Flexible

This is a beautiful soft painting. Gentle and comforting and also fun to look at, as well. I do not want to write too much about this piece regarding content. I prefer for you to see what you like here. I think this one is highly symbolic and is open to all sorts of interesting interpretations. But I will comment briefly on the execution. I am really excited about the way this image balances between the look of something old and warn and the look of something new and modern. There is exciting contrast between the loose washes and the precise linework. The contrast of that warm ripe heart against the muted background is a lot of fun, too.

This is an unusual piece with an important message. In tiny black letters in the lower right is a single phrase reading, "Be flexible."

I am hopeful this unique little gem will bring thoughtful smiles to the home or office of some other student of love out there.

How Flexible was created..... This image was painted on a really cool surface. It is a fancy board made just for artists with archival cotton paper bound to wood. It was a great experience to work on this unique surface and I hope to acquire more of these boards in the future. The paper gives the piece a soft, dreamy feel. Much more subtle than paint on wood. After the black gesso primer dried, I used wide soft brushes to lay down many many layers of soft washes. Interesting muted hues. Sometimes I let layers dry between applications. Sometimes I let colors mix while still damp. And occasionally I experimented with partially blotting up some layers, too. Once all f that background work was done, I used tiny detail brushes to paint the "heart on a string" and the words and the dots. I went over the lines of this piece many many times to be sure everything was clean and crisp and just right.

Flexible was painted on paper that has been mounted with archival adhesives on a wooden board created specifically for use by artists. It has a recessed slot in the back allowing you to hang it flush with the wall. The sides of the board have been painted as well so that this piece would look wonderful displayed unframed either directly on the wall or on a small, decorative table-top easel. ***NOTE: This piece also sits nicely on a small plastic display stand. I will include a display stand for free with your order if you request one at the time of payment.

~These art-boards are not available to the general public in this size. I spoke with the fellow who runs that business and explained that I love his product, but I sometimes get tired of squares and square-ish rectangles. He agreed to create some funky shapes just for me and I am thrilled. I love these!~