It occurs to me after so many years, my teacher, Jorgan Hansen at California College of the Arts, used to say to me, “It takes two people to paint a painting, one to do the painting and one to hit him over the head when it’s done.” This is still true. I’ve let this painting sit for several weeks, waiting for it to hit me over the head and let me know that it’s done or to tell me what to do next. I’m not completely sure, but I think I’m going to have to call it done.
The story behind ‘Garden Camouflage’ started while we still lived in Virginia Beach last year 2013. One of my favorite Bikram yoga instructors walked into class one morning, sporting a new addition to her tattoos; a beautiful vine with pink flowers on her upper arm. It nicely matched the vine on one of her calves. Because it seemed so beautiful and feminine, I thought she might hide discreetly in a garden setting. I also knew I wanted to paint the painting. After a photo shoot at the yoga studio and after the packing, move and unpacking in Charlottesville, I finally set the background with my model centrally situated in Ardha-Matsyendrasana (Spine Twisting Pose), in a pond of lotus flowers, a Bodhi tree growing behind her, a couple of cranes in their own elegant poses and a shimmering sun behind her.
The Painting is approximately 26”x35” gallery wrapped with the image extending around the edges. It is a mixed media painting which includes exotic papers, acrylic and gold leaf.
