a break for not very happy reasons.

things are not going very well here. my little daughter suffered a domestic accident and got very hurt. sorry, but I won't give many details, just want to say that was sort of serious and a really really hard time. after nearly 3 days in the excellent UK Children's Hospital, where she had exemplary treatment, we could finally come back home with hopes that the worse has already passed. after all that happened I must say that it is a miracle to have my baby with us doing as well as she can be right now. I thank God and all the good spirits and entities of light that have been taking care of us during these difficult times, giving us hope and strength. I may spend some days without touching my brushes since she needs full time attention now, and I appreciate all the vibrations of health and prayers that can be sent to us for her full recovery. may the Supreme Intelligence of the Universe bless us all.

work in progress: Ascension II

the figure on the top looks shamelessly like me since I've been posing for my paintings more often lately. no problem, I like to sit for myself. but the figures are becoming too much alike me, and this is why I am in desperate need of models who can make sort of performatic poses. anybody?

work in progress: ascension

unfinished projects.

I wanted to show off two of the paintings I've done (and have not finished yet) after all the experimentation I've been through. in these paintings abstractionism started to become very evident as a style. I don't know if they really lack something, I'm going to check them out more carefully in a near future.

Flourish is about to let your talents and everything strong and positive inside you to come out and make of you a reference and inspiration for everybody else. simply as that. so many people are so talented but hide their potential afraid of intimidating the ones that are supposed to be not that "special"... they do not suspect that they would give the others the"permission" to flourish also! it's also a message for the people that believe they have nothing to offer: try to leave accommodation, self-pity, self-denial or whatever negative emotion or opinion you have about yourself outside your door. believe in me, nobody is here for nothing. you are a co-creator and a very important part of the Universe. so, assume this position and start seeking for your light inside. flourish!

Totem #1 is the first of a series of pieces that represent an animal being attached to a human figure, like if they are part of a same body. they can also be animal totems, if you prefer. the Totems carry also a very simple concept: our deep attachment to Nature as one single thing. in those pieces, I intend to make the human head always black and white and naturalist, while the animal is colorful and filled with abstract shapes.

a delicate brainstorm.

violence against women is a theme I've been for a long time planning to explore in a piece. along with children's and animal's rights, that's a subject I am totally sensitive to. I think that every woman already felt in her own skin some kind of abuse or discrimination. they come not only in the form of physical violence or sexual humiliation, but in the form of words and abusive behaviors that are pretty much considered normal. like husbands who decline doing housework claiming that it is "women's work", for example. or rejected boyfriends that become a real torment in their ex-girls lives, thanks to their hurt "male pride", or for believing they have certain "rights" over her life.

I was born and raised in a very machist country, and although women in Brazil have theoretically the same rights as men, machist practices are so ingrained in our culture that are perpetuated even by the very women almost instinctively. almost daily I've been reading this blog, in Portuguese, by a Brazilian journalist who talks very often about violence against women. her posts have helped me enormously to develop my concept for the piece. I've been also researching works from another artists on the subject in order to observe how it's been represented. in my search I found Abro, this inspired, highly sensitive Pakistani artist, who says more with his powerful paintings than many of the women can barely suspect about themselves:



the paintings are clearly about Pakistani women, but I think that they can perfectly tell stories about women worldwide. in Pakistan, Brazil, America, or India. we are all both protagonists and silent spectators of a drama that unites all of us under a dense sheet of shame and tears.

about Hecate

so I finished Hecate some days ago, right after the New Year. although I still think that there are things to be corrected, I got proud for this being a kind of milestone for me. first because it's the first "large" piece I make (20 x 15 inches), practically double the size of my former drawings; second, because it's the first work on illustration board I really managed to finish; and third, because is the first finished work of my new phase (I have 2 more pieces on paper I started several weeks ago but have not showed here yet.)

now, let's go to the story:
the piece was initially planned to portray Lilith. then, I added the two heads beside the main figure, which immediately reminded me of the triple aspect of a goddess I was very fond of: Hecate, the Greek goddess of witchcraft, childbirth and the crossroads. Hecate has power over skies, earth and sea, which I wanted to show in each one of the three figures. the central one carries several symbols attributed to the goddess: the pomegranates in her hair remind us of the legend of Persephone, in which she plays an important role; while she hides her right eye behind her hand, the eye still shows through the fingers, showing that she's got the "vision", or the capacity of seeing the past, present and future. the moon under her right breast denotes that Hecate is a moon goddess, and that she protects the women in labor and their offspring - the moon is associated to the motherhood. the black dog is one of her companions.

Hecate symbolism is so rich that your imagination simply flies away. I tried to be the simplest I could when showing her main attributes. who knows I can make another picture of her in the future.

William Blake, Hecate or The Three Fates

hecate

watercolor and graphite on illustration board, 20 x 15