Journeys on the Night Train

Another experiment in negative painting. I was inspired by dream journeys where I am on a train and see scenes of places I have visited or lived in or simply passed by rushing by through the train windows.

Persephone

This weeks topic was “Gifts from our Roots”.  I was musing on the mixed blessings and curses from my own roots when I thought about the Persephone myth, one that has long resonated with me. 

Because I was taking a bit of a contrarian approach to the topic, I thought it might suit a “negative painting” technique where the foreground images are constructed through hiding parts of the foreground.  

Persephone climbs up the roots from the underworld still clutching a pomegranate.  The seeds she consumed in the Underworld will keep pulling her into darkness.

I like to feel that the seeds of darkness also help one see the light and feel empathatically the darkness withint others. 

 

 

Step 1, background collage.
Step 2. Paint through stencils
Step 3 Define the focal images by painting out the background.

Build and Bloom

This week I reclaimed a page by using black gesso on it and did an organic and inorganic pair of riffs on the spiral form.

Began with black gesso
Added colour with Lindy's magicals
freehand sketch with white Posca pens.