Commissioned Work
Thoughts While Painting "Ally"
I was very inspired by the thoughts, emotions and experiences Carol shared with me. A visual composition came to me that day she expressed her feelings about her daughter. A celestial representation of Ally to give comfort to Carol whenever she gazes at the night sky. I was very excited when I began painting the Milky Way and the deep space it sits in. I felt a sense of bewilderment. It took layers upon layers of paint and color to create a sense of depth behind the stars. I really enjoyed the process and it lifted my creative spirit. As I started to gently render Ally’s face floating in the constellation I felt moved. I’ve never felt such freedom and inspired brush strokes as her features began to rise from the paint. It was not my goal to create a portrait of Ally but to create a new celestial being, a spiritual likeness of her. When I studied the way I had portrayed her head tilting forward looking down I felt touched as if I could feel her eyes looking down towards the earth. I was hesitant to paint the wine glass but I came to a realization that it was very important. The wine glass is the vessel that carries the love Ally has for her Mother. That love drops down from the stars, from Ally every time Carol looks into the night sky. When I finished depicting the final touches on the painting I stepped back and felt an instant emotion. It wasn’t sad, it wasn’t happy it just was. It brought tears to my eyes.