One thing about a canvas is, you can always start over.
Opening up to this painting journey and learning much through the process, I've embraced not being afraid and to just be. "You're never to old to learn or do something new!" Words I share with elementary students while visiting their classroom to share about The Dream Tree story.
Painting is a freedom of expression. It's what moves you. What your heart sees. Not so much your head (the inner critic) because I think our head gets in the way to our creativity.
Intuitive painting is my own individual path to creativity, enjoying my heart beat, my lungs expand and release, and being free to play, move, dance, and let go. Each artist has their own style. It's really beautiful.
"Second Life" evolved by reusing a paint by numbers canvas of a moonscape and tree scenery, I slabbed some gesso on the completed paint by numbers and created a new canvas. It dried a little bumpy in places and that was just what I was hoping for. The first layer was blue, one of my favorite colors. I've been inspired by paintings of flowers and thought I'd give this one a go. A vase full of Peonies. This first photo has too many flowers in the vase. So, I removed one and added some yellow flowers.
My second attempt of playing around I gave more dimension and affect. Very novice and I was struggling. This is where my perfectionism stepped in and my inner critic took over. "Yuck! Ugh! Nope!" I wasn't happy.
At this moment in time, I had memories of me being in my 3rd grade class, working on an art project. Those feelings of "It's not good enough" and "It doesn't look like the example of how it should look like."
I saw a vision in my mind that my hands very much had a different idea once the paint and brushes were on the canvas.
I was thinking too much.
So what did I do? Put it aside to rest. I had to step away and remember what moves me.
Abstract.
How can I make this more like me? "Remember Bridge, this is a journey and it's to be enjoyed, not criticized, or judged. This is supposed to be freeing and enjoyable. It will happen. The vase you see in your minds eye full of beautiful flowers will emerge. Just be patient." I say to myself.
So that is what I did. After some time of rest, I returned to the canvas to play, move, and let my heart see and tell me the story.
"Second Life" or "New Chapter" - A fresh new clean slate to begin again.
The 56 year old version of myself and my 9 year old self held hands and we both looked at the novice painting of peonies and yellow flowers and reminded ourselves, "Paint what you see and feel. Make it your own. Not someone else's impression or what they think you should paint. You do YOU!"
After some little added pops of colors, dots, swirls, a water wash of bright green, and wipe down, this is the end product.
"Second Life" - stories to share, surrounded by so many colors that represent love, life, heartache, happiness, joy, pain, grace and wisdom.
Most of all - freedom.
It's not a "normal" vase of flowers. It's an expression of mine.
Full of gratitude.
Cheers,
Bridged