you can see all of my paintings at www.DominiqueHurley.com
Studio Sneak Peek: Love, Beauty, Mystery
My newest work in progress started with a gasp as I was watching the movie “Perfect Sense”, one of the offerings on Waking Up to the Movies (see previous post). I don’t know if I need to credit the director, David Mackenzie, or the cinematographer Giles Nuttgens, but when this shot came up, I paused the movie, apologized to my housemate, grabbed my iPhone, and took a picture. All week I had been contemplating how best to represent the faces of a couple inside a circle. This was it! Isn’t that just the perfect shot?!
I worked on the drawing and stencil in my room while the repairs were being finished in my studio (new water pipes, ceiling, fresh paint). I knew I wanted the forms to be raised, like in a cameo, so I needed to cut the stencil in something thick. Unfortunately, the only large sheet of foam that I could get at Michaels was black (comes in a roll), which made tracing a bit tricky, but I managed with white transfer paper (which didn’t work very well on foam) and then a white paint marker. After that, I used an X-acto knife to cut it.
Originally, I had sized the design for a 24″ x 48″ canvas, but when I got down to the studio, a 30″ x 40″ canvas called to me. I listened. I invited my Guides and Angels to join me in the co-creative process, smudged myself, the canvas and the studio with sacred palo santo smoke, added some blessed water from the Chalice Well in Glastonbury to my spray bottle, created my intentions, and chose my initial colours.
Apart from the central motif, I had nothing planned for this painting. I approached it similarly to how I describe the process in my Guide to Intuitive Painting.
This time I started with puddles of water and Golden High Flow acrylic colours. I just wanted to play. Layers and layers of play as I massaged and moved colour and loving energy onto the canvas.
I know I “waste” a lot of very expensive paint the way I do things, but letting go of all that is definitely part of the creative process.
Once that was dry (which took so long, even with the hairdryer), I added layers and layers and hours and hours of mark-making. This is a truly meditative practice that brings such a state of inner peace. It’s all about being right here, right now. No planning, no knowing where it’s all going – I rarely do. Intuitive painting is all about loving the mystery.
Once that was dry, I added a very watery glaze of gold over the whole painting to unify it. Adding water to fluid gold paint by Golden Artist Colors Inc. releases the tiny mica particles that float, disperse and puddle. It’s magical to watch. Mica is a group of multi-layered transparent minerals that symbolically and energetically infuse the the painting and those in its proximity with awareness, love and compassion. Appropriate, don’t you think?
Last night, once the glaze was dry, I used a spatula knife to fill the stencil with 2 kinds of acrylic mediums. I used Light Molding Paste for her face and his hair and used Clear Granular Gel for his face and her hair. I then peeled it back to realize that leaving the mouth and space behind him empty weren’t a good idea. No worries, by this morning, the mediums were dry enough to put the stencil back on, and I filled those spaces with Glass Bead Gel.
I still have no idea where this is going, but that’s perfectly fine – it’s actually more fun that way. I’ve already had all sorts of ideas while rebounding on my mini-trampoline and looking at it. But I’ll wait until the mediums are dry before making any decisions. Although the molding paste will dry white, the granular gel and glass beads will be clearer (although I’ve never used them this thick before – we’ll see!). I ‘m having visions of pearl, gold, and dark blue, but I’m not committing to that yet.
Well, now is the time for patience. I need to let that dry for the day, so it’s back to the books in preparation for B-School.
Are you loving the mystery?
CLICK HERE FOR PART 2
New Painting: “The Holy Instant”
Introducing: “The Holy Instant”, 15″ x 30″, acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas (no framing required) – SOLD
I keep thinking every next post will be a short one, but there’s a whole story behind this painting – one that started way before I painted it and continually evolved during the process. I’m sure it won’t end there either.
Fortunately and unfortunately, I got so much into the painting process that I forgot to photograph many of the steps along the way. In the end, however, this painting has between 12-20 visible layers and countless invisible layers that I have yet to discover.
The Photo That Started It All:
I was at my housemate’s son’s girlfriend’s apartment for dinner one night. Actually, she was renting it from one of her friends who happened to own two of my paintings – cool, eh? It was a lovely evening – the company, the food, the atmosphere, the music. I’m not sure how the technology worked, but I think the music was connected to the large flat screen TV on the wall that had a rotating wildlife photography slideshow on it. I recognized a few as famous shots.
