Wednesday, May 6, 2009

she journeyed far

Link
she journeyed far
mixed media
8 x 12 x 3/4 canvas
(c) 2009 julie king


i posted this piece as a work in progress a couple of days ago. here it is finished. it is the first time i've ever attempted to paint a portrait. i used shiva paint sticks which i loved and i was very pleased with how it all turned out. i've long admired the work of kelly rae, martha lever, jenn, flor larios, julie and so many others who do amazing work with faces. i'll admit, faces intimidate me. i was convinced that i could never do it. but, i finally pushed those negative thoughts to the side and had fun with it!!

the copy on the piece reads "she journeyed far to become herself". isn't that truly what we're all doing? every laugh, every tear, every relationship, every step we've taken in all our years have led us to the person we are today. i think the girl looks like she's lead a very interesting life and has wisdom beyond her years. she knows who she is but is till on her journey and her quest to live life to the fullest.

i photographed the collage with this set of dishes from grandma julie's treasure chest. i attended an estate sale with my folks about 17 years ago. i was single at the time and raising my kids alone. needless to say, i didn't have a ton of money to spend on frivolous things. my dad saw me admiring this set of dishes and when they came up for bid he bought them for me.


the markings on the bottom say "heinrich & co. selb, bavaria". they belonged to my friend diana's mother. diana called them her mom's every day dishes. at the time of the sale diana had no interest in the dishes and placed them in the sale. recently i contacted her to ask if she didn't want them back. she had a granddaughter now and i have a feeling she may appreciate having these one day. i know i would want my granddaughter to have them if it was me. so i'm posting photos now as one day soon i will pack them up and return them to the family they belong with. it's the right thing to do. i will miss them, though.

off to the art table to have a bit of fun! have a great evening!!

9 comments:

Tess Kincaid said...

She looks pretty with your grandma's dishes, Julie!

me said...

Love love LOVE the finished piece!! Wow!!! Great job!

nanatrish said...

I love your portrait! She's adorable! That is such a sweet thing for you to give up the dishes. You must be such a special friend. God will bless you! Keep going on those portraits.

Unknown said...

Hi Julie,

Congratulations on your first face! I am proud of you for facing your fear. Love the flower buds in your header, too.

Martha Lever said...

Thank you SO much for the link today. I am honored that you put me in such good company!!! The portrait is great! Good Job!!

Cindy said...

you are so thoughtful to even offer to return those beautiful dishes, julie. i love your collage - the eyes are so lively. i think you have a future in portraiture collage. you did a wonderful job and it is so true about our journeys.

Regi S. said...

Love your portrait ! And what a wonderful thing you're doing returning those dishes :)

lori vliegen said...

julie, you always amaze me! you are such an inspiration to me...always willing to stretch yourself and go beyond your comfort zone! you did a fabulous job on your little portrait (are you SURE you've never done this before?!). and your sweet spirt not only shows in your artwork, but in your willingness to pass the dishes back to their original family. as i said, you inspire me! :)

Shannon said...

The colors are just beautiful! VERY nice piece - cannot believe you aren't an old pro at doing faces! :) The header, btw, is FAB!!!