Reaching Toward Heaven, Take Two

By now, most of you probably know about my dream of last December, the one where my 1850's farmhouse in Austerlitz was modernized. The most amazing thing about the dream is what happened when I opened the back door.

The sand and the ocean were right there, even closer than the pond!

This was followed up by the appearance of a painting, the most beautiful (and celestial) painting I've ever seen. I knew it was a painting of heaven and I woke up dying to try to paint it myself.

The first version of the painting is called "Reaching Toward Heaven."

And today I think I've finished the larger version of the painting, the one I'm calling "Reaching Toward Heaven, Take Two."

The reason I say that I think the painting is finished is that when I stand in front of it (it's about 18 by 30 inches) I feel the same excitement I had when I woke up from my dream. It's a feeling in my torso and abdomen, one that is both tingling and expansive.

Oh, and another thing: the painting makes me want to smile.

Now I think it's time to do something new. I'm thinking of painting a large canvas a dark blue.

Stay tuned.