Day 67, 100 Happy Days: Community

"Enveloping" Oil on Canvas ©Tabetha Hastings

Tonight I wrote a few "thank you" messages to people who donated to the "Art Grab-Bag" Fundraiser that I'm doing to help my friend Colleen.

Once again I was blown away by the sense of community I felt. Most of the donors were my friends, students or fellow artists. Most of them don't know my friend Colleen. Some of them I've known for less than a year, and some I hardly know at all.

And today I was able to drop a check off to Colleen. How amazing is that?! She still has a ways to go - more bills to pay, and she needs to find a job. But the first milestone has been reached, and that, is amazing.

Thanks to my community for stepping up!!

"Red Rocks" (Detail) Oil on Canvas ©Tabetha Hastings

I don't like to blog without an image, so I tried to find a painting of mine that felt like community. I first thought of Red Rocks  because there is a crowd in that painting. Which really is more indicative of crowd-sourcing than of community. But, this fundraising method is crowd-sourcing, so there you have it. Plus, I like the way the crowd in the painting holds up on it's own, outside of the original painting.

Then I thought of Enveloping. Somehow this piece says community to me, even though it's a painting of trees. The forest that inspired the painting, in fact, reminded me of people. Elders, perhaps. Joining together, watching over, protecting.

Community.