gifts to be remembered

TITLE: GIFTS TO BE REMEMBERED. Prints available in my etsy shop.

Lately I've been thinking a lot about how everything we experience in life shapes us and offers us the opportunity to grow. For this painting, I played a lot with collage. I rummaged through closets and drawers and grabbed anything I found that made my heart sigh.

I searched for things I'd buried in drawers-those old pages from the manuscript I wrote a few years ago, the notes I took in my children's novel writing classes, the directions to the writing conferences I attended, the lease from my old condo in Chicago, the grocery receipts from my six week writing workshop in New Hampshire. All things I've slowly moved away from, but things that still mean much to me. And I wanted to honor, celebrate and remember those important moments in my life. 

You may remember this painting- a work-in progress I revealed to you a few weeks ago. Can you see my new painting GIFTS TO BE REMEMBERED in there? I had worked so hard on this girl's skirt, cutting each half oval from origami paper and you can still see those ovals, they're just covered with loads of acrylic paint. I was having a ton of trouble finding her face and character. My heart wasn't into it, even though I loved that skirt.

After weeks of her sitting just like this in my studio, I realized it would be the perfect painting to play with and add all of those pieces of paper from my past that I wanted to remember. So, I layered and layered all of those memories and infused them into what became this painting.  

 TITLE: GIFTS TO BE REMEMBERED. The Original Mixed Media Painting available in my etsy shop.

And you know what the funniest thing is? That gift she's holding. I didn't even plan that. I cut an oval for her belt and adhered that yellow square as the buckle. Then, without thinking (so key...) I drew those three looped-di-loops on top and that black line down the center to make the perfect tied ribbon. Even the part that became her hands holding this surprise treasure were actually the bottom part of the original belt. It just so happened they were skin-toned and fit right at the point where her hands would be. Amazing! I LOVE it when that happens!

I stepped back and thought, "What the heck is that? She's holding a gift? Who is this girl? And why on earth does she have a gift?" If I would have let myself stop there, I probably would have covered it up and turned that gift into a pretty belt. But then there was the a-ha moment. 

I had been so focused on painting a girl with a fancy ruffled dress that I nearly missed the meaning. Those little pieces of paper, all of the memories and moments I remembered while creating this piece, as I was bringing them up and letting many go, I felt an incredible freedom. And slowly, I realized they are all 

GIFTS TO BE REMEMBERED.

I have so many other new paintings to share with you later this week too! I can't wait! Beautiful birds and owls were definitely my theme over the weekend. And I picked up some lovely new art supplies and am so excited to share some new techniques I discovered using them too!