Spirit-Self Studying the Book of Sacred Law

Quite the challenge I've set for myself, just listen Jen....

There isn't much I do as one would expect. I've pretty much always been that way, and this year's Call for Entries for one of the exhibits at the Bellefonte Art Museum in January is, wait for it...yes, a self-portrait.

NO, I'm not going to sit in front of a mirror or look at a photo of myself and reproduce it. Of course not! THAT'S not who I am.

The description in the Call for Entries said the exhibit celebrates the museum's 10-year anniversary - and it's our opportunity to let the community know "who we are." Well, I ran with that.

I am a spirit-being-human. I'm an artist. I love using my imagination. I base all my decisions on what I know as "Cosmic Law," or "Universal Law," which is much more beautiful and life-sustaining than contemporary societal laws and regulations.

So with this self-portrait I'm making a little statement about who I am. Hope they let me enter the show even though it's not exactly a predictable piece. It might stick out like a sore thumb among the talented artists who are capable of amazing realism. I don't know if that's what they're looking for, but this is my reality, lol.

You can click on the images to enlarge them.

Awareness of both negative AND positive space
are essential to doing Celtic knotwork.

What a challenge I've set myself! One of the things I'm determined to teach myself is how to draw Celtic knotwork. Lord, I've tried this so many times over the years and it's 'effin MIND-BOGGLING. Yes there are all kinds of computer applications that will draw it for you, but I want to teach my mind and hands to do it. It takes a lot of work and a lot of hours and some long-term staring.

This is the work you don't see behind the scenes.

I didn't include any of the language I expressed while working this out. You're welcome.

I WILL DO THIS! I WILL NOT GIVE UP!

What I discovered is that while staring, and sort of thinking, but really not because too much thinking does get in the way of the stream that happens with doing artwork - what I discovered is that I just need to step out of my way and listen. When I started doing that (people think we're just staring or thinking, but I see this as the time I'm listening and getting guidance about what to do next and how) I realized I'd have a whole lot more luck figuring this out if I focused on negative space (which has always been one of my artistic weaknesses).

So the first thing I did this afternoon, after her skirt, was outline the negative spaces in the pencil drawing of the Celtic border with ink. I'll figure out where the overlaps and underlaps are later. Can't deal with that yet.

My little helpers.

These are the rough guidelines I made just to get the general pattern down. I wish I could use a different color on the actual watercolor paper because to do this pattern you actually need three lines. The inside (red) is the pattern itself, the "flow" of the knotwork, and when drawing it I have to outline it on both sides, so I have three lines, which is where I get boggled. I'll continue to work with it. Am sure I'm learning a lot about Celtic knotwork as I start to make friends with it.

Feeties.

I do like her lovely feet with little feathers on them. She can fly if she wants to. And her skirt was very relaxing to do, though I won't know til I start to paint it whether it's made of feathers or leaves. She's keeping that a secret til the colors start to happen.

Past, Present, Future

I like her choice of reading matter. This is the page in the Sacred Book of Law that teaches us that the Past is our teacher, the Present is our creation, and the Future is our inspiration. A theme I like to work with. I did three paintings on it, which hang, beautifully framed, in the home of my son and his wife : )

When I stopped at about 5 this evening, I went into the kitchen and felt so relieved to see a few dishes waiting to be washed and dinner waiting to be made, and plants needing to be watered. Ah, set aside the work/play, and pour a glass of wine and dream of what we can do tomorrow.... Contrary to what you might think, I can't drink when I'm working because it takes a lot of focus and concentration, but afterwards, heck yeah!

Wish me luck! I have hours more of staring and drawing and many hours of staring and painting, then will take it to be framed. Hopefully will be all done in a couple of weeks.

Time well-spent. Such a pleasure. The colors, I think will be lots of fun to do. They are already starting to play in my mind.

Update - here she is all done! Ta da!

The whole image.

Just Herself.

How'd I do with that Celtic knotwork?

My physical Self struggling with life in the real world.

All framed : ) My husband still has his gloves on -
we delivered it to the museum on a very cold day, brrrr.

This one will be for sale, but the price will be high because there's so much work in it. And it has to be worthwhile to sell. I don't mind having it on the wall in my home ; )

Happy Thursday!

Namaste,
Jen