The Making of Painting - Life Cycle

 

Life Cycle

• 14.25 x 14 x 0.125 in

Process

I was experimenting with pattern to create a sense of depth. I used a leaf stencil I had made from another painting to add the gold metallic leaves adding another layer of depth.

The Making of the Painting: Flow

 

Flow

• Mixed Media on Canvas
• 82 x 49 x 0 in
• Flow, Mixed Media on Canvas, 82 x 49 x 0 in (full size), 78 x 45 inches is the approximate stretched size.

The initial idea was to show flow from the top of the painting to the bottom. The painting took a few turns in achieving this goal. In the end, it does. It's up to the viewer to decide the rest of the story. And if it is about flow to them or something else.

“Abundance is a flow of energy through you.” Steve Rother

"As your faith is strengthened you will find that there is no longer the need to have a sense of control, that things will flow as they will, and that you will flow with them, to your great delight and benefit."–Emmanuel Teney

Description

This painting was the largest I’ve painted so far. I didn’t accomplish it without growing pains.

In process

Process

The logistical process was a challenge from the beginning. Oh, the angst. Ha! From deciding the exact size to cut the canvas to reconfiguring my hanging system, I had to do the preparatory work before putting paint on the canvas.

Once that was over, how to paint the vision that came to me about this painting? Flow. That was the initial idea. I wondered how I could achieve the feeling of flow without actually painting water.

"Climbing is the same: recognizing that you are a flow. The purpose of the flow is to keep on flowing, not looking for a peak or utopia but staying in the flow. It is not a moving up but a continuous flowing; you move up to keep the flow going. There is no possible reason for climbing except the climbing itself; it is a self-communication.”― Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience

Maybe there are many ways to understand “flow.” Maybe there are other meanings behind this painting to the viewer. So, I’ll stop my side of the story and let you decide what it’s about and how it achieves that.

Your Turn

Let me know what you think. Post a comment below. Thanks!

New Painting - Salt Mine Spirit

Salt Mine Spirit

• Mixed Media on Canvas
• 36 x 41 x 0 in

Salt is born of the purest parents: the sun and the sea.

–Pythagoras

 It was a gorgeous day with large puffy white clouds against a cerulean blue sky. I set up my painting supplies on a patch of conveniently placed concrete leftover from the salt mining activities of long ago. The view was amazing.

A Messenger from Above

I stood looking at the vastness. Should I turn my canvas to paint the scene just to the left of this scene? Or should I leave it as is? I looked up with those questions in mind. A bird caught my eye over the canyon, flying high above the mountain directly across from me. What? Is that a bald eagle? Yes! It was as I incredulously looked for and validated the telltale white tail and white head. I couldn’t believe it. In the six years I’ve lived in Camp Verde, Arizona, and the many times I’ve hiked this location, I’ve never seen an eagle here, only hundreds of ravens and some turkey vultures.

There must be something strangely sacred about salt. It is in our tears and in the sea.
–Khalil Gibran

Eagle sightings are rare where I live. The past year has netted me three sightings. I saw none in the four years prior. I feel blessed every time. So, this was my sign. The canvas is facing the correct direction. I usually see a red-tailed hawk as my messenger. One time down by the river, it was a snowy egret.

Process

I started with a chunky graphite stick and drew the parts of the scene I wanted to paint. Then, I painted. When I was close to filling in all the colors except the green, the wind picked up in gusts. I asked if I could please paint the green. I painted the green, but not without a fight. The wind moved my canvas around, flipping it back onto itself several times. The rock weights at the corners were no contest to the determination of that afternoon wind. I finally had to surrender. Packing up was fun. Ha! I packed as best I could, folding the canvas in half and quickly hiking back.

I drew the design of the landscape with a chunky graphite pencil before painting.

I laid the painting on my deck to dry when I returned home. In the studio, I completed it.

What do you think of this painting and its story?

Please post a comment below. I'd love to hear from you!

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