A student of mine recently pointed out that I paint a lot of wings. And you know what, I’d never noticed it before! Birds, angels, butterflies, dragons. Wings are everywhere.
"Bird Man," oil and digital painting
Even my commercial work is full of them. Over the years I’ve designed a Pegasus-themed carousel; a hedge maze with a sphinx, phoenix, and griffin; a dragon rollercoaster. I’ve illustrated tons of birds and fairies.
One of 27 book covers I've illustrated for Donna Andrews
I often dream I’m flying. In the dreams I’m excited about my accomplishment, but nobody notices or cares, and I have to flap really hard to stay airborne.
Some people struggle to find a voice. Not me. I’ve always had a voice. I create paintings that shout at the viewer. Listen! This is happening!
"Butterfly Blue," oil on canvas
But I do struggle to keep afloat. I’ve spent many years building confidence, creating my niche, finding new ways to make money as an artist. For years, it seemed that as soon as I get something solid under my feet, it blew away in the next storm. Now, in my late fifties, I’m finally learning to let go and float on the wind. The next perch always appears. I trust the creative process. I develop my gifts so I can serve others and serve the Great Creator, whatever that looks like.
This week, that means I connect daily with my Muse (whose name is Obedon) and ask how I can be of service. I’ll finish a portrait I’m trading for a new tattoo. I’ll work on current commissions: a portrait of Goofy for my client in Portugal, another bird-themed book cover, and a political illustration. I’ll set up more classes in my Create a Signature Series program. And I’ll start my next painting series. The canvases are prepped and ready to go, and the ideas are bursting inside me.
This is the life of a creative. Unpredictable, exciting, constantly renewing. It’s like following a leaf in the wind.
No wonder I’m obsessed with wings.
Art Heals
I get much inspiration and soothing from the poet Maria Popova. She sends out a regular newsletter titled "The Marginalian," in which she surveys creative works across time and genre, threading poetry, art, music, philosophy, mathematics, and more into beautiful tapestries of meaning. Her diverse creative approach is something I aspire to in my own work. And she, too, is drawn to wings.
