In my last all night painting session, I softened the facial features a bit and defined the hand a little more by adding dark spaces and highlights. I decided to dress her rather plainly in navy blue with a white collar, so as not to detract from the focus of the piece which, of course is her eyes, face, and the bird. I also added some texture to the hill and painted the beginning of the little bird. I added some stylized eyelashes above and may choose to put in another lash or two. The lashes I put in at the bottom I am planning to redo shorter and straighter. I still have quite a lot of work to do on this piece and I contine to stop and stare a lot as I define my concept to myself. I am enjoying noticing the little connections this piece makes with my life and how painting from my imagination has enriched my dream life. I have a friend who makes incredible contact with her eyes, communicating her openness and vulnerability, and reaching out without expectation. Her last name is Bird and she is a priest. As I began to develop the clothing in the painting, I realized that I had given the girl a white collar, much like a priest wears. I have also had dreams about this friend after working on the painting. Many things I think about are going into the development of this piece: connection to the natural world superceding all technological development and entertainment, the ability or inabilty to see one’s self, the complexity of emotion and how unwelcome sensitive people are at times. I’ll develop these ideas as a statement about the piece as I grow closer to completion. In the meantime, I’ll let my friend know how she inspires me to reach out to others.
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