A male red bird of paradise performing the practice of plumage display at a tree-top lek, where the males gather. The two central tail feathers, which are black and ribbonlike, have a plastic feel. Credit: Tim Laman
There was this one photo, however, that literally took my breath away. I had a difficult time being present with my hosts every time this image appeared on screen. It was as if it was sending vibrations of pure love through every cell of my being, elevating my spirit beyond the here and now to a space of timelessness. Try navigating that while trying to hold dinner conversation… I finally went up to the TV and waited for it to reappear again so I could take a picture of it to take home with me. I knew I wanted to paint it. I seem to have 3 themes going in the studio: spirit trees, messenger birds, and stylized humans having spiritual experiences.
It was only after I had finished the painting and put Google magic to work (using the words “red, yellow, bird, long tail feathers”) that I found out that this was a red bird of paradise photographed by Tim Laman in the rain forest of Papua New Guinea as part of a National Geographic project. What would we do without Google!
Personal Symbolism:
As I was painting it, it dawned on me why the image may have had such a powerful effect on me. I kept feeling the presence of the Holy Spirit and figured out that something about this bird reminded me of the many images of a radiating dove with its wings spread open that I had often seen in school or at church as a child – the image that often represents the Holy Spirit.
Before I had figured that out, however, I also felt a Christ-energy coming from it. Although the head was down, it awoke in me the image of Jesus on the cross with his arms spread open. That wasn’t quite it though. As I was connecting to the energy, it occurred to me that it was more from the story after that story (not of the crucifixion or even the ascension), but when he came back down again. There was this whole Heaven to Earth movement going on, a download of Divine Energy that I could not begin to describe (although I have done my best to do so…).
This is the kind of space I was painting in this past couple of weeks, layer after layer. The fact that the main tail feathers ended up more like a pear-shaped mermaid’s tail is somewhat of an accident. I guess I subconsciously wanted or needed to put a bit of myself in there – the pear-shaped part, not the mermaid. That brought the union of Heaven and Earth even deeper into the creative process. Then to frame all that with the two long ribbon-like feathers that were almost heart shaped was perfect – especially since I finished it on Valentine’s Day.
Cultural Symbolism:
Of course the name of the bird was perfect for what I’d been experiencing – bird of paradise. I was not surprised, yet totally thrilled to find out that it has had similar symbolism attached to it for two thousand years. My Google research revealed that it was rumoured to have come from the Heavenly realms, from paradise, and symbolized the miracle of life on Earth. The bird of paradise brought with it closeness to God or even favor from God. And as I found on on many tattoo websites,
Because the bird is usually depicted in flight, those persons wearing a Bird of Paradise tattoo may be announcing to the world that their psychic kinship is with beings who prefer to ‘rise above it all.
It also has a deep spiritual significance for all peoples of Papua New Guinea, who use their feathers and dance their dances to get back the part of themselves that living takes away – a flying spirit.
The Name: “The Holy Instant”
The first name that came to me for this painting was “Holy Spirit”, but I changed my mind as I was listening to my friend read from her study group’s notes on A Course In Miracles (a unique, universal, self-study spiritual thought system that teaches that the way to Love and Inner Peace is through Forgiveness). You may know about the Course in Miracles through the work of Gabrielle Bernstein and Marianne Williamson (who will be in Ottawa on April 30, in Montreal on May 1 and here in St. John’s on May 4th – see details here). As my friend read about the holy instant, I recognized that expansive feeling inside me when I first saw the photo.
“The holy instant is a miniature of Heaven, sent you FROM heaven. … in the absence of thinking, in the absence of reasserting the magnificent frame around the limited tiny miserable experience of life that you’re having, instead of that, you simply say, “Father, Holy Spirit, what is the truth here? What is God’s truth here?”… Without that huge frame and all the meanings that you have all agreed to, there’s nothing to stand in the way of the direct experience . . . the simple direct experience of the divinity of everything and provide yourself the avenue for Awakening….The holy instant is a miniature of eternity. It is a picture of timelessness, set in a frame of time. . . . so the whole of Heaven lies in this instant, borrowed from eternity, and set in time for you.” ~ Paul Tuttle channeling Raj (another name for Jesus), June 18 2011
Doesn’t that sound like what I was trying to describe? I wouldn’t describe my life as a “limited tiny miserable experience”, but in comparison to living in the holy instant, I get what he’s saying. My friend was reminded of that passage as I talked about the ornate frame of tangle patterns that I had painted outside of the quiet radiant space in which the bird of paradise existed. I’m not sure if you can see it, but it all just fits and so this became “The Holy Instant”.
