Sunday, February 5, 2012

The Faces of Grace

I'm not a sports fan - at all - so I felt no compunction to turn the TV on and join the hordes yelling and screaming for a particular team to win - or for Madonna's top to fall off - or whatever.  I figure I'll get my news and the best clips on FB when it's over.

Instead I painted today.  I finished the third of my series "The Faces of Grace" and re-worked the previous two a bit.  I realized that Compassion was a bit too pink for my tastes, so I toned it down a little bit and neutralized some of the colors.  I don't know if it shows in these pictures or not, but it does in real life!

Tomorrow I plan to at least begin the fourth one - hopefully get it mostly finished - since I will be hanging the show in Williamsburg Thursday, and I would like these to be in it!  Pressure, pressure!  It should be doable as long as I don't get too distracted.

Here are the three pictures:

Grief
Compassion


Pleasure

The fourth picture will go to the left of Pleasure.  The four of them will be hung together, two up, two down.  I plan to hang them together near the first self portrait I did a couple of weeks ago.  They'll all be in the show From Hurt to Harmony which opens next Sunday from 2-5 at the Linda Matney Gallery off of
Richmond Rd in Williamsburg, VA.  You're welcome to attend if you're in the area.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Compassion

Today I created a companion piece to go with the painting I did on Tuesday.  It's called Compassion.

I had very different feelings today than when I painted Grief the other day.  I felt like I was stroking my face and offering myself comfort.  I was noticing my wrinkles and my greying hair and feeling love for all the years I've lived through and the wisdom I have accumulated.  I loved painting my hand, paying attention to the short fingernails, kept that way so I can paint more easily, and the skin which looks ever more like parchment.  I appreciate the feeling of peace in my face and am grateful for the emotions which led me to look this way.

It feels like a blessing to experience compassion after working through the grief.