Wild and Precious

"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"

Mary Oliver

 

 

"Size: Wild and Precious"

30" x 30"

 

 

This painting is all about layers. It is actually several paintings, each layered on top of each other.

 

I began simply by painting ornamental circles.

 

Then I transferred an image I had sketched on a large piece of paper.

 

Once I had the image transferred, I began color blocking the second layer of the painting. This included both the figure and repainting new circles on top of the old ones.

 

 

 As I continued to paint the figure, I made sure the layers from the previous painting would show through. I love how the circles show through on her arm.

 

 

The third layer of the painting involved reclaiming some of the previous background designs by adding detailed white pin stripes.

 

 

 

The final touch: using a subtle and lighter shade of blue to highlight around the design elements.

 

The final painting shows evidence of four very distinct layers.