Friends at last...

Finished at last! I apologize for the image not being very clear, I am in the process of saving my pennies for a digital 35 mm, but until then...

This painting is the first of a series of paintings I decided to commit to a few months back. I've never created a series or body of specific art, usually I dabble in whatever strikes my fancy at the moment. This dabbling, however, has resulted in my longing to truly stretch my creative muscles. I actually finished the second painting for this series last night and I am happy to report my muscles are being stretched and it feels good!

Speaking of stretched, the format is a stretched 12x12 canvas, a size I've never worked in other than in scrapbooking. I have always painted rather largely and have completely fallen in love with this size. My medium of choice for this series is acrylic paint, but when I started sketching and making notes pre-paint I made the decision to incorporate layered elements. For the background, or "wall" of the painting I transferred printed paper to give the illusion of old wallpaper. This was the first time I've ever attempted an image transfer and technically it wasn't a success, but visually I couldn't be happier with the result. A happy accident for painting #1. I used fabric for the dresses and then added a layer of paint to alter the palette and create a little zing with that turquoise-y blue.

As far as iconography, well, if you know me you probably have already figured out at least one of these girls represents me and if you know me really well then you know both girls actually represent me (the bangs and braids had to be a dead give away). There are also personal elements used in the room such as the checkered floor (a throw back to the floor we had placed in our home in OKC) and Kit Kat clock (a Christmas gift from my parents a million years ago).

I guess in a nutshell this painting illustrates my personal evolution from girl to woman and how one certainly couldn't exist without the other. In the last five or so years I have been learning to accept who I am, where I come from, what I've encountered along the way and appreciating how these elements in my life make me Catie. This is not an easy journey and one some choose not to even encounter. Finding my worth and learning to embrace all of what makes me who I am has been difficult and oh, so rewarding and the really great thing is I get to embark on this journey for the rest of my life! I suppose this painting is just a snapshot of me befriending my past in order to trek confidently into my future.

Comments

Laresa said…
Sometimes it's so hard befriending our past, but it generally serves our future well if we do! I commend you for taking on this personal and very creative project!
2:02 PM
Lady and Tater said…
Hey! I changed my blog permissions, so please email me yours, robbies, Laresa's and Laura's email address so I can add you guys as "readers".

LOVE the painting, Catie!
12:48 PM
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