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| Arms Wide Open |
It started with the word pure. That was the first thing on my canvas, and I was reacting to the idea of purity the whole time I worked on this painting. I found that, in my mind, purity and hot pink don’t typically share much common ground. Interesting. When I started working on this project, I had just finished a calligraphy grouping to be exhibited where we attend church based on Philippians 4:8. “… whatever is pure… let your mind dwell on these things…” I found myself thinking that we don’t often speak of the idea of purity in our culture, unless it is talking about spring water. Do we no longer value purity? What immediately comes to your mind when you hear that word?
$1950.00 plus shipping and handling
36" x 36"
Painted with artist quality heavy-body acrylic paint on 1.5” deep gallery wrapped canvas
Edges painted black
When it came time to choose a color palette that would tie together the idea of purity with the brilliance of hot pink and fluorescent orange, I found myself drawn to the colors of sunrise over the woods during this autumn season. I am continually surprised at how God uses hot pink in the autumn sky, and yet it looks beautiful with the colors that we typically would call autumn colors. Again, it is an interesting juxtaposition of two things that seem to be at odds. So in the sketches for this painting, I notated (and to some extent colored with colored pencil) some of the color notes I was seeing in these autumn sunrises, both on bright days and on mostly cloudy ones.
Part of the process of this work was choosing a strong composition. More and more often, lately, I find that I like to have interesting areas of the painting that are at the edge and seem to continue off the edge of the canvas. I know what I am feeling when I choose that, but I am not sure how to frame it in words. If I were gesturing while I was telling you about it, my arms would held out from my sides, wide open. I suspect that I am trying to communicate something that is much bigger than what I can fit onto that surface.
I drew several thumbnail sketches with concepts to work from, and found that I really liked all of them! So my final painting is kind of a blend of all of them. Adapting the painting to my concept as I see what is happening on the canvas is one of my favorite parts of making new works. It calls for my vision, my creativity, my intuition, and my understanding all working together to bring new things to canvas.
When I posted my painting on social media as a work in progress, I asked viewers what they saw in it. My favorite response suggested it was a map, not of physical places, but of emotional responses to challenging circumstances. Yes! I think that is a good connection that the viewer had with what and how I painted! I love it so much when someone can “read” what I paint, whether or not I could put the meaning into words as I work.
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
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