By Chris, March 20, 2020

As an artist, I’ve learned to let my creativity flow through me. Yes there are times when I set out to create something specific, researching and utilizing the technology that is at our fingertips to reference certain aspects of my creations. There are times when I get a vision, a concept that I wish to transfer to canvas or paper what my minds eye sees, and It doesn’t go according to plan or it is a downright disaster! guess what? I still created. I still flexed my creative muscles and went through the motions. The journey of creating. No loss there. I have learned that those times are crucial for the evolvement of my skills. A learning experience. I think the hardest part of blogging about my artwork and listing them on Etsy is coming up with a title. I don’t typically think of titles. I create and they just are. Maybe I give a generic name because it doesn’t mattering the grand scheme of things. Maybe I create for the eyes that gaze upon it to get lost in it, to be moved and touched so they can name it. Who knows.

What I do know is that i don’t usually gravitate towards creating portraits or people. However my last post was “The spiral connection” . So what gives?! well perhaps there’s more to it than ” oh , it’s coincidence”

i would have loved to have taken a pic of the start of this journey, when there was just this beautiful face staring back at me. Before background was even a thing, but alas, This is where the journey starts for you visually, I will catch you up.

I went up into my loft. My sacred space . I decided to create there with this sketch. It just felt right. I put the pencil to paper and started drawing…..after a bit of being in the zone i stepped away and saw this beautiful woman staring back at me. I imediately felt she had a Native American vibe. At this point I was unsure of where it was going and what message this piece was going to convey.

After lightly sketching her out, I just knew that she was to stay black and white. The background was for sure to be in color. I chose oil pastels because I knew the colors had to be rich and they would give me the flexibility of rich saturation and grainy surface texture based on how I applied them. I started laying down the background and moved back to this Native American beauty. Deepening and darkening her long black hair.
I bounced back and forth between her and the background. Each layer bringing them more to life. The feathers and highlights in her hair illuminated by the red sand/soil and the sun that shines vibrantly in the sky , casting colors and light that shine so bright, and the forest beneath her was created with specific sight.
Here She is this beauty. Love. Completely finished.

Just like the Fairy in my spiral connection sketch. She too has a story to tell. Perhaps thsat is why she came to me to translate her on to paper for all to see. She is connected to nature. We all are you see. She represents the heart of humanity. I left her black and white purposely. Look into her eyes. Her face. She is not without color. She walk the land and is as much a part of it as it is of her. The sun in the sky that shines so bright represents Fire. along with the red soil. It gives her energy, guides her with it’s light. Brings her fiery passion, love, motivation and creativity. Love for her surroundings . Living in peace and harmony. The beach reeds that are swaying represent Air. it represents her openness to communication . She not only speaks with kindness, she listens and hears truth. She uses her clarity and insight to commune with nature and humanity. The water represents her emotions, her ability to move like water. Let her emotions flow. Feel her emotions and let them go so negativity cannot take control. She is guided by her intuition. A woman of the land. A sacred part of humanity that lends a healing hand. The forest represents Earth. She is grounded, centered and still, She grows in wisdom and knowledge . Like the mighty oak she may bend but she does not break. With every breath she is alive . She is a representation. of how we shoukd all live. Our human race.

She is full of life and color for all of thst is reflected in her face. The mountsins, the mist, the forest, and water dow below , they are her heart . What gives her life . The connection. Lifes ebb and flow.