11/02/2024
I feel so grateful for the way people have responded to paint nights. I’ve had amazing experiences running the business and teaching so many great people. With that said, almost all of my paintings this year have been paint night demonstrations. I haven’t often been able to paint for me. Although I have a thousand paintings (narrative, landscapes, wildlife, spiritual, etc.) inside me, waiting to be created, I’ve put those creative visions on hold while I have built the “Paint With Caleb” vision. That has been a great thing and Paint With Caleb will continue, but I am striving to, at least occasionally for now, paint some of these creative visions I talked about. It’s time for me to create pieces that will represent the feelings I have in my heart towards others. Creating this piece of beautiful farmland in Provo (near the airport) was transformational for me. I was in my dining room testing some new paints and suddenly I told myself, “I am going to create a painting JUST BECAUSE I WANT TO. And I’ll use my own reference photo that I took a few weeks ago.” What ensued was an impromptu painting session, including me awkwardly trying to prop up my canvas with paint tubs and avoid making a disaster of the dinner table. The conditions I put myself in were not ideal but it was the only way I would have actually done it and stopped delaying it. In the end, I was very pleased with the outcome.
My desire is to focus on the beauty in this world, to highlight the good and positive. My mission is to bring hope and healing, light and love, through my creations. I want to share my unique perspective of the world, of life, and the human experience. I hope this painting is something that can lift your spirit, as you enjoy a glimpse of this humble barn - a simple, down-to-earth, abode; a symbol of hard work, patience, sacrifice, independence, prosperity, and so much more. Another reason this work is special is because the sunlit Mt. Timpanogos stands firm in the background.
I have had a view of Mt. Timpanogos daily my entire life. It is a constant in my life that brings great solace. It seems to connect me with my past phases of life, childhood in South Jordan, the car accident, the loss of loved ones (including my mom and 7 siblings), life alone everyday learning to draw on my own, becoming a professional artist, life with a new mom and new siblings, my first marriage and divorce, fighting to see my son, learning and teaching painting, a new happy marriage, my sweet wife, precious children, and now a new home, constantly working and fighting for my family, to ensure their safety, health, sense of self, education, and overall well-being. Mt. Timpanogos has always been there in sight, through all of these experiences. To me it is a sacred symbol of how a higher power, who according to my personal belief system is my loving Heavenly Father, has constantly been there for me. He has not wandered, nor wavered, nor withheld His love and support. It’s only when I wander or leave the path leading to Him that I can no longer see Him. That wandering leads me to wonder, waver, doubt, and even fear. But as I come back to Him I feel confidence, I feel peace, I feel safe, I feel loved, I feel like I am home. Everything will eventually be ok. Everything will be made right in the end. Everything good I have lost will one day be restored to me. Life is good because God is good.
How does this painting speak to you? What does it bring to your heart/mind? Will you please share your thoughts? Whether it is something simple or profound, I’d love to know what you are feeling.
