Day 9 - Transformation

A few years back, when I first was exploring the concept of Spirit Animals in my artwork, I painted a series of ravens on cairns.  In fact, ravens made it into many of my paintings at that time, and I secretly believed that they were acting as messengers to me, inspiring me to pay closer attention to my inner muse... 

Ravens are important birds in many cultures. To some they are symbolic of intuition and are believed to hold the power to connect the earthly realms with the spirit realm.  Cairns, structures constructed of stacked stones, are often used as landmarks or markers to help guide one's way. The two pair meaningfully together in my mind.. and together they are the messenger on the guidepost...  I have not painted a raven on a cairn in quite awhile, but this one came up in my consciousness today, out of the blue, and so I listened and I painted.  

Because the raven is in mid-caw, I see it as delivering that message directly and presently.  In fact, can you see the little plume of mist coming out of the raven's mouth?  You can almost hear it calling to you, can't you? :)  

Sometimes it can be hard to get out of ones own way and allow ideas to flow, but I think that when you can, it is when the best ideas come. This Raven is a harbinger of that flow of ideas.. ideas that are yet to come, but they are like the mist that is the visual manifestation of a message... and the cairn is the promise that guidance will be there when it is needed.. Transformation happens when we listen for the message and are open to the guidance that is there for all of us.

"Transformation", oil on panel, 7"x7", click here for purchasing details

Day 2 - A Windsong of Balance

 So, I did not technically paint this one today.. but it is a VERY recent painting of mine and is currently hanging in the Studio B show - Flora and Fauna.  AND, it is an award winner!  I am quite happy with this painting as it is a return to my exploration of the theme Spirit Animal, which I explored in many paintings a few years back.  The time is ripe to revisit this theme and as such, I feel affirmed that the very first painting I have completed and shown has gained some attention. To further explore this theme, I am trying my take at combining abstraction with realism, something that has fascinated me for some time, yet until now, I've not been happy with my results.  I will be further exploring this combination as well as part of my new Spirit Animals and am excited to see where it takes me.  

(by the way, if you get the chance to see the show in person, please do! It is a wonderful show filled with an eclectic mix of local talent. Info below..)

"A Windsong of Balance", oil and mixed media on panel, 16"x16", $790

The two birds represent the iconic and opposing forces of yin and yang.. and the necessity and inevitability of both in our world. If you look closely, you can see a portion of the yin yang symbol in the background.. I painted this on a panel that I textured ahead of time with a texturing medium I whipped up using PVA glue, marble dust and gesso... a recipe I found, where else, but on the net... There are many variations of this recipe to be found, but they basically all call for varying proportions of PVA to add elasticity, marble dust for the texture and gesso probably for opacity and as a binder.  I experimented around until I found a recipe that I like.  The painting was done in many layers from there, which is a complete diversion from how I normally work.  I tend to prefer to paint in a style called Alla Prima, meaning all at once. But, this painting took me several painting sessions, allowing layers to dry in between, until it was complete.  

There will be more to come with this technique and theme! :) 

Below are details of the painting that better show texture and paint application.

Studio B is located at 39 E Philadelphia Ave, Boyertown, PA 19512. 

Contact them at (610) 563-7879 for purchasing details.