Category: Flowers

She Brings Home the Light

Posted on by F.Magdalene

She Brings Home the Light - availableShe’s long. Her body and imagination stretch far, farther than anyone expected. Flowers bloom around her in every known species. Flourishing are the petals of delicate purple flowers, blooms of soft blue, golden sun yellow and soothing buttercup. She is wrapped in the color of the rainbow and holds in her hand a shining star, a beaming star whose light she keeps in her heart.

A Little History
“She Brings Home the Light” started with a simple swirl in the middle of sanded Burch wood panel. I knew I wanted a young woman to be in the middle of growth, for her to be held by but I struggled to translate the idea on canvas. I put her up and took her down more times than I can count.

I knew I was getting closer to what I wanted but there was still something missing, so on the shelf she stayed. At one point I decided I should hang her up so as to see her daily and toss around ideas of how to accurately translate the image in my head.She Brings Home the Light - available

I refused to stray from the original vision.

As time went on, by time I mean years, I added a stroke here, removed a stroke there. Ah, then the end of 2016 came and the drive to finish her grew strong. After years of strokes, dots, dabs and flower petals I knew I accurately placed the image in my head onto the panel that patiently waited to be called ‘finished’. I present to you a SUNDRIP – Art for Life original called “She Brings Home the Light.”

Art Title: “She Brings Home the Light”
Art by: Faith Magdalene Austin
Media: Acrylic, ink on Burch board
Size: 11.3.5 x 7.5
Finish: Hand sealed, signed on front and back,
Style: Whimsical, African American Art

Original art can be purchased through PayPal or by visiting my Etsy shop. Please see the link on the sidebar for contact information and for the Etsy link. Have questions, don’t hesitate to ask.

Thanks you for visiting Sundrip,
Faith

A Beautiful Day

Posted on by F.Magdalene
Beautiful Day - Redbubble
Beautiful Day

“Beautiful Day” is a small acrylic painting of a little girl carrying a single flower walking through a meadow of wildflowers.

When I first started this painting the little girl was at the top of a steep hill holding a small flower. She looked down to the single bud below. There was a decision to be made, will she keep what she knows or risk and live in the new? I answered my own question.

The young girl is now at the bottom of the hill where not one flower survives but a bountiful garden of lavender, green and soft yellow grows farther than she can see. She carries the first flower still, there was no reason to leave it behind, no reason to abandon all when moving forward.

The original of Beautiful Day found a wall of it’s own but you can find her in small to large size prints in my Redbubble  print shop. Wait ’till you see her on the tote bag and pillow. She’s adorable! “Beautiful Day” is what I like to call smile, feel good art.

Until soon,
Faith

Making Room for More

Posted on by F.Magdalene

Ah, it’s time to start really thinning things out at home. I’ve tackled one corner of my room that has been bugging me for a good long time. It’s the space where I hold all my old art journals and writing journals.

art by FMAustin

A person can only have so much art before it starts to come out of places it shouldn’t, so I’m cleaning out the studio. Here’s what I’m doing, as much as it hurts to do so, some complete art journals are being tossed out while some are being kept. Some that are being thrown away have drawings taken out of them that I’ll keep.

As far as the journals that are being kept, they’re being stored in a waterproof and air tight container. The individual pieces are stored in a filing system thingamabob. In a day or two I will start scanning the individual pieces then put them up on Etsy.

Continue reading “Making Room for More”

Therapy Review: Permission to Speak

Posted on by F.Magdalene

Holding out for MoreI saw my psychiatrist today. We talked about the suicidal feelings. She asked if I feel suicidal at the Kingdom Hall. I said no, I feel like I can make it one more day. She and my psychologist suggested I stick close to the brothers and sisters. but especially try my best to be there in person.

I know my attitude stinks. I’ve got to pray much more about that……

Dr. D and I are taking on an art project where I let my body speak. Often I form experiences and emotions on canvas but they’re from my head. They’re all but photographs of my mind at that time. The rather large therapy painting will be a painting where body expresses itself as it goes through medical changes.

Imagine not speaking the language of anyone around you. Pictures are all you’ve got to tell how you experience the world, the world where there is only one person, one physical being. Now that body has to try and free itself of silence so that bitterness is released. It needs to speak and I can tell and I have a feeling this assignment will be very emotional, humbling and beneficial. I think I’ll have a sense of freedom. I think it’ll give me relief.

