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The painting below is a recent creation that has produced some very strong reactions in people who have seen it. To try and understand why, I asked myself what my inspiration was... Three things were happening in my life at the time I painted this portrait.
1. I was taking a mixed media portrait class, for which I needed to choose a photo to work from. I chose a model who was in my "photo bank" of interesting people which I collect for painting inspiration.
2. My studio soul mate Patita, my rescue dog from Mexico, was slowing down, and I suspected, was not going to be with us much longer. RIP my girl.
3. I had conflicting thoughts about my feelings and how to capture those in this portrait.
The lesson being taught in the portrait class was about keeping loose, and incorporating random marks which had initially
been made on the canvas, before the portrait was created.
I knew there was an abundance of colour and energy in the "bodies" of both the model and Patita - but happy emotions were not what I was experiencing.
I wanted to take my frustration out, on a colourful abstract that wasn't 'working' for me, and express how I was feeling about the impending demise of Patita. The photo model had a slightly melancholic look with mysterious and dramatic lighting. I sensed an "otherworldliness" in the expression of his eyes. I knew that a sense of "loss" was being channeled and was a metaphor for the chaos of my emotions. Yet I could not stray far from my fascination with colour, shapes and a sense of solitude which come through in all my work. The size of the portrait at 48" x 36" is also a testament to the space these feelings take up in my heart!
Artistic creativity is the expression of mainly non-formulated and unconscious feelings - the crystallization of an emotion. Picasso once told a writer that "if he knew, or was conscious of what he wanted to express in his work, he would not create it." There is definitely an art to understanding what you want to say...
I also wish to thank the wonderful new Collectors who recently purchased the 15 paintings at the Adolescent Mental Health Fundraiser at the Calgary Polo Club. I am honoured by your support and to have donated all the proceeds from these works to such a good cause!
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