| |
| click images below for alternate view |
| |
 |
 |
 |
|
Le Ciel (Heaven)
Michelle Matisse
(see more by this artist)
Original 48"x48", Acrylic and silver leaf
Well, after the onslaught of color over the last few paintings the assignment was "paint white on white". Entirely frustrating, really. How do you paint white on white on a white canvas? The message was to keep layering. I looked at white flowers for inspiration. It is actually amazing how many shades of white there are. These very subtle differences were difficult for me, I like the bolder statements. But in the end the piece came together and close to the vision I had, it is rather peaceful, serene.
It has been even harder to capture this painting on digital, the background is a very light lavender (ok, I cheated) and then layers of white and silver and gold circles. This piece followed L'Ascencion and I am dedicating both pieces to my teacher Marta Zorina, who without my knowing passed away the week I completed "L'Ascencion". Such are the mysteries of the creative flow, we know what we don't know, like a dream we cannot remember.
I had the urge to paint a white dove into the painting, if you look close you will see the outlines, but I have resisted painting the recognizable (other than flowers). The universal language forms symbols to give impressions of an idea, but what is this energy like before it transforms itself into a symbol? Can I paint the essence; suggest that what is behind the concept? Heaven and Peace before it translates into the dove?
Perhaps a concept drips down, finds its form, then by necessity finds its opposite to distinguish itself, within that it will self-destruct, but only to reach the deepest corner of the psyche and resurrect again, because ultimately there can only be death where life once was, and life-force is what generates all.
As Marta always said "As Above so Below".
Michelle Matisse
|
|
Cart
