When the chill returns to the air and evenings are marked by firing up the fireplace, you’ll often find me curled up on the couch with a good book and cuddly pug. Though I’ve been painting and sketching more than reading lately, I must have books on the brain because this theme has popped up in 3 of my most recent paintings.
This one is my favorite:
A Grand Adventure
8 X 10 prints available ~ original is sold
I credit my mom for nurturing my love of reading. Some of my fondest memories are trips to our local library, the unmistakable smell of old hardcover books with thread-worn covers and curling up in her big bed so we could read together. A snoring pug is quite a noisy replacement for my mother, it has to be said.
I think this painting looks better in person, darker and a little more mysterious. My lovely friend Jen (who apparently now reads my blog instead of phoning me) has snagged the original.
The Fairest of Them All
10 X 12, acrylic on canvas
prints available in the shop
The tale of Snow White was one of my favorite stories as a child, though even then I preferred the darker Brothers Grimm version to the slightly sanitized Disney film. It’s hard to imagine a kids’ movie coming out today that features a huntsman ordered to kill a fair maiden in the woods and then bring back her organs as proof! I think children are a lot darker than we give them credit for; there’s something about our human nature that loves to be scared.
Speaking of scary, hopefully I won’t incur the wrath of the Disney legal team with this one. She’s clearly inspired by the traditional Snow White imagery, but hopefully different enough that she stands out as my own.
It would appear that ridiculously large eyes are my trademark style, one that is honestly NOT on purpose. I’ve sat down several times planning to create a new portrait with slightly more realistic proportions and they always turn out wide-eyed and cartoon-y. I’m happy with my girls, don’t get me wrong. I just find it interesting that my art seems to have a mind of its own, one that is not particularly influenced by *me*.
That’s part of what I really love about the creative process – you have to let go. I can plan, do sketches, look at resource material, but once the paint is swirling around the canvas, the outcome is never exactly what you planned. Usually that’s a good thing. And an excellent reminder that maybe letting go and trusting the process? Not such a bad idea in the rest of my life either.