Sacred Teacher, a new painting

 I've been on a painting streak lately, which is a wild cry from where I was even a month ago.  I'm happy to be back at the easel again.  grateful the muse has returned!

for this one I morphed 2 photos together from unsplash, my favorite place to get royalty free photographs from talented artists wanderings, and some lovely models.  I knew I wanted to work with deer energy, not remembering what said energies were at the beginning, but I was drawn to the deer.  I found an image of a young woman holding her drum to her chest, and felt the two images would do nicely together.

first i sketched and lay down color, then I collaged some papers I had played with some time ago.  I wanted a ball of energy coming from the top of the woman head, so knew where that paper was going immediately.  I wanted some texture to this one

then I added some energetic brush strokes

to tone down the color I dripped some red iron oxide down the painting

then I added leaves to create an environment to the scene, to complement the leaves in her hair, and to frame the composition a bit

I then wanted the woman and deer to stand out, so added a blue energy around them both and worked on their details.  I added green to the leaves

getting closer to finished, and tending the details now.  I added more to the leaf areas, and small details that dont add much until you really look closely.  it does my heart good to tend to my creations, as long as I dont become too fussy with it all.

I added some gold dots around the drum, and on the tips of the leaves

and I added a water element at the bottom, to continue the framing of the piece with color and texture.  I also scratched some meaningful words into the water.

"Sacred Teacher of the Land"

Jenny Gabrenas, 2020

trust your instincts as you gain knowledge, child.  you are striving to become wiser by leaps and bounds.  as you do, know you can trust the urgings you feel.  be mindful of others' truths.  do not let ego run them over.  no truth is more real than another, for we are one.  listen to every truth, combine them into one, and there will be your path to peace.

a few of my favorite places to look at in this one;

her sweet face

"trust in the flow of living"

I'm thinking this piece may be finished, but will be with her for a few days before adding it to the store with my last painting this weekend.  

update, I added some more flora to the background of the piece and darkened the deer

until later,

Jenny

The Weary Lightworker, a new painting

I've been in a creative mood lately it seems, which fits me fine!  a bit of dabbling in paint after a bit of dabbling in the garden has been very soothing lately.  my soul needs a break from all the heavy stuff, and this painting is a reflection of that.

per usual, I started with a pose I liked via unsplash.com and used it for body position and shadow reference.  I was also inspired by a class by Lucy Cooke in Lets Face It 2020 where she created a "Modern Matisse".  I knew I wanted to try my hand at a bit more pattern, more background to my painting, but I wanted it also in a style more my own.

this was the pose I was drawn to for this class.

(forgive the placement issue, blogger has changed the format and I'm not used to it yet.  not sure it will do everything I wish it to)

I sketched out the pose;

added some bold color;

then I found a painting by Matisse that felt good to me and found some colors

then to start painting!

and at this point, and for the rest of the painting I wondered "what have I done!?"

The Weary Lightworker 

8/6/2020 Jenny gabrenas
her crown is askew as she takes a rest. she reflects on how to continue her work, as she loves this world so deeply.

I fiddled way too much with the feet/legs that aren't even close to the center of attention.  everything else seemed ok, but those non-important (and off the canvas of the original photo) feet really threw me for a loop.  I finally am to the point of aquiescense with the appendages, and might be finished with the effort of fiddling with such unimportant details.   the problem is they are all I see right now.  

so, I now turn my attention to the things I like about this painting;

I adore the message.  she is me.  I love the world and it's inhabitants.  I wish to help spread the light to all souls in order to help rise above the chaos, but I am so very weary.  I will take my time to rest when I am overwhelmed by things, adjust my crown and get back to it.  

I love her sweet little face and her crooked crown, symbolizing my humanness.  my faults that are present because I am here on earth and have forgotten what my spirit knows.

I love the textures in the background and the pink peeking through.  I love the white and pink chair.  I love the folds in her clothes.  I love her hair.

so, there are many aspects of this work that I really can appreciate, so I will keep my focus on those.  and, thats exactly how I can keep my calm during my difficult times.  I will focus on the good.  what do I like?  what is good here, now?  where is the pretty color, where is my joy?

I hope this painting gives you some joy, something to focus on, something that can inspire you to rest, take a breath and adjust your own crown.

until later,

Jenny

I actually painted!

hey, people!  I do hope you find this in peace and health.  my heart is with the world and all it's people right now.

I've been busy with life stuff; gardening and all the learning involved; canning, and all the learning involved; organizing and purging, and making goals and dreams of how my future is going to look.  and... I've not been painting.

until today!

and I'm thrilled with how she is unfolding to me!

you might recall how she used to look, and the story of her here.

this is her as she looked this morning, waiting for me to help her story unfold;

and her progress;

I wanted to keep her loose and not care about the reference photo or to keep proportions or anything technical like that.  this is play at it's best, and I like the relaxed way I feel when painting without judgement.

I'm not totally finished with her yet.  I'm gonna play with her glasses frames to see how that looks to me.  I had some gold in them that is still showing and I like the glitter.  I also have gold on her earring, so want to bring more in.  but, she's basically there.

updated to show a bit of tending I did the next morning;

"The Adjustment

started as the Virus of 2020 was just beginning, she has come to be a mentor to me.  She tells me to adjust my sails when the wind isn't blowing the direction I wish.  To learn, to grow, and to change my point of view as new things become revealed.  And to hold my rose-colored dreams as sacred and something to always work toward."

stay safe and stay true to you, my sweet friends.

until later,

Jenny