What a joy to paint this new piece! I’d been itching to get back to the studio, and grabbed a large panel for this work. I wanted to go deep because I had a lot to express with this one.
I spent five days on her face because I want my faces to be full of life and sparkle. I worked with water-soluble oils for six days until I was satisfied.
Shifting to the abstract lightning bolt eyes let me loosen up and play. I choose light neon pastels as my palette to contrast with the night sky and reflect what awakening feels like, to me.
This next part feels like carving. With the black paint, I carve away at what’s there to reveal what’s underneath – the void of cosmic space. It’s symbolic of the star dust we’re all made of. Michelangelo says it best:
Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.
A peek into the studio:
I’m deeply influenced by the ancient Celtic knot-work in illuminated manuscripts. This is my freestyle version:
Here’s a speedy time-lapse of the whole process. Two weeks condensed into 2 minutes!
Hope you enjoyed a peek into my process! Stay tuned for more behind the meaning of this piece.
♥ ~ Meghan Oona
portfolio | shop | facebook | pinterest | instagram | email | newsletter
