New artwork: ‘Untamed Garden’

Being a parent and always trying make diligent, conscious choices about what's right for my child can be really hard work ... When honestly? Sometimes I just want to let loose and be wild again!

The artist in me loves to frolic, play and explore but that’s not always possible anymore with my new responsibilities. I needed to find a way to ground my travelling heart, to come back home to myself and embrace the new role I find myself in.  So, I decided to paint about it and here’s what happened.

‘Untamed Heart’. Acrylic, oil pastel and scratch etching on heavyweight card. 16 cm x 14 cms. May 2012

‘Untamed Heart’ explores the acceptance of both sides of me - The nurturing Mum/Wife/Friend and the Wild Woman inside me who likes to come out and play sometimes too and can’t be neglected.

The energy I put into this work really shaped the techniques, materials and even colours I chose. I needed to ‘break the rule's’ and step outside my comfort zone with this one. They say you should never paint acrylic over oil but i don’t give a shit – in fact, that forbidden sense made me all the more determined to explore it.

In reality acrylic over oil creates a lovely and effortless textured resistance which could be easily scratched away to reveal the oil colour underneath and dent into the soft cardboard base I used for this painting. This artwork will probably be the last new piece I create before my outdoor Pop-Up Exhibition this weekend. If you’re in Brissie the Mothers Day eve, I’d love to see your lovely face and have a chat in the sunshine.

Oh and before I forget, I’ve got a wee sale going on over in my Made It and Etsy shops – Limited Edition prints at Open Edition prices ‘til Mothers Day.

Love C x

I’m really excited about getting out of the house, I’ve been couped up in here the last couple of weeks with a string of icky virus/fluey symptoms, so now I’m on the mend, look out world!