The Making Of:
As I mentioned, I worked on this over the span of a couple of weeks and layer upon layer. I don’t have many photos of the creative process, but have included what I have.
And here are a bunch of detail shots from the finished painting.
The cool thing, as always when I use Golden’s interference paints, is that in certain lights and from certain angles, you cannot see the radiant iridescent blue glaze on the left side of the canvas and violet on the right. The painting transforms as you move. It’s truly magical. That’s why a photo of many of my paintings cannot yet replicate the experience of being with an original. Still, I tried to capture it here for you. These are not before and after shots, but photographs taken at slightly different angles.
“The Holy Instant” – SOLD
15″ x 30″
Acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas
(no framing required)
Go to my shop to see all available paintings & reproductions.
What do you think?
Or, more importantly,
how do you feel as you look at it?
Feel free to comment below.
New Painting, New Teacher
Introducing: “Flight of Fancy (2)” – 12″ x 16″ – acrylic on canvas
What a process! The last couple of days were as much about the spiritual process as they were about the painting process.
I’m very grateful to this painting for all it had to teach me during this period during which I’m refining my business plans and vision. I’m also grateful that my first painting in this series, “My Prayer For You“, was created with such ease and grace because that gave me the strength and confidence to experience what I did through this one.
It all started with the intention to create a few small pieces for an out-of-town gallery that will carry my work this summer. The owner had mentioned that the pieces that do well are those geared towards their extensive tourist market looking for Newfoundland memorabilia. Painting towards market demands certainly isn’t my usual approach, but I was open to exploring it as earning a sustainable income from my art is very much on my mind these days.
I started with watery layers of colour sprinkled with sea salt (appropriate for life here on this island in the Atlantic ocean). The salt can create beautiful effects – like on “Mirage” (on left), the gallery owner’s favourite piece in my collection.
But that didn’t work. It created a mess. That’s not usually an issue because I usually build up layers, but because of all the caked-up salt, I put the whole thing under the tap and scrubbed the canvas clean before the paint dried.
That was my first sign that I should let go of others’ expectations (and some of my own too – such pressure!).
So I started again – letting the first watery layers work their magic and dry.
I love the mystery and co-creative energy in this technique. While contemplating the results, I saw all sorts of creatures come to life, including 2 birds and a dolphin.
I then used zinc white (transparent) to outline those figures and look for more, like fish, whale tales, and birds. This is something I still find challenging, although it’s the basic technique I learned in Vienna. Oh well. It didn’t matter – I was starting to let go of what I wanted it to be to explore what it could be. That’s when I decided to cover all the transparent white with opaque white designs. I then glazed over those and went back in with teal and crimson accents.
By the end of that first day, however, I was at a loss again. I felt discouraged. In my prayers that night, I gave it up to Spirit and asked what else that painting might have to teach me. Total surrender.
I woke up 8 hours later with a message coming in loud and clear: “Cover everything but your 3 main characters in white dots”. I was open to a meditative exercise and so gladly delved into dot-making. By the end, I felt totally relaxed. The dolphin looked truncated though, and so I covered it too.
The more I let go, the more Spirit guided me.
The minute I put it on the wall to photograph that step in the process, the minute I got the next instruction. One step at a time, when ready. All I had to do was trust.
Gold dots in the secondary features. Red and black dots to add swirls. Paint around those with black and teal to add contrast. Go in with your 3-D paint to add even more layers and swirls. Add the final jewels in ruby crystal gel.
This painting had very little to do with the final result. It’s not about judging whether it’s good or bad or appropriate for a gallery geared towards tourists. This painting is all about being in the moment, listening to guidance, trusting, and loving what is.
It’s about allowing and accepting.
Once again, I’m so grateful to be reminded that my studio is my sanctuary – the place where I create for myself first and foremost. If that in turn serves someone else, wonderful! How that fits into a business model, I’m not quite sure yet. Having said that, this was such a useful spiritual and business exercise as I continue to ponder some of the questions I was asked during my first consultation at the Newfoundland and Labrador Organization of Women Entrepreneur (NLOWE).
