Felt pens and watercolour on paper, A4: The various development stages are shown below each in turn leading to this loose watercolour image. What started out as broad sweeps of the pastels ended with this more definitive and less stylised depiction of the lady herself dancing a "Red-hot Salsa" in the sky, with her male counterpart following her lead. He is shown green as the complementary to the female red and he is also rooted in the earth as shown by the flowers around Dakini's feet. It is a night sky with silver stars and a blood-red crescent moon with a multi-coloured "aurora borealis" playing around her legs. The male figure has shifted to this left side position from the previous studies in order to achieve greater interaction with his object of adoration. Some of the development studies are shown below:
Pastel on paper, A2: Development Study 1: The sinuous curve of the female form is created in one bold stroke. Looks snake-like to me but I am possibly carrying these symbolics too far!
Pastel on paper, A2: Development Study 2: The dancing female form begins to appear.
Pastel on paper, A2: Development Study 3: I've added her black, unruly, hair, and a crescent moon to indicate the night sky, and the beginnings of an adoring male figure (bottom right) in green.
Pastel on paper, A2: Development Study 4: I have taken the stylisation to a point where I am not sure whether I want the painting to be like this. I have added multi-colours to indicate the Aurora Borealis and I've made the moon blood-red for further dramatic effect. I like it but somehow it's becoming something I am not so sure of. So using the symbolic elements I have already developed I return to more representational figures as seen in the first painting in watercolours.
2 comments:
She is absolutely amazing. The color, the gesture, everything. The process shots are wonderful too. I am Buddhist, but was not aware of this personage--now I am, thank you!
I only hope, Kathryn, when I do the oil painting that I can maintain the freedom of the watercolour. I'm glad you like her. She's my kind of gal!
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