I was busy, I was, and am, a mom. I felt like I hadn't painted in years. As a gift to myself for my 38th birthday I requested an 8-5pm day to paint alone. The rules, which I made up, were that I had one day to start and finish. It would be a work on wood panel in acrylic. I would not go back in to change the painting after the birthday had passed. I would not go into the painting again to tweak, add details, glaze color.... It had to be just one take. But I did an Instagram poll of five family photographs to see which one I should give my birthday of painting to. One of the photos of Matt dancing with the girls won the poll. I went with it, because I can hardly think of a more joyful scene. I like to imagine that something of Matisse's "The Dance" is present in this work. I like it unfinished. Children are unfinished.
Dancing at Levitt Pavillion on Ruby Hill. Denver, Colorado
The Dance, Henri Matisse, 1937