It Lights the Whole Sky

Even after

All this time

The sun never says

to the Earth, 

"You owe me." 

Look what happens

With a love like that

It lights the whole sky.

-Hafiz

"It Lights the Whole Sky"

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My original paintings are available in my online gallery.

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Inspired by Matisse and Hafiz - Part 1

I completed this painting...with only one major flub along the way. One. That's not too bad, right? Here's the finished painting and below are several images on its way to its final stage (including the flub one, of course).

"Inspired by Matisse and Hafiz"

Once the positioning of the figures had been decided upon
I painted a quick rendition of them.

I gave the figures bodies.

I darkened their tones and left their bodies featureless
because my goal was to keep them racially and gender neutral.

I painted the words to the poem...and...Doh!
I found out I'd left out one line.

So I painted over the lines above where I'd missed a line
and repainted the poem. And done!

What a truly wonderful painting to work on. I love doing commissioned pieces. I feel like I grow with each one.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale and I welcome commissions.

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Inspired by Matisse and Hafiz - Part 1

I was commissioned to do a piece that is in a different category than the other commissions I've had. Rather than being given a photo to base the painting on, I was given a poem and a couple of concept ideas. And it has been so much fun getting out of what was more of a comfort zone for me and into abstract interpretation. Seriously...fun!!!

The lovely person who wanted this piece thought that perhaps Matisse style figures and a house would make a lovely background for the poem. So after loading a page of Matisse paintings on my computer and reading the poem by Hafiz a number of times for inspiration, I got started.

My first step was to paint a horizon and then add a house
in the background and some trees in the foreground.

I added details to the house and the ground.
Are you seeing Matisse in this yet?

I added more details...trees (I added one in the background, too),
the house, a walkway, and a stone pathway. I added some figures
as well and sent it to my client to see if I was on the right track.

She wanted the figures to be bigger, so before I painted them
I created a bunch of mockups to check on positioning.
This is one of the mockups.

This is another mockup. There were nine total.

I should have the finished piece ready to post tomorrow. I'm so grateful for my client's fabulous eye and ideas with this project! I think she's been totally right on. Loving how it's progressing!

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale and I welcome commissions.

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!