30 Paintings in 30 Days - Day 14

"Heavy is the Head That Wears the Crown" - mixed media on reclaimed wood, 6" x 18" x 1"

This week's theme has been worry.  I didn't consciously decide the theme, it just turned out to be that way.    Even in the creation of this piece (which is a sample for my upcoming "It's Good to Be Queen" workshop at Ciel Gallery), the worry theme asserted itself.

Intuitive painting can be joyful and free-spirited, without the usual limitations and stresses of purism and realism.  But it can also be heavy and sad.  Sometimes what comes out on the substrate is, I believe, an expression of what the artist feels inside.  Other times the universe seems to have a message to express, and the artist's hands are merely tools at the disposal of the divine.

This particular queen feels wistful, contemplative and burdened.  There is still a strength to her; a quiet dignity of sorts.  But a heaviness as well.  Maybe she has to be strong to carry whatever her burden is.  Her story seems a mystery, a message yet to be revealed.

The Queen Archetype explores the bright and dark sides of power and responsibility in feminine energy.  Sure, a woman can show up to work with a 101 degree fever and a broken leg and still outproduce her peers, but that same woman will at some point become angry or resentful that she felt the need to show up at work that day.  For the Queen, finding a balance between what she is capable of doing with what she actually chooses to do is key to keeping the bright side bright and the dark side, well, in the dark.  

Usually, each character I create has a name, often bossily shouted at me but occasionally politely whispered This regal lady is mum on the subject, so I'm putting the call out to you, dear reader.  If, to you, she clearly has a name, reach out and let me know.  It appears her story is a communal one, and audience participation is required!