I've been watching the NBA playoffs and seeing Lebron James in action on the court is a beautiful thing.  Not that there aren't many other basketball players that are equal or similar in talent and probably there are several who are even better.  It's just that his experience -- both on the court and in playoff games -- is clearly evident.  So is his deft handling of the ball.  It is actually beyond that and he truly is "one with the basketball".  I pray that some day I can be "one with my paints, paint brushes and linen".  I don't want to sound hokey here but I want the work to channel through me as often as possible when I step up to the easel instead of being a technical endeavor.

By the way, it turns out that the game in which he is playing tonight that prompted this blog is a game that his team lost.  It's so easy to say that he is highly skilled in his field and it's a team sport so obviously it's not his "fault" for being on the losing team this evening.  Since being an artist is a solitary profession, I can't say the same thing when paintings of mine fall short.  However it is still not a good idea to be hard on yourself in those cases.   Realize it's just one painting and you did enjoy some of it and learn from it and you do have another shot at it tomorrow!  What could be better?  Enjoy the journey, as they say.