Carousel

Carousel, 11x14 Soft Pastel

The idea for this piece was sparked by Norah Jones' "Carnival Town":

"Carnival Town"

Round 'n round
Carousel
Has got you under it's spell
Moving so fast...but
Going nowhere

I feel like that so often...all worked up, so much to do, the days begin and end and start again so quickly. My children grow, the routine repeats day in, day out. I feel so busy, but feel like I'm not going anywhere. Its easy to get transfixed, frozen by the patterns of color, lights, and music of my life's carousel. I have to remind myself to not get caught up in the spinning; to remember that we are moving forward; to live each day with enjoyment and awareness, and not to get caught in the blur.

Several years ago, my husband and I were in Paris for two days. We tried to cram in as much as we could in our short time, visiting the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, drinking cafe la creme. During our last few hours, we rushed at top speed to Montmartre...we came, we saw, we bought a painting, we left. On our sprint to the airport, we whizzed past a beautiful carousel. The constant, measured turning was imprinted in my mind and came back to me as I listened to the song. We took no pictures, we did not pause; we were unable to take in the scene as we hurried by.

This painting expresses my need to constantly remind myself to enjoy life, to experience and see and taste and hear and feel life. With the demands of work, family, and the necessities, we can still enjoy the ride and go somewhere. We can notice the carousel, with its slow pace, the beauty and goodness of life, without being caught in the cycle of days that disappear into insignificance.