I love this feature here on my blog because once a week, I get to see what YOU’VE been up to in your creative corner of the world! It works like this: create a blog post that showcases something you did this week that you think is shiny! It could be art, a photograph, some writing, a meal you cooked – and then put the link below so we can all come swoon over it!
My swoon this week is over an intuitive painting of the goddess, Demeter. She was created for Moonshine: Mother and she embodies everything I feel about mama earth. She was done after a meditation in which I went in to my own inner landscape with the question “How can I release what needs releasing?”
The message I got was “Here. Let me take that for you…”
The earth takes what we give her and transforms it. When we surrender what is no longer working, she composts it and helps us grow roses. It’s a fact I forget *all the time*, but this timely reminder did the trick.
I began with *no idea what I was going to do* for this painting. That is a huge part of my process and my very favourite way to work. Go in clueless. Let whatever wants to come through emerge.
She began with paint and mark making. Circles and lines feature strongly in my mark making. Something about the femininity of circles and the masculinity of lines creates a sense of balance for me. It is almost as if, in this part of the process, I’m performing some kind of alchemy – The Great Work of personal integration on paper.
I started here with reds and blacks and lots of etching.
The word ‘release’ is etched right into the wet paint.
Moved into all sorts of mark making, drippage and stenciling.
Following every impulse.
There she is!
Why grey? Why not?
Tending. Refining.
Loving on her fiercely with all the little details.
Voila! “I heard her say “Let me take that for you…”
Mixed media on paper.
***
I’m swooning over this piece because I ignored the slightly panicked voice that came up for me in the process. It kept on coming – “You are covering up too much. You are wasting paint. You are making her face GREY! WHY GREY? You suck. This is awful. How can you call yourself an artist?”
I nodded as these protestations came up, but I kept on going. I kept saying “Because, reasons. Because, I want to. Because, it works for me.” and plowing my way through the rocky soil of my own resistance.
Every time I sit down to paint intuitively, the voices come. I hear them. I nod. I acknowledge that they are scared I’m going to humiliate myself. And I paint anyway. I risk anyway. I try anyway.
That, my loves, is worthy of a Swoon!
Your Turn!
Love your art piece. But, have to be honest – love your explanation even more. :-) I think it does take so much courage to paint and work intuitively. I have alot to learn in that area. *laugh*
The piece that I linked up for me was totally swoon worthy because it was the first “real” mixed media art piece I did for someone else. And the first one I shared on the internet. I have to admit I totally love how it turned out. For me to be proud of my art is … well, hard. *laugh* So when I am it is definitely a reason to swoon over. :-)
So it’s nice to know that even you have that voice in your head. And this girl is gorgeous!
I love how the background evolved for you ~ it’s gorgeous and … She is beautiful!
I love your work Effy and I always have. I stay in the background most of the time, because that is who I am. But I loved making my Sweetling
Effy, she’s so beautiful and loved her words, “Here. Let me take that for you.” <3
Totally Swoon-worthy!!!! A gorgeous and inspiring piece. I’m glad you don’t listen to the negative voices. Listen to the Goddess and let her take care of that for you. <3
I love this process and how she revealed herself. She is gorgeous and the message is lovely. It’s nice to have someone take the load for a while, even if only for a short minute, that feeling of relief so you can centre and breathe again. xo
Hi Effy!
She is so delightful!
We all have these voices I guess, why not try to set up a meeting so they can talk amongst themselfs? lol
I feel like they help me grow more and more into myself, build up confidence and teach me to listen to my muse, I love it! :-)
I am a day late but blogged about aha moment from this weekend. Hopefully that counts. :)
And hit enter too quickly. Yoir most recent work is onf of my faves. Love all the layers and texture!