I’m not putting limits on what and who I create for, of course. But sometimes, it’s necessary to let all that go for the lessons to be learned within the creative process itself. Art is very much a part of my spiritual practice – it’s my teacher, my mirror.
I chose the name because of the birds and the fact that it’s highly decorated (on a literal level), but also because of the meaning of this idiom: “a soaring mental journey above or beyond the normal everyday world”. That pretty well describes my experience.
“Flight of Fancy (2)” – 12″ x 16″ – acrylic on canvas – SOLD
Go to my shop to see all available paintings & reproductions.
New Painting: “My Prayer For You”
Introducing “My Prayer For You” – 9″ x 12″, acrylics on gallery-wrapped stretched canvas – SOLD
Go to my shop to see all available paintings & reproductions.
I started with layers of dark blue and purple washes before taking my homemade snowflake stencils out again – those I created for “Divine Union“.
I had been looking forward to playing with those some more.
This time, I used iridescent paints to create the designs in the four corners, in different colours, overlapping each other. I then spent hours decorating these with dots before adding the fifth stencil on top in blue.
I then got on my rebounder to dance a few songs while contemplating it, asking how it wanted to evolve. That’s when I saw in my mind’s eye the little angel that my housemate Orinda has on the kitchen table. The day before, she had put it on the Canadian Tire flyer to point out the table on sale for me. So I went to get her (the angel, not Orinda) and kept sketching until I had stylized her in my fashion. From there, I traced her onto the canvas, painted her, and decorated her.
The cool thing about Golden Interference paints is that they change colours or appear/disappear depending on the light / angle. If you look at these two photos below, they were both taken at the final stage of the painting. You can’t see the blue iridescent shadows on her lap and in the creases of her dress in the photo on the left. But they appear on the photo on the right, photographed from a different angle. Cool eh?
As I looked up from the other paintings I’ve started working on, I would see her on the wall and smile every time. She just filled my heart with joy. She emanates with a simple iridescent beauty, and her prayers are filled with a love that feel quite palpable to me.
Can you feel it?
P.S.
It felt so good to be painting again this weekend after a couple of weeks of working at the computer. I had a business proposal, grant submission, guest blog post, newsletter, tax return, and curriculum development project to work on. There’s so much more to being an artist than painting…
There’s a new addition in the studio. I purchased a 6-foot table that folds in half for easy carrying / storage. Although I’ll still gladly sit cross-legged on the floor for the first very watery layers of some canvases, I’ve learned to be more careful about my posture. I don’t want to repeat last year’s back issues.
Go to my shop to see all available paintings & reproductions.
New Painting: The Way of the Phoenix
Introducing: “The Way of the Phoenix” – 24″ x 48″, acrylics & glass beads on canvas (SOLD)
Go to my shop to see all available paintings & reproductions.
The Way of the Phoenix is about transformation, rebirth, mystery, and creativity. It’s also about taking leaps of faith to explore beyond our comfort zones in order to follow those strong inner calls of the soul. It asks us to let go of all that no longer serves us in order to be reborn in the flight of Love and Light.
Actually, this isn’t a new new painting. I finished it in November, but had to keep it offline as a condition for submitting it to a province-wide competition. Alas, it and 96 other entries didn’t make it to the final round. That’s simply not where it was meant to be. No worries – it means that I can finally reveal it to you now.
The Fire in my Life:
I have long identified with the Phoenix as a symbol of transformation – I’ve painted a few in my time… I also discovered along the way that it’s one of the symbols for my western astrological sign: Scorpio (the only sign represented by more than one creature: serpent, scorpion, eagle, and phoenix). As Lynn Hayes explains,
At the end of its life it built a funeral pyre and burned in the flames, only to regenerate its progeny from those very flames. The Scorpio nature cannot run from the destruction of the fire of its emotional intensity, but within that fire is the secret of immortality and resurrection. Scorpio is a water sign but Mars bestows the essence of fire as well and with it the courage to enter the fire and become transformed.
