On the Wings of Hope

I’m excited to share a new painting today! If you’ve been reading my blog, you know that lately, apart from art journaling, I‘ve been feeling a little stuck. I have plenty of unfinished projects lying around at the moment (paintings, sculptures, new classes…) but I’m determined to bring them to completion one after the next, and it feels so good to have finished this big one!

Wings of Hope Mixed Media Painting by Laly Mille

I very much believe that every painting has a soul, and a personality. So I always try to pay attention to where it wants to take me, what it wants to become, what it has to say, what guidance it is offering. Very early in the process, a few weeks ago, this one told me it wanted to be called “Wings of Hope”.

And indeed, in these disturbing times when fear seems to be lurking in every possible dark corner of the mind, painting this delicate little beauty has felt so uplifting and comforting. Every translucent layer of light, jewel colors and pretty little scrap of paper has felt so therapeutic.

Copying and painting the wings from a vintage illustration felt meditative and soothing, especially in the quiet atmosphere of morning homework with the kids (and a purring cat on my lap). Curiously, my favorite butterflies are usually not the most colorful, but the simple, light, “butter-colored” ones (like the one in the art journal page I shared recently). Those wings feel simple and fragile, but at the same time powerful enough to rise high towards the hopes and dreams of better days.

So today, my hope is that sharing this painting will lift your spirits too. There is so much joy, hope and strength to be found in art, and in art-making. Finishing this painting has given me renewed confidence in my ability to complete my other projects too. “Stuckness” is only ever temporary, just like the lockdown most of us are experiencing right now. And if the current situation does make you feel stuck, in life and/or in your creative projects, then I strongly encourage you review the things you’ve put on hold that are begging for your attention, and commit to tackling just one of them. It doesn’t have to be something big (my next goal is to declutter my night-stand…) but it feels incredibly uplifting and empowering. And these feelings will ripple out in the rest of your life in the best of ways!

Here is the painting from start to finish:

I would love to find out about the the projects that you are working on at the moment, and the things that bring you hope, so please leave a comment for me below this post!

And if, like me, you feel that art-making would be good for your soul, especially with the support of a loving online community (no social distancing needed!) then I hope you will join me in the studio! I have plenty of free art resources for you HERE and HERE as well as a whole selection of online classes HERE, including The Artist & the Journal at 30% off (a huge favorite among my students at the moment!)

I deeply believe that art and creativity are magical and so powerful to change the way we see the world. As an artist and a teacher, this is the gift I have to share. Thank you for joining me here and letting me share it with you!