Into the Light

• Acrylic, pewter leaf, mixed medium
• An original
• Framed
• 100 x 100 cms

Unlike many of my paintings, I started this painting when, to be honest, I just wasn't feeling great. So I started with the background colour, and like many of my other works,  I started to write words. I'd had a particularly challenging week in work, it was the weekend but my mind was still consumed by work challenges, and I just really needed to get it out. So I started off by writing some of the words on the painting that I felt.

 And then I looked around our house, and of course there was lots of beauty. Lots of beautiful items and flowers that I had been given by people. I started to paint. And with that, everything changed. I felt energetic. I felt excited by what was going to materialise. And I had a new lease of life.

 I find that painting stills the mind and enables you to focus on every brushstroke and how the next part of the painting will unfold. And with no pressure as to what the finished piece looked like, it’s so therapeutic. So as I painted over hours and hours, what really became apparent is how painting allows me to see the light.

 I have many different practices that I try and incorporate to maintain a positive mental health, but painting seems to be the one thing that really just slows everything down and closes the multiple ‘open tabs’ in my head.

So from a dark start, we ended up with something of beauty. 

I also chose to keep some of the black on the painting as it’s an important reminder that some days just don't feel as good as others, but when you keep trying to find things of beauty, things that you're grateful for, you look into the light. The light is always there. To complete the look, I added in some pewter leaf and subtly added in some positive affirmations. 

So this one is called Into the Light. It's very personal to me. From a dark start, it ended full of joy. And I hope that every single painting that I do brings joy to you. 

Into the Light …for the originals.