Painting And Grief. The Comforting Benefits Of Combining Both.

When you’re trying recover from the trauma that grief and loss can create, an avenue of healing that is probably not the first to come to mind is painting and grief. Instead, you might be thinking, ‘What does art have anything to do with the heart-wrenching process of grief?’ Depending on your own individual emotional process, it may wind up comforting you a lot. But you also may not connect with it at all, which is perfectly okay.

The problem with grief is that it has a way of freezing or choking us up. Often, its presence leaves us struggling to find the right words. How can we explain to the people in our life what this pain is doing to us internally and even physically? Sometimes, it’s easy to explain, particularly when you discuss physical aspects. You can say things like, your sleep has been affected or you are experiencing headaches. People can relate to these things because everyone has usually had a moment where they slept badly or had a headache. But explaining raw emotions can be harder. Well, here is where painting offers an escape, a safe space where the unsayable can be translated into strokes and shades. It’s not just an endeavor for professional artists; it’s for anyone who has experienced loss and is seeking a form of solace.

I am hoping that if you are here, you’re intrigued about how this helps. And I hope that I can provide you with some explanations and insights. From understanding how painting engages us to learning about its impact on the emotional healing process, I hope that I can make sense on of how this creative practice can be a powerful companion during tough times.

And guess what? Recognizing the legitimacy of creative expression as a form of self-care shapes a new sense of understanding and coping with grief. It’s also about reinforcing the idea that you don’t have to ‘get over’ grief—you learn to live with it as a part of your emotional landscape, sometimes in the form of a beautiful canvas.

That’s the groundwork for appreciating the profound impact that art can have on a person going through the journey of grief. I am always speaking from my own personal experiences from heavily using art as sort of a friend to help manage grief. By sharing, I hope to connect with people out there who feel this, too.

Masterpieces of Mourning: Famous Grief Paintings in History

Art has always been a reflection of the human experience, particularly in processing the universal emotion of grief. I mean, look at our history in terms of painting and how heavily that medium was used to reflect what was living at that moment in time. Besides interpreting human life itself, we can trace back to some of the most poignant artworks that were born from the depths of despair and have touched countless hearts in their expression of loss. We can take a quick journey through history and look at some famous paintings that have captured the essence of sorrow and loss.

Sorrowing Old Man (At Eternity’s Gate) by Vincent Van Gogh (1890)

Even if you are not an artist, you are most likely familiar with Vincent Van Gogh, particularly his painting, Starry Night. You may also be aware that Van Gogh often suffered from mental illness and led a life of emotional turmoil. In this painting, Van Gogh depicts a war veteran in the midst of deep grief and loneliness.

Inconsolable Grief by Ivan Kramskoy (1884)

This painting depicts a traditional and realistic appearance of how grief is typically seen and shown in culture. We have a woman dressed completely in black who holds a handerchief to her teary face. She stands next to a collection of flowers and wreaths, gifts usually supplied for those who have experienced significant loss. Her gaze looks almost directly at us, though not quite, in order to further annunciate her pain, which is accurately captured in her eyes. Despite the fact that this was painted well over a hundred years ago, it is an image that most of us experiencing signifant grief can still fully relate to.

Death in the Sickroom by Edvard Munch (1895)

This painting is done by an artist who most people know as the one who created The Scream. The personal history of Edvard Munch is one that is filled with despair, illness, bereavement and grief and many of his paintings depict that. This painting showcases the grief and anguish that he and his family went through due to tuberculosis, particularly that of his sister, who is sitting in the chair closest to us, succumbing to the disease. The figure in the left rear, leaning with one hand on the wall, is thought to be the artist, Munch, himself. Here is a moment in which you can feel the isolation and despair of grief and at the same time, a trauma bond that occurs within the family. Sometimes, we are united within our grief.

There are many other artworks where the story behind the paint is as memorable as the image itself. For example, Frida Kahlo translated her physical and emotional pain into vibrant canvases, painting her way through sorrow. Kahlo battled with frail health all of her life and suffered the loss of a child. Her paintings tend to be extremely graphic in their portrayal of the grief and the pain that she endured during her lifetime. Another example would be Pablo Picasso’s ‘Guernica’, which visually narrates the horrors of war, creating an atmosphere of mourning and loss that speaks volumes.

