ArtistJoyful Notes | Dena McKitrick

Lady in Red

The Lady in Red

The Lady in Red Jacket is another inner spirit portrait, unsolicited. She didn’t wish to sit for her portrait. She’s busy emerging… Words appeared as I was painting. I inscribed some of them on the sides of the canvas:

As she emerged from the new dawning
of the sunlight of her spirit, she became aware
of her connection to her highest good,
whereupon she leaned into her spine
and stepped out into the wonderously new version
of her same life in her power,
with confidence and wonder,
joy driven, alive, awake and ready…

← Cracks of Gold Awakening Sometimes Means Remembering →

Cracks of Gold

We finished filing our taxes last night. Another efforted race to the finish line, jabbed right in the middle of this new start on which I am embarking (Inner Spirit Portraits).

I feel cracked open. I feel tender, fragile and strong. I wrote recently in the Daily Napkin of the Japanese practice of Kintsugi: the practice of mending broken pots or other ceramics with gold. The pots become even more precious for their cracks of gold.

I believe it is also true of us humans. Our broken places, healed, make us strong, life ever more precious.

Every time I step out into the unknown, my heart cracks open. It’s not comfortable, still it lets the light shine through. I’m really excited to be moving more into doing that which I am guided to do. And afraid too. Even when I know I’ll be mended by bright golden light, I wince for at least the tiniest moment, in anticipation of the crackle and pop as my being experiences spiritual stretch marks.

Inner Spirit Portrait

So, I keep getting hung up in preparation. I decided I’m just going to leap. I can adjust my wings as I learn to fly. I will be offering you an inner spirit portrait at the upcoming Spiritual Fair at Sunlight of the Spirit in Sacramento. I’d love to see you there!

Image Capture

So, here is the final version of the Spirit Portrait I was working on. I added a few more layers of both transparent watercolor and then also of prismacolor pencil. Then I played a few moments with the new acrylic pen (black paint, as well as another with white paint).

I tried to tone down the hair, however, there was no way that it would have it. Calls um like I sees um, I suppose. It’s not always what I see with the physical eye though. Sometimes energy’s brilliance wins out.

After completing this one, I still had quite a bit of wet yellow paint because the tip exploded when I attempted to quietly un-clog it. I couldn’t figure out how to get it back in the bottle, so I grabbed a blank canvas and spread the rest of the yellow paint on it.

Next I took out the new black paint pen, because I wanted to play with it a bit more. I LOVE this pen. It really is exactly what I imagined it would be. This resultant painting is not particularly pleasant or good or anything, but it sure felt good and fun creating it.

There will be much more to come created using this new instrument. UH-huh. It sparked all kinds of ideas.

As Things Percolate – Pen and Ink

While my next big move is percolating, I fell back to my go to – pen and ink. . .

So the big idea about doing Spirit Portraits is in the works. Actually, I’ve fully realized that I have all that I need to do them at hand already, and that I myself am ready.

First off, I was making things far too complicated. I don’t need to re-invent the wheel. A good friend of mine pointed that out in a very kind way.

The least expensive Spirit Portraits will be done on 8.5″x11″ Watercolor paper. I will do the first few layers of background before someone comes to me, as that is the most time consuming part. Since I will have several done before a session, I can choose the background start that matches the aura/colors that I perceive. In this way, I should be able to complete the quickest portrait within 1/2 hour.

I’ll be next looking for a public venue to do portraits (like on a second Saturday). Any ideas?

The Joy of Experimenting – a Portrait Layer by Layer

One portrait layer by layer

It’s so way past my bedtime. Still, I couldn’t make myself stop and go to bed. Although I had a reluctant model (she loves being her age, but does not like to look like it), my brush and pencils did not wish to quit. This Spirit Portrait still has quite a ways to go. However, Prudence insists on having her way.

I’m going to show you the process of painting this Inner Spirit portrait layer by layer.

Step 1a – Sketch in watercolor pencil. Sometimes I use prismacolor pencil, or Utrecht/Blick colored pencils. However, the watercolor pencil seems to prove the most flexible and quick on canvas for the portrait work.

Layer 1b – Wet watercolor pencil on face. The time benefit of this pencil is apparent in this layer. I can wash around laying in the basic skin tone at the same time that I start defining the shapes and shadow very quickly.

Layer 2 – Watercolor Pencil. Here, with both pencil and brush in hand, I lay out the basic portrait composition, quickly.

Layer 3 – I lay on broad areas of transparent liquid acrylic, then cover those areas with plastic wrap, while they are still wet.

Layer 4. At this point, I enter a deeper engagement with spirit. There is a lot of joy in the process of finding what/who appears with my colored pencils. Sometimes they are readily visible, other times a bit more reluctant. Always there are surprises, and those who appear for others to discover, not me. I started my art journey drawing. It is my natural go to. It feeds that part of me that loves to do detail and define surfaces.

I also use more very thin washes of the liquid acrylics for defining large shapes and shadowed areas, as well as even more plastic wrap to reveal any additional lurkers willing to be discovered with the pencil.

At this point tonight, it is far too late to continue. Suffice it to say, that I will keep building up the portrait layer by layer until the painting says it is complete.

Note: For the final image, reference the day I finished it.