Cherica The Gladiolus

Cherica The Gladiolus

acrylic on canvas 

36" X 36" 

August 9th, 2014

So, I was having a pretty good day.  I had dropped my son Phillip off at school for the day, worked out, puffed on a little green, and gotten down to the gallery before noon.  Once I got there I was fairly relaxed and at ease with nothing to paint while waiting on some other things to dry.  I started to go though my computer and came across a reference photo of a gladiolus I had saved.  I then looked up it's meaning on a florist website that I used for such projects.  I thought, "Who do I know that's generous, with a strong character and would be well symbolized by a flower like this one?"  My cousin Cherica came to mind.  She is very strong and rambunctious for a female and has quite a generous heart especially when it comes to children.  At one of my lowest points in life she saw that I was somewhat dying inside and that I had no idea what I was going to do.  I had recently contacted an art CORRESPONDENCE course I saw advertised on TV [although, she had no knowledge of it].  Her daughter is an awesome cheerleader and tumbler and as a team mom she wanted give all of the girls a gift.  she mentioned it a few times and eventually asked me to make something for them.  She knew that I was creative and needed something to AWAKEN me.  I was like a mom zombie walking around trying to figure out my next move and taking care of my son as best as I could.  The exact day I was starting work on the craft project with her The representative from the correspondence school came to visit me.  I will never forget him.  He was the actual artist who drew the original Soul Train for the 70's TV show when it started in his hometown of Chicago.  The school had a contest where they wanted someone to draw a train and that train was his.  He was so nice, gave me great insight and showed love toward my artwork.  Once he told me the fees for the school I knew it was hopeless for me at that particular time. However, my cousin not only paid me for completing the craft project but she also paid my first month's fees for the course!  This was the most selfless thing she could have done for me.  I was just starting to realize I wanted to be an artist again and for her to help me really warmed my heart.  As I sat at my desk that day I could not stop myself from creating this painting of her as a thank you.  On my way back to the gallery from the art supply store I really became overwhelmed with emotion knowing this was the one painting I had to finish.  This is also the only original painting of mine that will never be sold, at least not by me.  I will only make prints of it and gift my cousin the original.  I love her and I love flowers.  Her STRENGTH of character and generosity birthed in me a style of artwork I like to refer to as botanical TRANSMOGRIFICATION;  Turning people into flowers based on their beautiful and most notable character traits.

Isaiah 60:1-5

Isaiah 60

Arise [from the depression and prostration in which circumstances have kept you—rise to a new life]! Shine (be radiant with the glory of the Lord), for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you! 2 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and dense darkness [all] peoples, but the Lord shall arise upon you [O Jerusalem], and His glory shall be seen on you. 3 And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. 4 Lift up your eyes round about you and see! They all gather themselves together, they come to you. Your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be carried and nursed in the arms. 5 Then you shall see and be radiant, and your heart shall thrill and tremble with joy [at the glorious deliverance] and be enlarged; because the abundant wealth of the [Dead] Sea shall be turned to you, unto you shall the nations come with their treasures.

View fullsize

36x48 Acrylic on canvas

Inspired 2009 - Completed 2013

This is a fairly large work.  A first attempt at portraiture drawn out with a free styled background full of glowing color.  The backdrop is what you make of it.  There is absolutely the sky along with what could be the ocean, clouds or mist.  She stares into the distance with a hope for a new day and knowledge of where her help will come from.  Although there is a tinge of sadness it's like she is willfully fighting it in an effort to truly believe in God's promises.

L0ve365 Back Story:

"After a very long time not working on art, I began to have a strong desire to when I became pregnant with my son.  Before then I had not worked on a new art piece in years. I would sit on the bed and paint for hours while I was pregnant,  before that I had only retouched an old piece of mine 2 years prior.  I was in a definite block as far as artistic expression was concerned.  It was the last thing on my mind for many years.  Once I had my son I began working as a temp at Turner Broadcasting.  The environment was so creative and vibrant it made me realize that art could be my living and that I could become prosperous being creative.   I mean the most creative people there had so much freedom and fun, they literally skateboarded, flew kites and played accordions during regular work hours.  I eventually had the chance to receive more responsibilities and interview for a permanent position but to no avail.  My supervisor who would have hired me without an interview lost her job. I no longer had a shot at working at Turner permanently.  I was very sad and had a long conversation with a good friend named Nicole whom I met at Turner.  I told her that I wanted to be more creative, be an artist.  She said, "Well just do it."  I then said, "I have no idea what to paint!"  She then said, "Michelle just paint anything, go outside in nature, look up at the sun for inspiration."  I did everything she said but nothing happened for weeks.  Then one morning I was in the shower feeling really sad, I thought about my dad and my grandmother and what they would tell me or what they might have thought about everything I had done so far.  I needed help of some sort.  I didn't know what was going to happen but I prayed, cried and sang and the vision came to me.  I thought about

Psalm 121

A Song of Ascents

1 I will lift up my eyes to the hills [around Jerusalem, to sacred Mount Zion and Mount Moriah]—From whence shall my help come? 2 My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not allow your foot to slip or to be moved; He Who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand [the side not carrying a shield]. 6 The sun shall not smite you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord will keep you from all evil; He will keep your life. 8 The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.

1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. 2 My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. 3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber . 4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep . 5 The LORD is thy keeper : the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. 6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. 8 The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

As soon as I could afford to I bought a large canvas, took a side profile picture of myself looking upward and began to draw it onto the canvas.  I knew there were lots of colors in the background in my vision and that the sun was there also.  I knew that the woman I saw was looking up with the sun shining on her and that there must be lots of color. I had never attempted to capture a person other than a portrait of my son while he was in the womb.  As I worked on this painting I was constantly reminded of the image through songs like  Earth Wind & Fire - Keep Your Head To The Sky, Mary J. Blige - My Life, Robin Thicke - To The Sky, Aya - Looking FOr The Sun, Vikter Duplaix - I See The Sun and countless others. Although I knew which scripture had initially given me the vision I decided to go with naming this painting after one that was commanding and speaks of fortune. This painting was my first time painting in a way that was really about something including me getting back into being creative.  It was my first attempt at even trying to work on a large canvas.  It took me forever.  I would see something I didn't like and change it. I would work on it sporadically, not always consistently.  I would add to it after previously considering it done.  This painting was the beginning of the rebirth of my creative passion."

Melons, 1997

 

 

Acrylic on Mat Board 

11x14

Melons is a contemporary work created with the use of a distinctive limited color scheme using a combination of cool blues and purples along with warm pinks and reds with defined prominent areas of black.  The pre-drawing consisted of the use of a compass, protractor and straight edge as utilized in a high school math course.  The work was created in 1997 as a home art project where the practice of creating defined lines with a bright brush was the focus.  The painting was part of a series of paintings that were in the school art show.

L0ve365 Back Story:

"On a trip to the local Big Lots store I came across a few bottles of close out acrylic craft paints and a small brush set.  I asked my mom to buy them and she did willingly.  Of course because big lots is a closeout store they only had a few colors, none of which were primary, and I didn't care.  I just wanted to paint.  Of the entire brush set my favorite was a bright that I used until it broke a few months and paintings later.   I simply wrapped it in clear gift wrapping tape until it stayed together.  I eventually used nail glue to fix it for years to come."