Past, Present, Future Painting

The Guiding Star (click on the images to enlarge them)

The Faerie

My muse has been visiting me again, and this time we've created a wonderful image that is part of a triptych based on the Past, the Present, and the Future. This drawing is a detail of the faerie at the cusp of her past and present, right at the moment when she succeeds in reaching for the stars and finally makes contact.

The Past is Your Teacher (Graphite Drawing)

Here's the entire image before I painted it. I love the delicacy of line in the drawing, the looseness, the flow. As she makes contact with her lucky star, she becomes empowered by the light and energy flowing into her from the star, who's a magical being, much like herself. The moon is there watching over her, as always, a constant in her world. (Yes, my Moon has elfin ears, lol)

The Image with Ink

I did the outlining with Winsor and Newton Nut Brown ink, using a quill pen with a number 512 Hunt quill tip pen. I like the control I can get with this pen, it handles curves well and will give me very thin or somewhat thicker lines depending on pressure. The paper is 140 lb Arches hot pressed watercolor block. Hot pressed means the paper is very very smooth with nearly no texture, which allows me to control the line and to get very fine detail.

The Moon begins to glow behind her.

I like to use Winsor and Newton watercolors because they perform reliably as I apply layers of color glazing to build up depth. I also applied a little masking fluid to select areas before painting in order to reserve areas I could later paint in soft bright colors.

Her Guiding Star comes alive, as her little Guardian Star  cheers, Hurray! 

The little Guardian star has been with her all her life, cheering her on. She has learned to meditate and in the peace of those moments discovers a higher connection. Her Guiding Star (the larger one) transfers energy and light, empowering her to bring her message to the world.

Detail of her Guardian Star, did you know we all have one?

The border shows that as she grew from faerie childhood into her adulthood, her little Guardian star inspired her to hold her dreams close, sleep, laugh, meditate, reach, dance, love, not to give up on her dreams, to share, to learn, and to grow. 

The Final Painting - 33 hours later

Detail of the Finished Faerie

So now that this one's done, I'm on to the second in the triptych - "The Present is Your Creation." I will post about it when it's a bit further along.

One of my New Year's resolutions is to paint paint paint because I've missed it, and I feel so many paintings pushing to get out. They want to be shared with you. In order to do that I'll most likely start another Etsy site, where I can sell the prints, and also a Zazzle site so that you can choose what type of decorated item you'd like to purchase - it could be a coffee mug or a pillow, a notepad, or a water bottle decorated with my image - I'll be figuring out how to set this up later this year. First the painting, then the production. 

It looks like it's going to be a very exciting year!

Best wishes to you as your New Year unfolds as well.

Thanks for checking in--

Namaste