Paired with being a Fire Horse in Chinese astrology, there’s simply a lot of fire in me. It’s what you would call a recurring theme…
If you recall my writings from Bali, my skin issues (eczema) stem from having an excess of fire in my system (as told by a traditional Balinese medicine man, an Ayurveda doctor, and traditional Chinese doctor). The first medicine man told me I had to find ways to be even more creative, so that the fire doesn’t consume me. I’m working on it! Come to think of it, a spiritual advisor told me more than a decade ago that I had a volcano inside that simply needed to erupt, and that if I healed my skin in one area, it would simply find another exit. I needed to go deep and deal with the fire at the core. Still working on that too!
Although I don’t recall exactly why, I strongly identified with the story of Joan of Arc growing up (represented in one of my early paintings). Later, through past life regressions, I connected with several lifetimes in which I met my physical end through fire. When I let go of the drama of the details in those stories, I was left with an understanding of the power of detachment and rebirth.
As Dominique Hurley in this lifetime, the way of the phoenix has materialized as distinct chapters marked by various geographical locations, personal circumstances, and careers – yet with a strong underlying storyline of learning to be True to Who I AM. My life seems to be one of constant transformation – as they say, there’s nothing constant in life but change itself.
I do not fear the fire – it is my teacher, my rite of passage, my gateway to freedom. I am still learning, however, to release it from my being through self-love and self-expression. As I continue to follow The Way of the Phoenix, I will continue to rise above the complex patterns of human behaviour to a state of higher consciousness and pure unconditional love – in this lifetime or beyond.
Do you relate to anything in that story or in this painting?
THE MAKING OF:
The underlying layers of fire were created through a very watery process. 🙂 Yes, we live in a world of contradictions.
I then used stencils that I made to create the face and figure out of glass bead gel. In terms of spiritual meaning, glass represents truth or transparency. It’s the passage/barrier between the physical and spiritual realms. It also carries the energies of transformation, rebirth, focus and communication. I love glass bead gel (which is white when applied, but dries transparent) because in certain lights and at certain angles, it reflects in a most magical way that my final photos simply can’t show.
I then used tar gel in a squeeze bottle to design the phoenix and the flames. I wanted these to be raised and filled with the fire patterns from the first layers.
Once these were dry, I applied several layers of purple and violet glazes around the raised elements. These layers are not completely opaque as I wanted the spirit of fire to show through, unifying the whole.
I then had hours and hours of fun with a tiny paintbrush applying the patterns that make up our lives and environment.
I then glazed these in magentas and violet to push them back into the background – representing the fact that not all of our patterns are seen or clear. They also represent the mysteries of life.
Once that was dry, I used a fan brush to add wisps of colour in the wings and tail – these are in an interference paint that can only be seen at some angles and in certain lights. This means that the painting appears quite different at different times of day. Here it is in low lighting.
Here are a few more detail shots of the final piece.
Both creating and beholding this painting have been powerful experiences for me – does it also speak to you? Feel free to explain why in the comments below.
“The Way of the Phoenix” – 24″ x 48″, acrylics & glass beads on canvas (SOLD).
Go to my shop to see all available paintings & reproductions.
“Divine Union”- A New Painting
I’m thrilled to present to you the finished piece:
Divine Union – 30″ x 40″ – acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas (no framing required)
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Go to my shop to see all available originals and reproductions.
This is the fourth blog post about the creation and symbolism of this painting. To read my previous Sneak Peek posts, click on the titles below:
*
Here’s a bit more on the final steps of the process.
Below the Roots:
I spent 5 hours adding patterns below the roots, darkening that section to bring the eye back to the central figures. I’ve decided that doing this with my tiny paintbrush is much better than the new Liquitex professional paint markers I ordered. Some of the tips work better than others and they tend to fray quickly on canvas. Also, I just don’t find they flow very well, as I had to keep pumping some of them without satisfactory results. I’ll keep testing them as I’ve only used a few colours so far. As I’m not going for the absolute precision work of fine micron markers on paper, my paintbrush was just fine. Plus I really like the consistency, saturation and overall quality of Golden Acrylics.
The Portal:
I have my housemate Orinda to thank for this interpretation. I had decided to keep the space above the roots free of patterns. At first, I envisaged it as freshly fallen snow – peaceful and quiet. She saw it as a portal and the instant she said it, I felt it.
Finishing touches:
I mixed 2 of the blues used on the canvas to paint the sides before using my beloved 3-D paint to sign my name. I used a light blue that will catch the light, but be subtle.
