Up High, with my Feet Well Planted
Up High, with my Feet Well Planted. A lovely commission for a lovely person, 30x40in acrylic on panel
As I revisit all the conversations we had to make this piece happen, I am in awe frankly of what our time period covered. Lots of celebrations and excitement, but also our share of heartache, worry, and sadness.
Which makes this painting so crucial in helping to remember all the good that is still happening.
Angela had an inspiration through this meditation. The meditation was our base, we video-talked to give it a frame, and we kept building up. First the research drawings, then a mood board to agree on colors and style. Then from 4 initial sketches, she liked the connection to the earth, the flowers, the figure holding something, and the face toward the sky.
So then these ideas flourished:
IDEA 1: The figure holding the lightest spot, from where the mandala of the 4 elements (earth, fire, wind, and water) radiates and ends with a couple of her favorite flowers (lotus and magnolias) with a circle made up of her mantras.
The extra circle is mostly decorative, but the circle representing eternal. The lines like the sun's rays with the little dots like stars.
Instead of feet, this figure’s base is rooted in the world. The roots weave into the words that she pointed are important to her, all connected to the word: LOVE.
The dress is flowy and twirling around. The bubble-like details on the dress would have been little line drawn icons representing the things that are important to her.
IDEA 2:
The figure soaking up the light. The figure, representing her, on top of her world that is made up of the important things in her life, is hard to read but makes a really neat pattern that transitions into the dress pattern of nature.
Flowers on the head are peonies and dahlias with the greenery from the dress. I used the green from crown to feet to symbolized connection.
Earth is represented by the world where she stands, fire by the sun, water by the little yet abundant raindrops on the white layer. And wind by the swirling white lines.
Very soft silhouettes of her important items march in the rhythm of the wind.
So do her mantras.
The FINAL was a compilation of favorite parts with small adjustments. The figure is actively reaching up, not just looking up. The mantras make all the sun circles, the compass denoting 4 directions is at the very center of the light. The wind is more subtle with silhouettes of her important things dancing through it.
the final digital sketch
Honestly, I was afraid of messing the painting up, and to even start and tackle it, it is a BIG panel. And then the head-trash on my ability to translate the sketch into the canvas wasn’t pretty.
I asked for help and I went high-tech because I liked the proportions on the sketch. I used a HoloLens (lucky that my husband works in virtual and augmented reality) so he figured out how to add the image to the device so I could get the proportions right. The drawing was easily done, so that meant I had to start painting…
THE BACKGROUND:
I was trembling and finding excuses not to start, but I ‘force’ myself to do it by squeezing the paint onto the palette (acrylic dries quickly) and if I didn’t use it it was going to go to waste, I am not a waster, therefore I had to paint!
I painted the background first and I had SO much fun once I started. Mixing the colors and playing with the transitions, with some fun background Latin music, was a great experience.
I loved hearing the comments as my family all came to the studio at different times. We all liked it.
THE WORLD:
Such fun and easy idea digitally because the eraser tool in the proper layer made it a breeze.
On the panel that was a different story, I had to think backwards and figure out how to mimic that effect and make it easier rather than painstaking painting around letters 1 by 1.
So after some experimentation, I loaded my calligraphy pen with resist, normally used in watercolor to block out the words. Resist is like liquid plastic that repels water, in this case, water media - acrylic paint. The challenge was writing with ‘invisible' ink on a dark surface, you can tint it to make it easier to see, but I didn’t want it to change the underlayer color, so I took my chances.
I still painted carefully around the written words, but it was a lot easier.
The purpose was to create a pattern for the world, so I ended up scrapping some paths to blend and connect the words together all through this area.
Can you find all these words? Love, peace, harmony, spirit, nature, unity, meditation, movement, writing, play, music, gratitude, mindfulness, love, Charlie, community, connection, magic, flow, trust, joy, hiking, and dancing.
THE FIGURE:
Nailing the hands and feet was an adventure. I took so many contorted pictures of myself to have a reference. For the feet, I had to recruit help! Hands and feet are intimidating to draw, let alone paint, so easy to make them look like sausages.
I drew the feet on paper first and scaled the drawings to fit. then I was finding little cut out feet in interesting places.
The dress was next. It took about 4 layers to make it rich and deep purple. Some parts play an optical illusion; it is not realistic, so I can get away with a lot more. I loved the warmth of the yellow at the tail by the hand.
For the hair, I blocked the dark areas with an underpainting of purple, then worked from light to dark.
I pictured the flower crown abundant and full and it worked! I borrowed the dress colors and lighten them up. Oh, how I like painting flowers.
DETAILS AND ALL THE WHITE ELEMENTS:
The sun or light source hosts in its very middle the compass pointing to the 4 directions. From there sprouts a mandala celebrating the 4 elements (earth, fire, water, wind) and there are a few favorite flowers intertwine in the midst. The mandala ends by being surrounded and encased in Angela’s mantras, 3 layers of mantras. I had to get a blacklight out to make it easier to see the white on white painting.
And finally the wind, as the path through which Angela’s important symbols dance. They are faint, but once I point them out you may see them.
There is SO much in this painting, is like a collection of 5 in 1. A big part of its beauty is in all the meaning that it carries not only for Angela but for me.
I thought I could sum up this painting in 1 word, I couldn’t but 3 may work: PATIENCE, JOY, and GROWTH.
PATIENCE: In the timing. Angela had a vision of her painting, inspired by meditation, I too listened to it like 20 times, waiting for it.
I had summarized my custom process and had it ready, ‘‘if you build it, they will come'‘, and I had set a monthly goal of what I wanted to make that particular month, this commission came at the right time and helped me achieve that goal.
JOY: When someone you admire, honors, and values what you do. When what is on your head translates to the drawing and the sketch to a painting. When your whole family helps you carry, take pictures, use technology, model, and praise you. When your friend has to go to the same place as your painting’s destination and you get to deliver it personally.
GROWTH: I was hiding, tackling the monster panel was not a small endeavor. Doing new things that stretched me, is not comfortable but exhilarating. Finding ways to get going, keep squeezing the paint out of the tube Cristina!
If you read all the way here, THANK YOU!
I am grateful for Angela’s gifts of kindness, care, and of holding space. She made conquering the monster panel joyful .
Ta-dah!