Hey everyone!
This is just a quick post to tell you a little about my last oil painting titled "Eidyia". You may have noticed  that I have been really drawn to watery subjects lately. This is yet another variation on this theme!

​Like the painting I shared on my blog last week, Eidyia is also a water Nymph. According to Greek Mythology, her name meant "to see" or "to know" which is perhaps why she was associated with witches' supernatural abilities: she embodied the power of the eye, the source of their psychic powers. 

Every time I begin a new painting, I like to set an intention or goal for the work ahead. This helps tightens my focus and make the whole process more coherent and manageable. In this case, my focus was color harmony. I wanted to create a realistic yet creature-like portrait with a limited palette in view of fine-tuning my use of cool hues. This YouTube video by artist Howard Lyon is what inspired my choice of colors.  

I also spent a good amount of time on the preliminary drawing. Figuring out the folds and movements of the fins and gills required a bit of forethought which served me well in the end. For me, a well-structured and detailed line drawing makes the whole painting process much easier. 

The original painting already sold but there are gorgeous gallery-quality giclé art prints of "Eidyia" available in my INPRNT store. 

I also made a time-lapse video of the making of "Eidyia" for my YouTube channel. Be sure to check it out! Please, help me grow my channel by liking this video and subscribing to my channel. If you know someone who might also enjoy this video, please share it! 

Thank you for stopping by! 

Hey friends!
I recently finished this illustration of a Naiad or water nymph. I named her "Water Lilaea".

In Greek mythology, the nymphs or Nymphai were minor goddesses. They were basically nature spirits who presided over different aspects of the natural world. Therefore, there exist water nymphs (the Naiads), mountain nymphs, forest nymphs, etc. They embody the alluring beauty of nature, of form, of the feminine (the archetype, not the gender). Often associated with Spring, the nymphs evoke fertility, sexuality, youth, and innocence.

Now that I am done this painting, I find that there is something bewitching about Lilaea. Maybe it's her look, her gesture, maybe it's the moon and the stars that glow on her skin. To me, she represents the unconscious elements of the psyche that irresistibly attract. She exemplifies my fascination with the beautiful forms of nature that invite me to merge with the whole of Creation.

Over all, I worked on this painting for about a week. It felt great to go back to a smaller format after a stretch of larger work. I love getting lost in all the small details; large canvas are overwhelming to me and I find large brushes too hard to control! I also want to get better at painting backgrounds and, to me, developing new skills is more manageable in a format I am already comfortable with. 

I leave you with these progress pictures of "Water Lilaea". For those of you who follow me on instagram., you may have already seen them. Still, it's fun to see them side by side. It's good insight into how these things take shape. (Sometimes I forget that it is ok for the first layer to be somewhat awful.)

If you would like to adopt "Water Lilaea" she is still available. You can find out more by contacting me directly .

Prints are also available on my INPRNT store. 

Thanks for stopping by and until next time, au revoir!