How Long Did It Take?:
A few have already asked. I was going to write that this painting had taken about 100 hours to create. I then decided to be more accurate and was shocked to discover that from start to finish, I had worked on the physical creation of it for only 8 days. Sure, I worked for more than 12 hours a day on some days, but in my mind, I had been at it for much longer than a week. In total, then, I estimate closer to 60 hours. Truth be told, however, like any painting, it’s taken a lifetime to create as it encompasses the totality of my talents, education, practice, visions, etc. You simply can’t judge the worth of art solely based on hours of work. Still, what a week!
Contemplation:
I feel so very honoured that this painting chose me as its channel for creation. I have been blessed by the experience in many known and unknown ways. Just last night, I was contemplating it while lying in bed in the semi-darkness. As the mid tones disappeared, what was left was the shape of a delicate orchid – inviting me in to discover its mysteries. I then understood why the tree guided me to shape it that way.
Click here to order prints.
Go to my shop to see all available originals and reproductions.
Studio Sneak Peek: From Seed to Tree
Wow! So much has happened in the studio since my last sneak peek – including about 30 hours of painting. Bliss! But first…
Time in the Studio:
Friday was the end of the online Thriving Artist Summit. Over the past 2 weeks, I listened to 24 different successful artists talk about various aspects of the life and business of arts. It was inspiring, educational, and ensured that I spent time in the studio every day, even if I had other projects on the go.
Guidance:
This is the Spirit Calling Card reading I got on Friday morning – the last day of the summit.
Did I ever have fun with that message from my Guides in my Morning Pages (3 pages of automatic writing – as taught by Julia Cameron, whom I mentioned in my Life by Design: Creativity post last week). Fun! Fun! Fun! What would a direction of pure passion and miracles look like for you?
Large Snowflake:
This is where we left off in my last Sneak Peek. I needed the couple to stand out more, so it was time to work inside the large snowflake behind them. I only worked in mid and dark tones as I didn’t want anything light to compete with the tree that would be painted on top. At least that was the plan until I did the outer edges in silver dots :-). Couldn’t resist.
More background:
I then worked on adding more patterns to the background, at the top and along the sides. My overall purpose was to darken the whole background so that the tree would stand out more. I kept some of the original pale layers showing as a representation of background snow. I love the mystery, texture, and layers of life that these patterns represent.
Sacred Geometry:
I then worked on the bottom circle that the couple is rooted to. These aren’t necessarily distinguishable in the end, but that’s not what was important. I simply wanted the energy of these symbols to infuse the image. They’re all about the sacred geometry of the creation of physical and spiritual Universes.
The circle – Wholeness, Supreme Spirit, One God
The Yin Yang – male/female aspects of the Great Spirit, dark/light, matter/spirit, passive/active, perfect balance, harmony. “Yin and yang can be thought of as complementary (rather than opposing) forces that interact to form a dynamic system in which the whole is greater than the assembled parts.” Wikipedia
Vesica Pisces – sacred geometry used in religion and spirituality for thousands of years to represent a source of immense power and energy. It’s also
- an opening into the mysteries of higher consciousness
- the seed of the tree of life and basic motif for the flower of life,
- the intersection of spiritual and physical,
- creation/ birthing/ yoni/ Goddess
- two becoming one
- a symbol for Jesus Christ (the fish shape in the middle).
I used to wear a vesica pisces pendent, a stylized version of the Chalice Well cover in Glastonbury, a place I feel drawn to, but haven’t visited yet. And it wasn’t until after I completed the overlapping layers and was contemplating it that it also reminded me of wedding bands.
The Roots:
I woke up excited and scared on Saturday morning, knowing I was going to create the tree that day. After spending so much time on the base layers, I didn’t want to ruin my painting. Then I remembered what I teach – there are no mistakes, just more layers. Play, have fun, take risks, stretch your comfort zones, and do something everyday that scares you. I then chose to let go of the “scared” and keep the “excited”.
So I used my new giant compass (sticking the end in my eraser not to make a hole in the canvas) to draw a circle for the overall shape of the tree. (Thanks to everyone on Facebook who shared their shape preference.) I then used my favourite brush to paint an intricate series of spiral roots: symbolic of holistic growth and union with the Divine.
