CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAY! You can win this painting (aka why I think we should show up and clap)

I was teaching a workshop this past weekend and was talking with my students about recurring themes and imagery.   Sometimes we are drawn to certain images, concepts or words, and they show up over and over again in our work.   Personally, I think it is important to allow them to continue to show up, rather than think (with our monkey mind) "Oh not another house - (or figure, or flower, or heart), - how cliche!   Why do I paint the same things over and over again?!!"

We do not need to consult Freud to understand why some imagery has personal significance for us, but knowing why our intuition or subconscious mind keeps bringing up certain concepts is not as important, to me, as being open to the idea that there is a reason why those concepts continue to do an encore performance, and just show up and clap enthusiastically when they do.

For me, houses show up over and over again in my work.   Honestly, I never begin a painting thinking "I'm going to scatter little houses along the bottom of this painting,"  - (I never begin a painting thinking anything but "Wheeee! A blank canvas, time to play!") - but there are those little houses, again, and again, and again.  I guess they will continue to show up until they don't anymore, and I am okay with that.

This 12 x 12 original acrylic on canvas painting entitled "Home is a Feeling" was a demo painting I did in one of my Personal Intentions workshops, and it can be yours (or someone you love's) - by participating in my contest.  You can either comment on my Lesley Fountain Studio facebook page (under the giveaway post) or email me at lesleyfountainstudio@gmail.com and tell me, in a brief paragraph or longer, what the word HOME means to you.   Contest ends November 30th. Please like and share, this contest is open to anyone anywhere!