Paring things down

Don't ever be afraid of the awkwardness of working through challenging concepts in creative work. Worthwhile art is just plain hard to make, and that's a simple fact of life.  I'm not giving up on this painting, and I'm going to accept each mistake as a stepping stone to the next success. I've pared down everything I originally started with, and I am learning more as I go. In my art, I can only learn by getting my hands dirty, and just plunging in. Things rarely go according to plan.
First of all, I realize that typically, in the Bible, this story is famous for its message of faithfulness, the faithfulness of young Ruth towards her adrift and frail mother-in-law Naomi. But I think we are overlooking something. This is also a story of redemption and of never giving up, because something wonderful can always come along. I am realizing that instead of focusing on Ruth, which has been done for centuries, I am interested in Naomi. Naomi called herself 'Mara', which means bitter, because she had suffered so many losses, the death of nearly her entire family, the loss of her youth, the devastation of famine and disillusionment. And yet, by the end of the story, she is watching joyfully as her widowed daughter-in-law has found a new and nurturing love, and she lives to nurture grandchildren who are the ancestors of Jesus Christ. I am suddenly caught up in the idea of stones and gates as symbols of her internal desert....her nearly empty well as she doesn't feel she can go on any longer, and then the dazzling wonder as she realizes she is about to be replenished with living water. I believe that the motif of stones, wrought-iron, and possibly a bird or two are coming.