The Boy in the Window

It's the eyes that draw me.  Indeed they are windows to the soul.  

My inspiration for portrait #2 came  from a photograph taken by Japoi Cequina which I found here at National Geographic's "Faces of the World" collection.

As with the Girl with Green Eyes, my painting does not do this precious child justice.  But his face...those eyes...how could I resist?  I wish I knew more about both the photographer and his subject. However, I did find another photograph attributed to him, here, which shows his obvious talent.

Here's  the rough sketch...

The Boy in the Window (Stacy Wills, 2014)

pencil and watercolor on paper

Girl with Green Eyes

For the last few months my daily practice has consisted mainly of drawing small mandalas in my art journal.  Yesterday, however, I had the urge to do something else.  While out surfing the net, as I am want to do, I came across a series of photographs of the faces of people from all around the globe.  One in particular really drew me in…it was the face of a beautiful young girl from Bangladesh with the most penetrating and arresting green eyes. 

Here is the rough sketch I did in my art journal.

Girl with Green Eyes (Stacy Wills, 2014)

pencil and watercolor on paper

 I couldn't remember what website I was on when I found her, but in going back to search just now, I discovered the photograph was taken by travel photographer, David Lazar.   His work is amazing - do check him out.  

My painting does  not do her justice…not even close…but I was so captivated by her, I had to try.  I tend to go through phases in my art…I feel a strong portrait phase coming on. 

My Personal Land of Counterpane

My Personal Counterpane (Stacy Wills, 2014)

watercolor on paper

The flu has been kicking my butt for two weeks.  It's been a long time since I've been this sick and housebound.  Today is the first time I've felt like sitting at my computer for more than a few minutes.  I've been to the doctor twice and have been taking my prescribed medicines.  I am getting better, but my batteries are not fully recharged just yet.  Serendipitously,  during this time of confinement, I have been taking an online class through Abbey of the Arts  called  Coming Home to the Body:  A Women's Journey toward Contemplative Embodiment.   "Aha" moments abound even though my head has been fuzzy from all the meds.   I have been particularly blessed during this retreat  by the artwork of Mary Southard, CSJ that  has been part of our weekly lessons.  Mary's work is beautiful, ethereal and mesmerizing.  I have been completely enthralled.  Her work confirms my belief that art heals.

As a child, when I was sick, my mother would often read to me while I lay in bed.  The poems of Robert Louis Stevenson were among my favorites, particularly The Land of Counterpane.   With apologies to Stevenson, my own personal "land of counterpane" has looked more  like this:

As I've been sick and lain in bed,

With so many pillows 'round my head,

Paints and brushes beside me lay,

To keep me happy all the day... 

I've not had the energy to do much else, but this illness has afforded me the opportunity to spend time rekindling my daily mandala practice, and also time to dabble and doodle to my heart's content in the small leather-bound art journal I bought myself before Christmas.  Its pages are filling up fast.

God Speaks to Each of Us (a poem from Rilke)

Incarnation (Stacy Wills, 2013)

acrylic on canvas + sacred altering

God Speaks to Each of Us

God speaks to each of us as he makes us,

then walks with us silently out of the night.

These are the words we dimly hear:

You, sent out beyond your recall,

go to the limits of your longing.

Embody me.

Flare up like flame

and make big shadows I can move in.

Let everything happen to you:  beauty and terror.

Just keep going.  No feeling is final.

Don't let yourself lose me.

Nearby is the country they call life.

You will know it by its seriousness.

Give me your hand.

-Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926)

(Translated by Anita Barrows and Joanna Macy)

Getting a Jump on Next Year's Ornaments

Prisms (Stacy Wills, 2013)

alcohol ink on beveled prisms

December has been a full month - far more busy than I thought it would be....but even in the midst of all the busyness, the creative itch must still be scratched!  I salvaged these beveled prisms from an old art deco chandelier and wondered if they might work as suitable substrates for alcohol ink.    I really like the way  the first two turned out, and I've got plans to make more...I'm thinking these would make good Christmas ornaments for next year.   Happy Holidays!

Embody the Radiance

Light Body (Stacy Wills, 2013)

mixed media + sacred altering

Embody the Radiance

This is what happens

When Spirit

Pours through matter

Everything comes alive

Light incarnates

Love incarnates 

Embrace the truth

of who you are...

Embody the radiance

That is You

-Stacy Wills (12/16/13)

Feelin' Merry and Bright

I've spent the better part of the last two days making 

these alcohol ink on porcelain Christmas ornaments.

If you could see my ink-stained fingers, you'd know

it was a labor of love!

I was a teenager the last time I got crafty at Christmas 

and made  ornaments - salt dough ornaments to be exact.  I still have one or

two that have survived the years well enough to  make it onto our tree.

It took awhile to figure out the best way to do these,

but I finally got a pretty good system going.  The

hardest part was waiting for them to dry so I could

really tell if these were going to be "tree-worthy."

Once they were dry, I gave them a protective coat of varnish.

 I love the way my ornaments turned out so much

that  I'm already thinking about what I can do next year!

 I'll be taking these to a holiday market our

neighborhood is having tomorrow afternoon.

Hopefully, some will find their way onto 

someone else's Christmas tree!