Work in Progress

Works in progress

20 Dec

This week, I have been reworking this painting.

She had been sitting in a cupboard since I completed her and something within was pulling me to open out the paints again. I set up on my front porch and prepared to take another journey with her.

My only plan was that I didn't have a plan. I just put one step in front of the other and listened intuitively as the hunches within propelled me forward.

My first hunch was to transform one of her eyes into a tulip-like flower. From there, it became a process of letting go of the parts I wasn't completely fond of anymore and reworking them, by mindfully painting colours, textures and lines I enjoyed creating ... living in the moment, enjoying the process.

I recalled some Japanese inspired wrapping paper I had in my stash and felt compelled to tear and cut shapes from it. One of the shapes fit perfectly as an eye lid. Others became tree branches and floral features.

Soon, she began to recede back into the painting. Once I reached this point, there was no turning back. It was time to let go of her completely and surrender into the unknown.

No plan. Scary. Exciting. The Unknown Journey.

This is where I find her this evening. I've had visions in my mind's eye of floating vertical leaves, pods and even Christmas baubles. We're taking a few weeks off over Christmas, so we'll see how she evolves over the festive period. There's plenty of beautiful colour-inspiration around right now to inspire the painting forward from here.