These masterpieces, and many like them, permit us a glimpse into the artists’ inner worlds during their times of grieving. They invite the public into a shared space of mourning, fostering empathy and understanding.

The impact of these grief paintings extends beyond their historical moment. They continue to stir emotions and provoke thought among viewers today, demonstrating the power of painting to transcend time and language, delivering messages of loss and consolation that are both intimate and universal.

How Painting Facilitates Emotional Expression

So far, I hope that I’m helping you see how painting can create a sanctuary for those wrestling with grief. It’s not just a canvas that artists paint on; it’s the canvas of the soul that gets adorned with every brushstroke.

If you’ve ever felt at a loss for words, clutching for the right phrase to describe a whirlwind of emotions, you’d know the strain it brings. Now imagine bypassing words altogether, letting colors and shapes articulate the inexpressible – that’s the beauty of painting. Grabbing a brush or even just smearing the paint with your fingers like we used to do when we were younger, can lead to a significant dip in stress hormones. This isn’t just about distraction; it’s can also be about transformation.

Feelings like sorrow and yearning can be tough to vocalize. Yet, in the hues of a sunset or the depths of a stormy sky painted on canvas, words become irrelevant. Here’s where the magic happens: sorrow can transform into a striking blue, missing someone shapes into an abstract curve, and hope might just be that bright splash of yellow.

The interplay of color and light can also be very important when using painting to express grief and loss. These elements hold the power to affect mood deeply, and when people harness them through painting, they’re setting the stage for profound emotional shifts. For example, you may think of reds when you think of anger. You may think of ghostly whites and grays when you think of fear or loneliness. Deep black or purple shadows, the lack of light, may signify despair.

There are so many different ways you can start harnessing the therapeutic benefits of painting for yourself. Whether you’re drawn to the textured swirls of oil paint or the carefree joy of finger painting, there’s a whole spectrum waiting for you to explore.

Embracing Painting as a Form of Creative Self-Care

Think of painting as a flexible friend, one that adapts to your needs and moods. Whether you’re smearing vibrant hues across a canvas with your fingers or delicately applying layers of oil paint, the act itself is personally tailored self-care.

Remember not to worry that there is a ‘right’ way to start; your artistic journey is unique to you. Choose something that resonates with you. Here’s some possible ideas that might help you decide what medium you might like to try:

• Watercolors – spontaneity, quick to dry, create a soft, childlike feel, can blend in surprising pattern.
• Acrylics – super quick to dry, tons of rich colors from the brightest yellows to the blackest shadows.
• Oils – very slow to dry, allows you be super slow in the process because you’re not trying to outrun the paint, easy to blend.
• Gouache – acts like watercolor but is opaque rather than transparent.

Your choice of mediums, just like your grief, is deeply personal. There are oil paints that lend a classic touch, acrylics that dry quickly for those bursts of emotion, or watercolors that blend and bleed in ways that might mirror your own healing process.

In terms of surfaces, you have an array of choices. Canvases might provide a sturdy backdrop for your emotions, while paper offers a delicate surface that responds immediately to your touch. Typically you see oils and acrylics on canvases but others, such as watercolor and gouache are often on watercolor or mixed media paper. Even unconventional surfaces—like wood or fabric—can become outlets for expression, giving you the opportunity to experiment and find solace.

Lastly, don’t feel confined to the realism that our eyes typically perceive. Grief can be abstract, and so can your painting. Shapes, colors, and textures can all convey what words sometimes cannot. As you blend, brush, and build your artwork, you’re also constructing a pathway to a more hopeful place. Remember, your first attempt doesn’t need to be your last. Adjust your approach as you grow and heal, and let your art evolve with you.

For me, the journey through grief is sometimes slightly less daunting for me when armed with a brush and a spectrum of paints. I really hope that you find solace and strength in the healing power of art, and that painting becomes a therapeutic companion in your time of need. And always remember, in the world of painting, or art in general, as a form of self-care, there are no mistakes— hopefully just strokes of comfort and understanding. Also, like Bob Ross says about painting: there are no mistakes, just happy accidents.

Take care!

Sources cited:

At Eternity’s Gate, 1890 by Vincent Van Gogh. https://www.vincentvangogh.org/at-eternitys-gate.jsp.

Death in the sickroom, 1895 by Edvard Munch. https://www.edvardmunch.org/death-in-the-sickroom.jsp.