Later, after I had completed the tree, my housemate commented that the roots weren’t translating as roots to her, but more like lace. Thanks to Orinda’s feedback, I later added another layer of roots that better mirrored the branches of the tree more. I liked the improvement.
The Tree:
As per my usual style, I wasn’t precise about the symmetry here. I free-handed branches that joined the couple to the overall circular shape. There wasn’t much planning here. The top kept calling to reach upwards more, so I actually incorporated a bit of the two designs I had been contemplating. I can see where a little more precision could have been nice, but I also see that life is messy at times and letting go of perfection is such a blessing. This tree simply grew as it was meant to grow and I love it! After a few layers of white, I used a new dark blue below the branches to add contrast and to simplify the foreground over such a busy background. I did the same for the roots and figures and just kept playing with that.
Dots:
I then spent hours dotting the circle, and adding ice/snow crystals to the branches in silver, pearl, and gold. I have long been a fan of dots on my artwork, but I have fellow artist Fay Prince to thank for passing on her tip about using a stylus to make them.
As per usual, the photos don’t do the piece justice, but here’s a summary of its recent evolution.
This is still a work in progress… but
I received an email from the Craft Council of NL looking for submissions for a special February exhibition entitled “All Kinds of Love’. When space permits, they take a few pieces that fit more into the visual art than craft arena. Part of me would like to submit this piece for consideration, but like with any gallery representation, I hesitate as the gallery keeps a sales commission. They do attract the crowds though, and the exposure would be great. Tough decision. But if anyone is already considering this piece for themselves or as a gift, please let me know. I will reveal the final piece on Wednesday.
Studio Sneak Peek: The Couple
Have you seen the movie “The Secret“? It’s a wonderful film about the Law of Attraction. It brought a lot of what I already believed to the mainstream as it bridged the spiritual and business worlds. It also enhanced my understanding and practice of manifestation. Anyway, there’s this one scene where Marie Diamond, an expert in feng shui (a Chinese philosophical system of harmonizing people with their surrounding environment), was retelling the story of how she advised an art director interested in attracting relationships to stop painting women with their backs turned to the viewer – something he’d been doing for years. She suggested he paint scenes with the kind of relationship he wanted to manifest. It worked for him. That’s what I’m now feeling called to do for myself. My 2015 intuitive vision board also seemed to incorporate a movement in that direction – notice how the couple here is beside a building in colours and patterns much like what I’ve been moved to create with my current painting?
I haven’t been in a relationship for about 5 years now. I don’t mind. It’s been a fantastic 5 years! I’ve been following my heart, connecting with my path, growing personally and spiritually, all the while learning to be more unconditionally loving in my relationship with myself and those around me. Indeed, I’ve been exploring and expressing my love of beauty and the beauty of love in many fulfilling ways. I don’t need a committed relationship, but I’m definitely open to one with the right man for me. Being in a soul-connected relationship has been a part of my psyche since a very young age. I haven’t been proactive in that area though, being quite the introvert. After all, you don’t meet a lot of people when you’re a happy hermit in your art cave, or attend events that mostly attract women. I’m feeling the energy shifting though, and am open to seeing what I’m moved to create with it.
At the dawn of 2015, I sensed that it was time to expand on my painting repertoire of empowered, intuitive, peaceful, playful, blossoming, and spiritually connected women – a visual representation of what I have been manifesting and experiencing in my own life.
Now I’m being called to paint couples, and the visions are coming to me much faster than I can paint them.
In my current painting (see its beginnings in a previous post), I see the couple as being firmly rooted to the ground and reaching upwards in a joint commitment to growth. They stand strong, centered, present, and balanced on their own in this pose of dynamic stillness, yet they stand together in a spirit of awareness, support, respect, and unconditional love on a shared path.
This week I sketched them on paper and traced them onto the canvas using white transfer paper. The marks wash off really easily. It’s great.
I then painted in their forms in white titanium acrylic paint (which is opaque). This allowed the colours I used on top to be much more vivid and clear than if I had painted them on all the layers of blue underneath.
I then had fun looking through my new Tangle Pattern Guide – 2015 edition for various patterns to fill each bubble. I sometimes create my own, but imitation is a great way to expand and it is encouraged by the creators of Zentangle®. I used shades of greenish blues (turquoise, teal, etc.) for her – a 3-hour session – and darker blues for him – another 3-hour session. I also used rounder smoother patterns for her and more angular patterns for him. I not only want them to represent a couple, but also the masculine and feminine. I may still work on his head… somehow the whole square-head thing doesn’t sit well 🙂 . We’ll see…. Once I finished with all the blues, I decided to go in with some gold to unify them. Fun!
