Our love?
A thumping heart that beats in the quiet
Humming in space
It's chaos yet grounding
Bends all theory
Ever present
Girlhood
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Last night was my last session in my studio till early summer as I am setting off on some amazing travels. There was a bittersweet feeling present in the room. This trip is the jump that is needed to fully push me but, this January has been an amazing time for me creatively where I have spent a lot of time in this room and there's been lots of action taking place.
Girlhood is a painting of my best pals, inspired by a series of photos I captured when we were having pints at an Irish pub in Whitby Bay. I love to capture motion in my sketches and this felt like the first time I had a clear idea that I could capture motions in oil paint. It was a very exciting moment where I felt my creative pang in my chest the minute I captured the images.
So I began to explore different compositions the night I got home from Whitby Bay and started to paint the piece in early December. It was so nice to spend a long time on a piece, coming back and "hacking" away at different sections until the image began to form. With a last push last night till 2am, I was able to get the image to a place I liked before I set off.
I loved making this piece. It challenged me to use the new skills I gained at Leith Art School, particularly pushing the darks and exploring tones within the fun colour pallet. I had fun capturing the joy and beauty of this moment, losing it and then returning to it with the slightest stroke of a brush. This was a very special piece that will stay in my heart forever.