she could not accomplish in her physical life, she
is making happen in her afterlife.
May you all be so
blessed to have someone so special in your life.
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