Bloom Where You're Planted

My last Hope Village composite-painting was finished this past Saturday, the day I picked up Sis at the airport for a nice, long visit.  I feel like I can breathe again; the pressure's off.  Mom used this "Bloom Where You're Planted" expression throughout our lives, i.e., make the best of your situation, and to me it sums up the 'mission' of the community.

This piece is primarily focused around the Garden, carefully tended by residents, some of whom are gardening for the first time.  They proudly show off their HUGE zucchini and abundance of strawberries to visitors.

Pastor Chad had originally asked me to somehow show the Before and After of the village but I couldn't figure out how to properly present that; so I painted the garden as if we 'ripped' off a bit of the top page to reveal the Before.  Not great, but let's give me an A for effort.

A tiny square in the center, Clean Sweep, represents the program in which residents volunteer to give back to the community by sweeping the sidewalks of Medford.  They perform an important P.R. role; letting the homeless know about services available, and the merchants in town appreciate their efforts.

I'd planned the graduate figure from the get-go, but as time went along I realized that not everyone would be completing their high school or college degrees; but we are ALL graduates of the School of Hard Knocks.

Then there's the dog park, can't forget that.  Resident's best friends are welcome in their tiny-homes, but there are times when their pet must be left alone.  Underneath I tried to pair two seemingly dissimilar personalities joined in friendship, which is the point.

So throughout this painting we have the growth of the garden and the cooking and consuming of their bounty; but my favorite snippet is what I call Mustard Mountain; you know the saying,

“For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ’Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Nothing.  So my mountain (far right) represents the top of Mt. McLoughlin, elevation 9600 feet; and the bottom portion is Table Rock, a local geolotical formation.

My imatination combined the two and the idea made me laugh, as I hope it will for the viewer.

And I never did post the largest painting:

This is what I kept trying to explain to the Steering Committee could be possible in Oregon - it only takes LAND.   So as I told Pastor Chad,

"This may not be Hope Village now...but it's what Hope Village can become!"

He was embarassed to be so prominantly featured on the mural and asked if I could turn him facing away, or sideways; because the idea of the Village ultimately came from (sic) 'Oh high," and he didn't feel he should be taking credit.

This was my first 'portrait' and it took me 4 or 5 frustrating variations until I finally got it right and I wasn't about to change it; how to say that nicely?

"No one thinks that (way) except you,"  and then I told him how much I'd struggled.  I would take photos after each day's work to examine and plan for the next day.  One version resembled The Scream by Edvard Munch.

My mentor, Miguel, figured the five murals would take me a week; I wish!  He must have been mad, but then he doesn't spend 2 weeks on a face.  Took me all summer.

This HAS to count if I ever meet St. Peter.