In the flow state
As I neared completion of a commission piece of two dogs on Saturday morning, I reflected on the suggestion made by a potential client early that day. "Would you consider painting Tupac", she wrote.
"Tupac?" I said to myself, trying to picture him in my mind. While I don't mind the odd rap song, l am not even close to being a fan.
I did a Google image search, looked at all the various shots of the former rap icon, and found one that really spoke to me. It kept speaking to me as I painted the dogs, so much so that it was clear and compelling that I had to do him next, as a ME project - something to shake me loose a little.
When I do something for the creative pleasure of it, the first step is always to choose the canvas size. As my fingers walks along the edges of the various sizes that I had in stock, they stopped on the largest square size: 36" x 36". I have only done a handful of paintings that large, and certainly never a single face that big.
The afternoon of painting Tupac was a bit of a blur, as allowed the brush and colours to take me where they wanted to go. The result was something striking and different. By the time I broke for dinner, it was pretty much done. All I needed to do was add the bandana and do the finishing flourishes.
I was out of my head as I was painting this one. Rather, I was in my heart, respond to the minute cues that the universe was giving me as to colour choices, textures, lines and splatters. I have no recollection of the brushes that I used or how I even began. All I remember is that as I was nearing the end I was super wired and super tired. It was lovely.
"Tupac?" I said to myself, trying to picture him in my mind. While I don't mind the odd rap song, l am not even close to being a fan.
I did a Google image search, looked at all the various shots of the former rap icon, and found one that really spoke to me. It kept speaking to me as I painted the dogs, so much so that it was clear and compelling that I had to do him next, as a ME project - something to shake me loose a little.
When I do something for the creative pleasure of it, the first step is always to choose the canvas size. As my fingers walks along the edges of the various sizes that I had in stock, they stopped on the largest square size: 36" x 36". I have only done a handful of paintings that large, and certainly never a single face that big.
The afternoon of painting Tupac was a bit of a blur, as allowed the brush and colours to take me where they wanted to go. The result was something striking and different. By the time I broke for dinner, it was pretty much done. All I needed to do was add the bandana and do the finishing flourishes.
I was out of my head as I was painting this one. Rather, I was in my heart, respond to the minute cues that the universe was giving me as to colour choices, textures, lines and splatters. I have no recollection of the brushes that I used or how I even began. All I remember is that as I was nearing the end I was super wired and super tired. It was lovely.
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