Monday, February 26, 2018

Wood Goddess


"Wood Goddess"
Acrylic on canvas, 8x10

This morning, I woke up later than planned. I don't like when that happens, but I always trust that it means my body needed the sleep. When this does happen, even though it is always just late morning, I have a sense of having wasted the day. I try to counter that feeling by doing one productive thing. I decided to make a painting this morning.
A blank canvas board was calling to me from the side of the room. When I paint on canvas, I don't sketch out the picture first - I just dive in. It's funny how we work differently depending on the medium or surface.



These are some of the trees I've spent time with the past week. I wrote a little bit about it in my description of the piece on Instagram - that woods and trees are the form of nature I am drawn to for a peaceful moment. I've been taking advantage of our local rail trail, which winds for miles and miles through gorgeous forest and marshland.
I've been enamored with trees for quite some time. Pine and birch make appearances constantly in my early work (2008 - 2012), and then I began to grow enchanted by all kinds of trees and tree-like flora. Cacti and bonsai fill my 2013 - 2016 work, and - most recently - I am drawn to the beauty of petrified wood, drift wood, and tree rings. Found and sustainably sourced wood pieces are something I've enjoyed incorporating into our home.
So, this morning when I sat down and began to paint, a few things came to mind: She would have black hair, orange-red lips, moles on her face and neck, and a bendy conifer tree behind her. Work like this often begins with few details, and as soon as I begin, the rest comes to me.
"Wood Goddess" came to mind, and I surrounded her with different pieces and kinds of wood.
She began simply:


and ended a Wood Goddess:


What kind of nature is your favorite for a peaceful moment of reflection? The ocean, mountains, fields, marshes? I'd love to know.
XO.



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