Spirit and Flow

A few months ago I started working on piece of art for the Chalet livingroom - I had painted before and I knew I wanted to buy a canvas and just see what happened. I was inspired by my friend the artist and ceramist Elena Boiardi - when she installed a new piece in the family room of her home and every member of the family took to the work and added their own stamp. While that was the plan here at the Chalet it did not work out that way - I ended up being the lone artist and I embraced the process.

Spirit and Flow hangs on the wall behind the couch.

Previously I worked with Great Big Canvas and received this wonderful piece a reproduction canvas print of the Vincent van Gogh work Acacia in Flowers, 1890. While I love it - I felt it was too small for the space. It currently hangs in our diningroom and I really love it there.

empty wall

in process

An interesting thing happened during this process - I started painted it from both directions… Yes, when I started there was definitely a top and a bottom but, then I questioned the orientation - the balance of the piece and I went to my friend Elena and shared the work with her because she is a multi-media trained artist and I’m not. So with her support and amazing feedback the painting was flipped and I picked up the brush again with a different mindset.

After the work was finished I still couldn’t decide - possibly because of nerves - maybe because I was over analyzing… so after polling my husband, family and friends - on a lark I took to Instagram stories and asked which way people liked it better. The feedback was remarkable. I was blown away by what people said they saw. It was really such a great exchange and felt so heartfelt.

In the end the art hangs as it shown here on the right. I love it!

I’m currently starting to organize the basement (for the 5th time in as many years) and I want to set up a permanent area to paint! I’ll keep you posted!

Til next time my friends be well!