The Doll-Maker
Let me introduce you to my latest piece titled - The Doll-Maker. A wonderful bust sculpted by the one and only Lucas Pina of Spiramirabilis Miniatures, and a canvas that has helped me through a difficult period in my creative life. If you're unaware of my predicament during the past month, I've been battling a sort of depression, and with it, severely affecting my ability to paint. Swirling questions about my skills, my place in this art form, and feeling lost throughout the whole process. It was the help from my friends, family and the wider community that played a part in getting the brush back in hand to help me heal. I would use the emotions that were flooded within me to propel my brush, which was a struggle in itself, but something I knew I had to experience. Emotions of feeling thin, reaching middle age, exposed, vulnerable, loss of sight of the road ahead, and all the heaviness that is associated with these feelings of melancholy, I wanted to capture. The time of fighting this has passed. If I'm being dragged down this torrent of water filled with these emotions, I might as well join the current and go with the flow, and eventually it will lead to calmer waters.
As for my Patreon subscribers and others who are wondering about the process of painting this piece. I did in fact have the camera rolling throughout the painting process. I'll start cutting the footage and share it with you all here. I have a vision for this series as very transparent and potentially considerably longer. There are a lot of lessons I've learned here about myself, working with a unique skin palette, a wide use of brush strokes, and navigating through this experience with such heavy emotions.
I want to thank the love of my life & fiancée, Terra. The support of my Team CAN/AM (Raph, Alex, Erik, Bob, Kyle & Jeff). Harrison, Josh & my community on Patreon and IG. Every word of encouragement, talks throughout the weeks, and simply the time taken out of your days to reach out means so much. All your words can help move mountains. Much love and thank you for your support when it's needed the most.
Happy Painting,
Bb