Vibrant Sunflower. Graceful. Intimate

il_570xN.822739748_622vI’m trying to describe an art piece that is currently untitled. When I look at the piece I see Sundrip “signatures” such as edge to edge figures and a massive amount of detail and color. With signatures in place, does this art differ from the other work I’ve done? First and foremost, I know I created this work with the same purpose as most others; art is my one of my main coping skills.

Although there are numerous faceless figures, they all appear to be interacting peacefully. At least two groups are intimately engaged. To the left of the central figure, there’s a couple that appear to be dancing. To the far right there is a couple embracing as they look over their child who is reaching up to them. In every scene there is movement free of disparity and emotional struggle. Despite the Sundrip signature, this piece stands out as different than the others. Continue reading “Vibrant Sunflower. Graceful. Intimate”

What Remains – Surrealism and Recovery

What Remains fmaWhen I painted this piece I wasn’t necessarily thinking about natural disasters such as a hurricane, tsunami or an earthquake. I was thinking of the disasters of the mind. I was thinking about events that leave us feeling crippled and isolated.

What Remains is a painting with many brush strokes, strikes with a toothpick and with black ink. Everywhere you look there is something filling the space. It’s full, overwhelming the canvas with flowing color, splashing contrast and texture that digs at the heart of the matter.

Continue reading “What Remains – Surrealism and Recovery”

The Growing Process

Growing ProcessArt Title: The Growing Process
Art by: Faith M. Austin
Medium: Acrylic, ink on artist paper, size 8.5 x 5.5 , signed, sealed, unmounted.
The Growing Process is ready to ship today.

Monday afternoon I showed a friend this painting. He said,
“She looks sad”. I replied, “You would be too if you had the weight of the world on your shoulders.”

Yes, she does look sad, and yes great responsibilities are hers. There’s a lot riding on her actions or inaction. However, she has not given up, nor has she slowed the growing process. Continue reading “The Growing Process”

Gloria – The Other Child

Gloria ( Éponine ) fmaArt Title: Gloria
Art by: Faith Magdalene Austin
Size: 5.5 × 8.5
Medium artists paper, Crayola Crayon, ink
signed on the front and back, heat sealed but no acrylic seal.

NOTE: The watermark lines that go through her face are not on the original painting.

The character Éponine is my second favorite character in Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables. For me, she stands for every person who has fallen just a few inches short of glory. She’s the most obvious choice because she’s been there from the beginning but the other person can’t see. Her love is loyal yet silent. She is heroic, selfless and always second.

Continue reading “Gloria – The Other Child”

Bruised Reed

Bruised Reed
Bruised Reed

When I posted this work on Etsy where I offer original art, I got a comment from another artist that really made me smile. Right away that artist recognized from where I got the phrase, “bruised reed.” I was surprised by that but it was a welcome surprise.

Her face is striking; I know.
She pulls at the heart; I know.
She’s stripped to the bone.
She’s bruised but not broken.

Art Title: Bruised Reed
Art by: Faith Magdalene Austin
Size and Medium: black ink, strikes of color on light grain sketchbook paper. 4.5 × 7, signed, sealed, mounted. * SOLD *

Continue reading “Bruised Reed”

Bruised Reed 2

 Reed II
Reed II

Art Title: Reed II
Art by: Faith Magdalene Austin
Medium: black ink, acrylic paint, light card stock paper 4 x 7 , signed, mounted, raw unsealed.

Details: Blue, yellow, orange, headdress, large eyes, strikes of paint, finger paint, complex simplicity.

Please see sidebar for purchase options in my Etsy shop.

Faith

Balancing Act

Beast of Burden - Balancing Act
Beast of Burden – Balancing Act

 

Art Title: Balancing Act  SOLD
Art by: Faith Magdalene Austin
Medium: 4 x 7 heavy paper, ink, marker, signed, sealed, mounted Continue reading “Balancing Act”

She waited as long as she could

She waited fma

Art details:  Orange rays and white beams meet in the red sky. Down the middle grows an old oak tree where two red birds (cardinals) and a raven swirl between the branches above a solid white figure. From the figure extends points of light. Her hands reach up to the branches and grow into them. Two blue figures have fallen from the sky; they’ve joined the merge as well. Continue reading “She waited as long as she could”

Ariel knew it would rain

Ariel knew it was going to rain fmaCaught in the rain, little Ariel walks home without an umbrella. Through thick woods she walks and walks until a tiny sprout pops up right on her head. A few steps more and pop, pop, pop, sprouts appear all the more until finally she becomes part of the scenery.

Art Title: Ariel knew it would rain
Art by: Faith Magdalene Austin
Medium: 4.5 x 7 heavy weight paper, colored pencil, marker, sealed, mounted

Art details: Large eyes, tree bark, bare trees, streams of rain, soaking wet, caught in the rain, red shirt, green leaves.  Continue reading “Ariel knew it would rain”

I might have been torn to pieces

Jung Art


To the extent that I managed to translate the emotions into images that is to say, to find the images which were concealed in the emotions I was inwardly calmed and reassured.

Had I left those images hidden in the emotions, I might have been torn to pieces by them.

There is a chance that I might have succeeded in splitting them off; but in that case I would inexorably have fallen into a neurosis and so been ultimately destroyed by them.

As a result of my experiment I learned how helpful it can be, from the therapeutic point of view, to find the particular images which lie behind the emotions.

Carl Jung

The bird flew in the window fma

A Bird Flew in the Window

I Release Her

I release her

fma