My new series - The Healing Garden - is taking shape. I am delving into colors, textures, and patterns in a new way: referencing flowers and emotionally and mentally transporting myself to my grandmother's garden in Prague (or any other blooming garden that feels both inspiring and safe). In this blog, I am sharing my process: from photo to the finished product. Follow along!
My cousin who lives in Prague and grew up with me in our grandmother's garden sent me several photos of flowers my grandmother tended to with her own hands. These flowers filled my childhood (and that of my brother and cousins) with colors and beauty. In my art practice, I am not interested in copying reality: rather, I use the shapes and composition to create a new interpretation conveying joy and vibrancy of life.
My cousin who lives in Prague and grew up with me in our grandmother's garden sent me several photos of flowers my grandmother tended to with her own hands. These flowers filled my childhood (and that of my brother and cousins) with colors and beauty. In my art practice, I am not interested in copying reality: rather, I use the shapes and composition to create a new interpretation conveying joy and vibrancy of life.
 |  AVAILABLE Acrylic on Yupo, 8x10", $195 |
I have many memories of my grandfather mowing the lawn in the garden so that my grandmother's flowers could stand out. Running around in bare feet and smelling the blooms and later finding fresh flowers in the house: it's the little things I now cherish. My grandmother would mix flowers and create lovely bouquets for birthdays, celebrations, and everyday life. Below, you can see that I reference the photo for some identifiable shapes. I create a sketch in pencil on Yupo (my favorite medium) and then I work in acrylic markers to build the background.
 |  |
The colors quickly become those of my imagination: I feel no pressure to stick to nature's choices. Rather, I grab a marker and let the colors contrast each other or create a sense of flow. When the background layer is finished, I add an immense amount of marks! It's a slow process but funnily enough, I feel the same way about weeding a garden. Do you, too, have a sense of monumental accomplishment when weeds are gone? And the clear space opens up? Adding of the patterns is so satisfying as I cover the larger color blocks with thin lines in repetitive shapes. It's like weeding but in reverse!
 |  |
Et voila! Here is the finished artwork (8x10"). Hours of work that are healing: focus and quiet and rest throughout the process. I am so grateful to be able to create, to take myself to a safe space inside in my memories, and to bring back to the world a sense of joy and restfulness. What do you think? Let me know: I would love to hear from you. Check out the collection HERE.
CLAIMED Acrylic on Yupo, 8x10", $195