The ancient truth that widsom—and fine art—can arise from
suffering manifests anew in Claudine Bing’s powerful Painting Out of Sorrow.
In 1992, Bing’s mother died; soon after, so did two other family members. The bold,
affecting paintings in this book, as well as the simple, eloquent words, serve as a moving
testatment to Bing’s grief. But as time passes for Bing, the colors in her
work—at first primarily dark shades, including indigos and blacks—give way to
lighter, brighter tones, as a sense of renewal comes and she realizes, “Now, all my
days you, as a multicolored bird spirit, will fly through my life again.” A splendid
gift for those going through the grief process, this moving book by the chair of the Art
Education Department at the Massachusetts College of Art will also appeal to anyone who
wishes to share one peron’s hard-won, beautifully expresed understanding.
