Seven Stages of Grief

Roseville Coffee Mug

5X7

This coffee mug is one of my favorite things.  I bought it at a garage sale and there is just something about it that makes me happy.  Even though I have gone to de-caf, I still use it every day.  It is thick and sturdy.

I want to thank Daniel Edmondson for giving me permission to use black.  Almost every artist I have learned from has warned against using black.  Daniel finally has released me from that and I think my paintings are improving with just a little black thrown in.

 Also I want to thank Stapleton Kearns for his tutorial on the color green.  Argh Green!!!  I have struggled mightily with that color.  But thanks to Stapes blog on it I am finally getting a handle on green.  Thank goodness!  The green for this painting was created using black (yes, my new friend black) and ochre.

I wanted to start a small series today on the Seven Stages of Grief.  These are the typical stages that everyone goes through at a time of loss.  No matter what the loss is, person, place or thing.  Please note that these stages usually progress in order but that is not always the case, and there is no time limit for how long each stage takes.

The first stage is denial and shock. Denial is usually the first reaction to a loss.  "He can't be dead, I just talked to him yesterday on the phone!"  Denial is a way for us to defend against something that is just too over-whelming to take in.  Denial is often accompanied by shock.  Shock is an emotional protection.  For a period of time our emotions just seem to be turned off.  This is how many people are able to get through the preparations for and the actual funeral.  Don't assume that someone was not loved because of the lack of emotion shown by their friends and family.  They are most likely in shock.  This stage is usually short lived.

Next post will be about Pain and Guilt.