New Toys For the Studio!
I finally received my order of the newly released Liquitex Professional Paint Markers this week. I bought them online on sale over Christmas. I had been looking for fine-tipped refillable markers while in Ottawa to put my Golden High Flow paints in when I came across these. I didn’t want to make tangle patterns with regular markers – some inks would be incompatible with acrylics. Others aren’t acid-free or archival in nature. I was also concerned that if I used oil paint markers (which are quite smelly), I wouldn’t be able to paint with acrylics again on top. There’s a whole fat over lean principle when it comes to the chemistry of paint – something I learned in Vienna. The 2-4mm chisel points on these are a bit large for some patterns / areas, but that’s OK. I still really enjoyed working with them, especially since I had to move my studio up to the main floor after a few water pipes broke last weekend in the studio. I’ve been looking at the affirmation “Let go, let it flow” on my studio wall differently since then. 🙂 We’re now having all our water pipes replaced in the house. Being in the front office, I didn’t want to risk spilling paint anywhere, so the markers are perfect. I’m also enjoying looking out of doors as I paint and working on a higher surface than in my studio. I definitely need to get myself a regular height table when I move back to my beloved art cave.
I also got some of the tools I ordered to create my mandala series: a couple protractors and a giant compass that can make 24″ circles if I use the rod it came with, or circles up to 10 feet if I buy a longer 1/2″ dowel Fun!
I’m thinking ahead to the tree – I’m not sure where to go with it. I’ve got 2 tree shapes that I’m considering. Which one do you like the most? Left or right? Ignore the colours – I was just playing in Photoshop to consider the shapes and how they would overlap with the snowflakes. Also ignore the fact that the one on the left has leaves and the one on the right is so thick and ends abruptly. I’m thinking symbolism as much as shape – it’s a tough call… folks on Facebook this week have been voting for the one on the left. You?
This painting is far from finished. The intricacies of detail have made this a very meditative practice. Stay tuned for the next Studio Sneak Peek to see where it goes from here.
Studio Sneak Peek: Snowflakes
While staring at a blank 30″ x 40″ canvas during a pre-Christmas morning rebounding session, I received a vision for a painting of a couple standing together in tree pose. The background was to be filled with large snowflakes in the Zentangle® style. Saturday’s snowy photo shoot (see previous post) was perfect to get me in the mood. This is also true of the book “Zen Doodling Mandalas that I picked up in Ottawa over the holidays (a natural purchase since I had already decided to create a dozen 30″ x 30” mandalas in 2015). As I’m waiting for my $1000 order of canvas to launch that project, I decided to start on my painting of the couple, using the snowflake instructions from one of the chapters in my new book.
Background:
I started this painting process as I do most times – by using sacred palo santo smoke to smudge myself, my space and the canvas. I then added a drop of blessed water from the Chalice Well in Glastonbury to my spray bottle to wet the canvas (and a dash on myself). It feels great to open myself, the space and the canvas for a whole new creative process.
The background will eventually be quite dark and the figures lighter. At least that’s how I envision it, but I’m going half planned and half intuitively with this painting, so we’ll see what happens.
I started with a very watery mix of white, pearl, interference blue-green, and 4 shades of blue. Once that was dry, I added a glaze of pearl and 2 interference colours (they shine various colours at various angles).
Cutting Snowflakes:
Using my compass to make circles and a protractor that I printed from an online file to measure the 60 and 120 degree points on a folded circle, I then folded the left corner to the right mark and the right corner to the left mark. Then I folded it again in half. Then I drew designs and cut them. Unfolding them is so much fun as the results are always a surprise.
Stencils:
I then placed them on the canvas, measuring carefully, and used a sponge to gently tap one shade of blue around them. Voilà!
Tangle Patterns:
I then added darker circles (-ish… I wasn’t going for precision) to add contrast and spent the rest of the weekend listening to music and painting patterns in various shades of blue, pearl, silver, and interference blue. I have no idea how much of this will show in the final painting, but it was fun. Here are the final 5 smaller snowflakes. Click on any image to see it larger.
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