A New Mixed Media Painting- Connected As One

CONNECTED AS ONE. Original 11x14" on Canvas Panel. Available Here
Prints available in my shop.

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” - Albert Einstein

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I began painting this lion during the last class I taught at the Sugar & Spice retreat.

It's always fun to have an audience watch me create. I paint over my backgrounds and characters so many times and while I don't get attached, the people watching usually do. 

And, for a second, their love for a certain character makes me not want to cover it up. 

But I know, if I'm to move forward with the painting and enjoy it, I have to follow my own instincts. 

Because this lion started out as a mermaid... 

Photo by Kate Daniel

Photo by Kate Daniel

Photo by Kate Daniel

But I really hated those eyes. And if you're a regular reader of this blog, you know the eyes are the part of the painting that have to resonate with my heart,

And if the eyes of my character don't make my heart melt, I have to cover them up.

So I closed the mermaid's eyes. And she soon turned into a lion.

Photo by Kate Daniel

Photo by Kate Daniel

Photo by Kate Daniel

Photo by Kate Daniel

But then the lion seemed too dull and sleepy.

I thought about turning the lion into a flower. That's how the sun came about. And just when the sun was about to become a second flower, I decided to completely cover up the lion's face. 

Whenever I want to redo a face and start over, I often cover it up completely with a circle of tissue paper, then a circle of book page or sheet music.

CONNECTED AS ONE. Original 11x14" on Canvas Panel. Available Here.
Prints available in my shop.

And just when no one seemed to be watching, I found my new lion and the sun.

From there, all of the experiences we'd had together at the retreat rolled into this painting's story...

Let us be bold. Plunge into it. Set aside inhibitions and differences. Enjoy the day. Let go. Smile more at those who matter, which is everyone. CONNECTED AS ONE.