I can’t seem to get myself to truly paint. It’s as if I’m stopped up. All I seem capable of is painting shapes and simple figures or dripping paint down a page. I keep doing it though.
These are all watercolor and ink on 8.5 x 5.5 paper.
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Category: ART GALLERY
Journal Work in Progress
Journaling until I’m blue in the face. Work in progress.
“Someone Else” in watercolor and acrylic. All work shown is on 8.5 x 5.5 paper.
“Froggie Smiles”. These are photographs. I’m looking forward to scanning so these look right. This is much darker than the actual painting. I’m working on the details of all these pieces. Once I have the colors in mind it doesn’t take long to finish.
This last one was created for the sole purpose of testing out new paints. It’s a paint pallet sheet. Sometimes when I just need to draw but there’s nothing specific to do, I draw lines on paper this way and wait to use it later to test paint or clean brushes.
Faith
Three Birds
Fifteen days total but halfway through I began to lose myself to the constant and extreme pain. My medication cocktail sometimes caused me to see dragons and aliens. I’d been in intensive care for the bilateral pulmonary embolism and life threatening blood clots. I was about to begin a chapter of life I’ll never forget, one that has left physical scars and emotional pain. What I’ve decided to do is express some of those experiences through art.
The first experience in multi media is called Three Birds.
Half way through ICU care I was losing it. The doctors worried I’d have to go on dialysis. My kidneys were shutting down, my heart was in trouble too. I was in trouble and I knew it so I asked my God, “Are you with me?” I needed to know if He knew his servant needed his comfort and approval. Continue reading “Three Birds”
Enduring the Days
The last few days have been torture. I hurt from the top of my head to the soles of my feet. The amputation site is having an electric storm of shock and neuropathy. It’s been a bad few days and I’ve done very little reaching out. I’ve just been waiting for medication time!
The foot that was amputated coincidentally was the foot with Chronic Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy. Though amputated for other reasons, I hoped the RSD fire and pain would stop, it didn’t and won’t. It doesn’t work that way. Continue reading “Enduring the Days”
The Brave Face
I’m not brave. I’m not. I’m not rolling with the punches, I’m just getting punched. As I said, I’ve walked through the fire and I’m all burned up. I’m skinny, starving for a moment of real rest, of relief.
“The surgeon” will see me one more time in 3 months then that’s it. Really?! That’s all? You take my toes, wham bam thank you ma’am, I wash my hands of you? That’s how this works? And I’m just supposed to go on too, business as usual?
This is the second time he’s asked me to paint him something. So I will get a canvas and paint every tear I’ve sobbed! I’ll paint the times I covered my face and rocked back and forth in shock, “Oh my God!” so I can’t see what other trauma is next. I just cover my face and rock.
He gave me a script for an insert that will allow me to wear whatever shoes I want. He said to get a good brand of cocoa butter for my foot and the scars so the black scars will fade. I’ll buy new Chuck Taylor shoes after the insert gets here. I’ll walk around with no outward knowledge that anything is missing. I’ll limp but people won’t know why.
I will paint “the surgeon” a piece of this entire experience from fear to anguish to anger, loneliness and even gratitude. He’s going to get a painting of trauma because that’s what’s left in the wake.
Jordan
Rise!
Rise
Bright watercolor and colored pencil.
8.5 x 5.5 inches
98lb paper
This is what hope looks like. It’s hands raised and face to the sun. Flowers in full bloom and shoulders light.
Faith Austin
Sundrip
The Lesson
The Lesson is an art story about the doctor telling me about my blood system. He explained that something about my DNA steers my blood wrong. Instead of living the normal 120-90 days, my blood lives 60-30 days then begins to break down.
When the doctor told me this I thought to myself, I have bad blood, that’s what makes me a bad person. This is why my mother can’t love me, I’m bad from the inside out. Yup, my head took me there. So how do I rewrite a very old message of being bad and bring my thoughts more in line with the times? I paint and talk to myself.
After some healthy ground techniques I pulled out my watercolors and began to paint symbols from the doctor’s visit. I painted a symbolic DNA strand and several levels of blood development.
I really enjoy painting like this. I take something medical and paint how it affected me emotionally. I’m going to keep doing this. Painting is healing for me and it allows me to process realities easier.
I apologize for the quality of the photo. All of this is still being painted, photographed and blogged from bed.
Jordan
“The Lesson” by
Faith Magdalene Austin
Watercolor and ink
8.5 x 5.5
98lb paper
Big Brown Eyes
She’s just a little thing at 14 inches but she’s got big brown eyes full of hope and a sweet little smile.
I let her eyes, smile and hair do all the talking for this doll. Her hair is really long and soft. Her lips are soft and pink and turned up just a little bit. She looks up to the sky in hope and wonder…and she finds it.
Her name is Gillian and she’s currently in my Etsy shop waiting for her new home. You may also use PayPal, which ever is most convenient for you.
As you can see in the last photo in the gallery, I couldn’t help myself. I had to hug her a little bit…. just a small snuggle.
Faith Austin
A Frog named Lentil
This is Lentil, my Australian Tree Frog.
This morning I woke to find three beautiful mushrooms in Lentil’s terrarium. The mushrooms grew out of a patch of orange moss that grows along side driftwood stationed close to the watering hole.
Although these frogs will tolerate being held, it’s not suggested you do so. I hardly ever hold him unless needed. Today was deep cleaning day so I had to take him out which meant photo time. Continue reading “A Frog named Lentil”
Finished!
One of my recent goals was to finish projects I started.
I know where I was going with each piece when I stopped working on them so I just picked up where I left off.
More completed work is to come.
Faith