30 Paintings in 30 Days - Day 9

"Queen Aislin Makes a Wish" - mixed media on cradled board,  9" x 12" x 1".  Ready to hang.  Available on Artfinder.

[NARRATOR]
Once upon a time
In a far-off kingdom
There lay a small village
At the edge of the woods
[CINDERELLA]
I wish...

A brisk Monday morning in the studio finds me wishing for a glimpse of snow.  An unlikely thing here in south Florida, but a wish nonetheless.  I was born in the frosty north (Minnesota) and raised in the blustery midwest (Ohio) so a winter without snow is still an odd creature to me.  In the meantime, I am enjoying windows open, a little chill in the air and the option to wear long sleeves without breaking into a sweat. :)

Monday also finds us peering out from the trees to see a small village at the edge of the woods.  Our metaphorical village (the people we are surrounded by) has a profound impact on our experience in the forest.  They are both the thing that lifts us up and also the thing that can destroy us, creatively at least.  There is nothing like a sincere word of encouragement to embolden us when we're heading in a new direction.  And nothing quite like a discouraging comment to stop us from taking a creative leap.  

Still reading the Twyla Tharp book, in which she says "what you are today and what you will be in five years depends on two things: the people you meet and the books you read."  Aha!  Well, books are like people to me, so I resonated with that sentence right away.  And a huge factor in where I am today is the people I've met along the way.  My village is extraodinary - compassionate, fierce, jubilant and fearless creative people.  They stoke my creative fires and give me wings when I jump into something new.  

With books, I am careful to read subjects and authors which uplift, expand, delight and educate me.  My brain is like a four-year-old that way - it needs some censoring of what goes in there.  And with the village people, I listen to my gut and try to spend the most time with the kind, compassionate and brave among them, because my inner child is tender-hearted and easily bruised.

Queen Aislin is a multi-paint over.  There are two paintings underneath her, each adding to the richness of texture and a depth of meaning to her introspective gaze.  One of the underpaintings is a piece on meditation and breathing; the other a piece about sisterhood and community.   Unlike many of the bossy queens in my studio, this lady is soft-spoken and calm.  Maybe she will have a positive influence over the others in the studio village. :)

---

Today's "Pay What You Can" piece is "Surly Ballerina", mixed media on canvas paper,  12" x 16".   This piece will be shipped flat.  Shipping is anticipated to be around $10.


Email me at [email protected] with how much (or how little) you'd like to pay for this cutie (shipping will be added).  The winner will be selected at random and notified via email in 24 hours.