Hi all y’all!
I am excited about this painting. I feel like it is gorgeous in the way The Kiss is gorgeous. I have carried this frame all around the country for more than 20 years. I think my mom picked it up in an estate sale. It seems very old.
One of the reasons that the painting turned out well is because I planned the painting. I know, wild, right?
I chose thin plywood, painted on 2 coats of black gesso, then marked the solder lines with chalk. I think this preplanning is key to the painting’s success.
The second reason I believe it turned out well is some kind of painting magic. I have had this painting in my head for a while. I knew I wanted her arms and hands out stretched. I wanted her strong with a few visible muscles and not super thin. The colors were important.
The magic part seemed to happen with the colors in her tail. They kind of painted themselves. I like how her hair floats with a tiny suggestion of light and a few bubbles.
Well, that is a lot of description.
Not the best photographs, but trust me.
I put words on the painting under her outstretched arms, “Take Up Space”. It’s a message to women who were never taught that it is OK to take up space. It is necessary to consciously think about this if it seems hard to do. Do you step to the side when people pass you on the sidewalk or is it mutual respect? Do you become small in a group?
This painting was fun. I have loved this frame for quite a while.
Take care. Remember to vote.
Gator Girl Art 