Lately I’ve been identifying with the creativity in life and having a life to live. I’m seeing mine more and more as a patchwork of relationships, experiences and feelings. There have been wonderful moments and very painful ones too, many of which I did not plan. Embracing this as a part of my collective experience and finding the beauty in the entire picture is part of my purpose.

One of my saving graces growing up was my creativity. It was a space for me to go when I felt scared and needed comfort. There was power in finding a way to make something beautiful from my imagination that connected me with hope. I suspect part of my desire to be an artist from my earliest years is due to this search for hope, joy, and a general sense of being at “home” and safe.

In this still life I found an identification with the idea of a quilt as an image that reflects a life journey. The patches of shapes, objects and colorways that come together in random order, like pockets of experiences, memories and vignettes I carry with me. The quilt feels like a framework of space for this unfinished story that can embrace the unexpected as it unfolds into something larger.

Maybe you resonate with this idea of a quilt and the beauty of patchwork. About all I knew coming into painting this piece was that I would gather a random selection of things I had around and see what would happen.

If you have any questions on this painting, contact me at cmartzloffart@gmail.com. Thank you!

Categories: Abstract, Flowers, Nature, Original oil paintings, Still LifeTags: art, art for sale, art gallery, colorful paintings, contemporary art, contemporary women artists, expressive art, naive art, new art, oil paintings, paintings on canvas, patchwork, quilts, stained glass, still life paintings, women artists