Tiffany's Iris

Tiffany's Iris

Oil on canvas, 10x10

Commission

At a show at the end of the summer, my friend Tiffany asked me to paint an iris for her. She gave me the photo (which she uses as her on-line icon), forked over the money, and wished me luck.

In all truth, I was scared.

I know I can paint sunflowers - but beyond that, my flowers rarely cut it. Friends have suggested that I try roses, zinnias, pansies, mixed bouquets - and from time to time, I have. For the most part, those paintings haven't pleased me.

After putting off the iris painting for as long as I could, I finally just dug in. And I love the finished painting. Love it!

So here I am, face to face with fear of failure. And what are the consequences if I do fail? A wasted canvas, some wasted paint, the proof of a self-proclaimed prediction. Big deal.

For me, and I think probably for most of us, the real failure is in not trying, not taking the chance, not facing the fear. The real failure is in listening to that voice that says "I can't."