30 PAINTINGS IN 30 DAYS, DAY 10

In keeping with the theme of weddings, I was just reminded of this painting that I recently created. I was one of 53 artists and photographers invited to participate in Nassau County’s Women of the World juried art exhibit. The theme was a day in the life of a woman. Besides getting married and having my two babies, what resonated with me was the day my children got married. Helping my daughter plan her wedding eight years ago was a fun-filled, action packed year. I very rarely get to play dress-up, as I am usually covered in paint all day, with my hair in a ponytail. The day was magical and I felt like a princess, beaming from ear to ear all day, knowing how happy my daughter was. More recently, my son’s wedding was another great opportunity for me to knock myself out! As he is my youngest child, I felt like this was the last time I would ever have a reason to be as fancy as I could be. After months of gown shopping, I found a beautiful, beaded bronze mermaid style gown. I felt like a movie star, and was told I looked like a country singer!

Creating an exact replica wasn’t my intention.  In fact, the only similarity between the painting and my gown is the mermaid style.  I didn’t sketch anything out first.  I just took my paint to the canvas, and got started.  The color changed a few times, until I realized how much I love red gowns.  Next, I worked on the background, and played with the jewel tone colors until they were just right.  Not wanting the gown to look suspended in thin air, I added the hanger as the final touch.

So here you have it, “Radiant”, acrylics on canvas.