A moment of self talk

Continue reading “Therapy Review: Permission to Speak”

Walking With Roses

Posted on by F.Magdalene

Rose Walk 1Ever have one of those days when you were okay for five minutes but torn up the next? I’ve had several of those recently. I can’t put my finger on one thing, not sure I need to. I just know my head doesn’t feel right. I’m trying to help myself, pick myself up a little bit.

Rose Walk 2I had my nightly cry, sketched a little on the painting called Twelve and then decided to brave the stairs and take out the trash. Really, I just needed to be out of here and breathe.

I know I just said this on a blog I first read today. I said we see people walking down the street and they seem more grounded than we are. Well, as I walked around the courtyard I couldn’t help but feel grounded. What grounded me? Choice. Having choices, not feeling backed into a wall, not feeling as if I’m at the mercy of life itself. Being outside with no nurse, no friend standing guard, just me, I felt free. The feeling of being stuck, of being in prison washed away quickly….because I let it.  Continue reading “Walking With Roses”

Lineage

Posted on by F.Magdalene

Lineage fmaThis painting started as pull art. I created a painting using the drip art technique then looked at it if for a few days. As I was walking by I saw an eye. I quickly drew it in, then the lips and the nose. Days later the painting developed into an ancient woman growing her roots, spreading out the lines of history in her hair.

Once I knew what I wanted to paint I began to think about how people talk about wanting a new start or reinventing themselves. It occurred to me that more than not, the choice to reinvent ourselves is thrust upon us. Time changes, other people change the course of our lives for good or bad. In these ways, we are given the opportunity to change ourselves for the better.

Continue reading “Lineage”

How I Price My Art

Posted on by F.Magdalene

I’d like to discuss how I come up with the prices for dolls, original acrylics, original oil paintings, large art, small art, etc.

I had no clue what to charge when I first started offering art on Etsy or right here, however online guides have been helpful. One can google how much to charge when a person asks to put their art on the front of a book, inside a book, used on a webpage, on and on. There are artist’s guides to pricing. What I found most helpful was to think of how much I want out of the painting, add in several factors which I’ll list, then I come up with a general listing price. I look around on Etsy for art of that style and size then finalize my listing price. I try and tag / use keywords by looking at other art because it can be difficult to know what to say so people find my art.  Continue reading “How I Price My Art”

Rose Garden

Posted on by F.Magdalene

TLRG 1

In this original art piece, the sky holds the largest number of flowers which float freely in a cloud of midnight blue, white and turquoise. The marriage of colors brings the story together of a little girl who was once told by her mother, “If you want roses out of life, plant a garden.” She did.

TLRG 3

Art Title: The Little Rose Girl
Art by: Faith Magdalene Austin
Medium: Acrylic, gesso, crackle medium, heavy paper
Size: 6.5 x 4.5

Available via PayPal or in my Etsy shop. See sidebar for contact details.

Please respect the copyright and the artists wishes. Thank you. 

Sangria and Me

Posted on by F.Magdalene

Sangria “Sangria” stands in my Etsy shop full of surrealism and color. The terracotta tone woman with blue hair thinks nothing of the raven that flew in the door. Why should she, after all, she’s got a house inside a house, evergreen trees shaped like arrows and large sunflowers coming from who knows where. The painting is full of life, full of color and texture. And yes, I decided to wear her, too.

I’ve said it before, but I really wish to drive home the point that when looking at a stranger you can’t see on their face what they are going through in their skin. The purpose of putting my art on my face is to be that obvious, to say loud and clear that Lupus and Fibromyalgia can rot from the inside out. Art is one of the major tools I use to manage life with an “invisible illness”.

You don’t start seeing real signs of illness until the person collapses and finds himself/herself in the hospital with baffled family and friends. She looked okay. She looked “normal” What happened?  Lupus. Fibromyalgia. One of the illnesses listed as “invisible”.

Invisible no more. Sangria – My Face My Art   . Continue reading “Sangria and Me”

Becoming Me – Lullaby Collection

Posted on by F.Magdalene

Becoming fmaIt is common for me to blast color on paper, edge to edge with twisting and twirling images. Sometimes though, I paint art for children. The showcase piece today is called “Becoming Me”. Two other pieces are included in this entry as children’s art. Continue reading “Becoming Me – Lullaby Collection”