Description

What inspired you to paint Epiphany? 

Shortly after I went to a painting workshop in New Orleans, I began this painting. The workshop hadn’t gone very well, and I did not get along with the teacher. Afterwards, I felt like I could paint more freely and in a brand new way.  Ironically, being constrained and made uncomfortable by a teacher helped me see myself more clearly as an artist. Sometimes, you need to know what you don’t want, to know what you want. He made that clear. I went home after the workshop and finished a whole lot of paintings. Maybe to prove something to myself and that teacher.  It was a leap and an epiphany.

What were her challenges? 

I was separated from her for a while. I left her in Seattle with a friend and didn’t reconnect with her until about a month later. When I got her back, I was in complete flow with her. She came so easily to me. After one session, I knew her direction, and sometimes that is scary.  I don’t want to mess it up.  I wanted her to have a bit better structure, but not too much. I wanted deep, bold, dramatic colors, but lightness, too. I wanted movement in her, too. I wanted her to feel like an explosion. I worked on that.

What techniques did you use?

I used different kinds of brushes, including a fan brush (Bob Ross likes these), a rubber scrapper, and a squeegie. I also painted with my dirty paint water to mute the colors. I used fluorescent colors, and I love to use Prussian blue for so many reasons, including depth and shadows as well as to mix with brighter colors, too.  I find it’s better than black. After the initial underpainting, I painted her with a light touch, carving the flowers from the background, adding to the light, shadows, and shape of her, pulling her out of the initial inspiration and making her glow (I hope).