I hadn’t realized that it’s been ten years since I painted “Family Portrait”, a 30x30 acrylic on canvas that I kept for myself. At that point in my art journey, I has started using drippy paint and washes rather than heavy application. I was experimenting with water markers as well.
I’ve had the reworking of this piece on my to-do list since overhauling my studio/office a month or so ago. The fact is, I just don’t feel this the original piece was something that I think represents me or us as a family.
Early that year in 2012 when I painting this, we had three children, not four. But a month or two later, we found out that our fourth little person would be joining us.
I thought for years how I might add in one last little baby to this piece but simply had no ideas. But today, after sitting down and starting to paint over portions of it, lightening it up quite a bit and softening the lines, the idea came without effort. A section of the new work was starting to look like a long beak. Then I realized that a portion of another area looked like a bird head/body. To top it off, what was the mama’s glutes, ended up looking like a baby bundle. Can you see it? A stork with a bundle of joy, or more specifically, a bundle of boy.
How strange and easy this redux came to me. It was a gift . And even if the composition doesn’t quite hit others as it does precisely coincide with my intent as an artist and mother, I’m very pleased because this was for me/us.
It’s not done, but I’m finished for today. I’m sitting in here with our little German Short Haired pup, listening to Dave Matthews song, “Oh”, that always makes me smile. Did I mention that I got to go to his first sold out concert back in the mid 90’s in Virginia? Pretty cool although that does make me feel a little more “seasoned” then I see myself. I suppose that’s aging. When the “you” that you remember doesn’t exactly match what you see in the mirror or in a swimsuit! Ugh. What the? Not sure where I went, but I’m happy to be there, particularly with my favorite Dave Matthews song on Spotify….
Here’s a larger view of the piece. Still more to do but I got pretty far for a Friday afternoon….
This is the point where the stork inserted himself into my painting…
Message me if you are thinking your family might also need a kinda quirky portrait…