Embrace

I have been working on this recent painting for three weekends now and I am happy to say I think I am done with it. It’s been the biggest one I’ve done so far this year (36″x48″) and took a lot of getting used to.

Specifically, realizing that I have to modify my approach to the layering of various colors and waves of “moments” was an important lesson to learn. In the past, painting on small canvases made it easy for me to splash on a color/form without much effort. I was also able to see the work in progress as a whole without having to step away too far and weigh in on the current balance and movement in the painting. Now, I have to remind myself not to stay stuck in a passage for too long or get too obsessive about it because overall, the viewer sees something different when the whole image is taken into consideration. While it can be fun (for me! :P) to obsess over a little area and add in a touch of playfulness here and there, it’s been a joy to be able to tackle larger areas with a different level of energy and movement.

Or actually, I just learned that I thoroughly enjoy dancing while I paint.

This piece was guided by my idea of depicting in the physical form how it feels to be embraced by a romantic partner. Admittedly, we can all agree that it feels good, and sometimes, it can be a first step towards a resolution. I wanted to paint about the feeling of longing, warmth, and safety in a loved one’s arms. There is an inner radiance that glows in between, but I also envision a powerful energy that surrounds two people when they are together in such an intimate moment. You cannot deny the way you feel about a person when you hug each other–you can be awkward, formal and brief, or linger just a bit too long–and that would tell you where things lie between two people.

It is our biggest loss that hugs are only momentary experiences. I don’t know about you, but I remember hugs that I wish could last til infinity. The synergistic life that is created cannot be captured and it is forevermore fleeting.

And this is my attempt at basking in its bliss.

In Your Arms (2015). 36″x48″. Acrylic on canvas