2022 Goal: August - Ella

***This post was delayed and originally written in October 2022.

In the course of this project, I wanted to do a Myrkur song. Thus, I chose “Ella”…. eventually. Beforehand, I wanted to do a piece inspired by the song “Juniper”, but the idea was too challenging. So painted over what I had, and tried again. Maybe someday that “Juniper” piece will happen, but not this time.

Song Link.

This is an incredible moving song and many meanings to me. While the song is in Danish, Ella in Spanish means “She”. There is a mystical feeling and beauty to this song. Yes like the video, I think of waves and water; I also think of the moon, the vastness, and a sense of hope.

Tissue paper covers the background along various colors. In the bottom, I incorporated petals from a tree that I can’t remember if it was from work or our previous house. The purple flowers are their own symbol. There is honestly more about this piece I could write about, but I want to keep that to myself for now.

This piece came together so quickly, and it’s all in thanks how inspired I was by this song. It’s even a greater feeling that it was accepted into Thimble Literary Magazine as well as other works.

Currently Reading: The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin (starting soon anyways)

Currently Listening: Push the Sky Away by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

Currently Watching: The Midnight Club

2022 Goal: October - Hour

Reminder: The painting was completed on time in October, but blog and photos delayed.

October’s painting was a tricky one because this started out as inspiration for the song “Anoana by Heilung, and inspiration is definitely there, but I ended up painting with inspiration from Songleikr’s “Ulvetime (Hour of the Wolf)”. Both bands feature Maria Franz and Christopher Juul. So umm… we’ll link “Ulvetime” as the main inspiration of this one.

Song Link

The “Anoana” music video features childbirth, so I did take that inspiration, plus the album art for Heilung’s latest album “Drif”. The driving force with the colors and feeling this piece gave me, was “Ulvetime”. Tissue paper background with a very simple heart image, baby in the heart, sprouting a dried flower. Off to the right, in white chalk is a drawn flower. This piece came together quite quickly. I don’t know how to interpret it myself sometimes. It’s soft and subtle, and comes from a mother’s heart.

The piece is representative of that hope for the future, even though it seems uncertain with the situation of women’s rights in the US, which is impacting the health of women.

As a last side note, I got to go “Heilung” live in concert in October. It was a nearly sold out show, and I was in the very back, and short, but it was a great experience.

Given this is being written in late December, I’ll add some things that I was likely currently doing at the time.

Was Currently Listening: Drif by Heilung, or Heilung in general

Was Currently Watching: The Midnight Club

Was Currently Reading: The Three Body Problem by Liu Cixin (was still reading it I think)

2022 Goal: September - Rebel

Note II: I know, I know, I’m behind. This was originally written in November, but struggled to get good photos.

Note I: The August painting was completed on time, and the blog post is drafted. It will be posted later so it can be shown elsewhere first.

September’s painting is inspired by the album artwork for Venus Principle’s debut, “Stand in Your Light”. The song “Rebel Drones” was my summer jam, and my favorite track for the album; honestly, the album of the summer.
Song Link.

Most pieces for this project had an idea come from a feeling from the song or lyrics; this one did not. I knew because it was a summer favorite that I wanted to do a song for it. However, I wasn’t quite sure what. Thus I turned to the album art for inspiration. This allowed me to pause the dark blues I’ve mostly used this year for this project. I was able to challenge myself with a different color palette, add a heart, make an ode to the inspiration, and give off a sense of warm tones to represent the summer, if not the end of summer.

Full disclosure: This piece was done over a previous painting from a previous project. Sometimes an idea has had it’s time, and it gets repurposed. That helped to add to the texture of this piece.

October’s painting was completed on time, and I’m pretty sure at the time of the blog that November is done. There’s a part of me that is struggling for a December idea. There’s so many bands I’m discovering, but also some songs from favorite bands. Maybe I continue this project into next year? Maybe I space it out a bit more? I do know so far that I am enjoying working on a smaller scale and really feel that this project is pushing me to explore more mixed media as well as a favorite subject of mine: hearts.

Currently Listening: Grey Everlasting album from Deathwhite

Currently Watching: Interview with a Vampire (TV series)

Currently Reading: The Three Body Problem by Liu Cixin

2022 Goal: July - Lighthouse

Just keep blogging, blogging, blogging….. even if it’s much belated.

July’s painting was inspired by the Oceans of Slumber song, “The Lighthouse”. Check out the song and video: Song Link.

This piece is hard to photograph because of the metallic colors, but it was so much fun to play with! The album Starlight and Ash by Oceans of Slumber has so much untouched inspiration for me; their last album is very much the same. When I pause and think about it, I am amazed at how much this band is inspiring my art. In fact, I have more of an update related that later.

For this piece, I again used tissue paper, and that’s the only media here besides acrylic paint. I wanted to keep this piece very simple, with the heart being small and quiet, but beaming out the light. I wouldn’t say this painting was rushed, it’s just the idea came so quickly. I even had to restart it because I jumped into it too soon. However, it all worked out in the end.

Currently Watching: House of the Dragon

Currently Listening: “Skin and Sorrow” by Frayle

Currently Reading: Annihilation by Jeff Vander Meer