I painted my first series of birds this summer, and it felt like coming home. As the weather cooled down and seasons changed, I had to revisit the concept again - like revisiting an old friend with a fresh perspective.
With my summer birds, I painted mixed media birds on creamy cotton paper. The tactile sensation of the paper, combined with mixed media over a large surface, made each piece a unique creation. But as the leaves started to change and the days became shorter, I felt the urge to explore birds in a different way.
This time around, I wanted to take a step further into the abstract realm, so to speak. In between collections, I often turn to abstract art as a way of taking a deep, internal, artistic breath to refocus. So I was curious about painting birds over an abstract piece. The results? Abstract colours, marks, drips, and chaos, all supporting the main character - the birds - as they perched on top.
There's something so poetic about the juxtaposition of the abstract canvas's mess against the more detailed and delicate birds. The birds, observing the whirlwind of colours and emotions swirling around them. It's like life.
I love the drips and drops and unexpected bits that find their way into the abstract parts of the painting. The unexpected bursts of colour & the surprises that come with the creative process remind me that art, like life, is about embracing imperfections and finding beauty/peace/joy in unplanned moments.
In my artistic practice, I'm reminded that it's not about the final painting (the destination), but the journey. It's about those unexpected moments, the beauty in chaos, the way things don't always turn out how we planned.
My new collection of birds is out now.
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on the sunny side |
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poetic justice |
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magic of small things |
