meet the painting: all the joy available in the here and now
““The wound is the place where the light enters you.” ”
I came into this piece midway through my portals series. I came into this piece wanting to explore joy.
I selected a palette that intuitively reflected that — compassionate pinks, jovial oranges, passionate reds, and soft scattered moments of stillness and silence marked by the muted seafoam peeking throughout.
After the painting part of this piece was finished, and before the piece had truly found its portal, I mounted it onto a lovely piece of wood panel — the deep wooden edges set the bright piece off so nicely.
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I thought this would make the piece feel done, but it didn’t. instead, the piece kept talking to me offering me next steps: ⠀
“peel off my middle. carve out a portal.”
there are moments in my art practice where fear and doubt can sneak in, but in that moment, I didn’t miss a beat — my fingers got a grip on a piece of thickly dried paint, and with that I peeled back its core.
I was delighted to find not the smooth wooden surface but rather a soft and slightly dappled velvety cotton core of the paper I painted onto. Something raw and tender and foundational.
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The next move was not a thought but an impulse, an inner-knowing in action:
my hand and unconscious moving in unison while my conscious self watched along for ride. I grabbed a stick of charcoal, and traced the outline of the portal or “wound’ — carving out a fierce and loving magic circle.
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This film (Disney’s 1995 production of the Frances Hodgson Burnett’s children’s novel, “The Little Princess.”) first introduced me to the imagery of a magic circle as a young child.
In ritual magic traditions, magic circles are drawn in chalk on the ground to provide protection for whatever is within their parameter.
An intention for holding its contents with love and safety: the quiet and strong joy of knowing your worth. The grounding joy of being at peace with your self no matter what emotions or states are present.
This original one of a kind mixed media painting is looking for its forever home! Walls to deck and smiles to coax in moments when life gets chaotic — a beacon back to center, love, stillness and truth.
Buy the one-of-a-kind original here, and within two weeks, it will ship out to you in a custom Ashley Trabue #littleblackbox and its certificate of authenticity.