Full of Beautiful Mistakes

Full of Beautiful Mistakes

"Full of Beautiful Mistakes" - mixed media on 300 lb watercolor paper, 15" x 22".  Available here and at Artfinder.

​Another of my favorites from the Freedom in Watermedia workshop with Stan Kurth, this strong woman appeared early in the workshop, and continues to speak volumes in the studio.  She's declared herself done, and that's good enough for me.

I don't often talk about what I see in my own paintings.  Letting the viewer decide without my input is better, usually.  But this one speaks loudly to me, so I'll share some  thoughts.
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• She's facing the dark - holding a shield, horizontal lines stopped by her boundary...the shield is part of her and yet a separate shape.  And she's relaxed - confident  her shield will protect her.
• She's scarred - her thigh, her knee, her face.  She's taken some hits, but they are now a part of her person, beautiful markings.
• She's inscrutable - no expression to interpret.  Or to misinterpret.  She doesn't care what we think.
• Her legs are large and tree-like.  She supports herself.  No weak-kneed schoolgirl, this one. She's formidable

So as I contemplated this painting - this warrior woman - I spent an afternoon listening to all the songs I think of as power anthems for women:  Janet Jackson's "Nasty", Joan Jett's "Bad Reputation", Alicia Keys' "Girl on Fire", Beyonce's "Run the World",, Lauren Hill's "That Thing", Ariana Grand's "God is a Woman" - to name a few.  (I didn't require any coffee after that.  Whoa!  There is a lot of powerful energy in these songs!)  

But there was just one song for the woman in this painting.   And it isn't just a song for women, but for all of us imperfect and beautiful humans.  Dear reader, this song's for you.

​No matter what we do (no matter what we do)
No matter what we say (no matter what we say)
We're the song inside the tune (yeah, oh yeah)
Full of beautiful mistakes - CHRISTINA AGUILERA