This painting unfolded a little differently from others. It was enjoyable, slow, and now, a gift to share. I’ll talk about the original vision, the inspiring process including the music that supported it. And I present the finished piece.
My paintings are within me. They are me. I will often sit staring at a blank canvas allowing the idea to reveal itself. Sometimes it is just a concept that I get. In one case, I saw only the first brushstroke. When I made that stroke, the next followed.
Prima Ballerina presented itself as a complete painting in a vision during a quiet meditation. I wasn’t actually thinking about painting anything at the time. That was a first. It is quite refreshing to know, there are many ways things can happen and we don’t need to be bound to any particular routine or method. It’s natural!
I saw a ballerina that wrapped around the edge of the canvas. She held a particular pose and the energy rippled out over a beautiful blue cosmic sky. It was a beautiful feeling in that flash of a moment, and I set out to find a photo of a ballerina that echoed my vision.
Here’s a picture taken during the process looking from a side angle. To me, it was like looking at a goddess figure reaching to the heavens.
I searched online to find an image to study that matched my vision. It didn’t take long. Yasmine Naghdi, Principle Dancer of the Royal Ballet performing as Odette in Swan Lake (2018), was an exact match with the pose I had seen. The image was wonderfully captured by photographer Mr. Bill Cooper and is the property of The Royal Ballet.
At this time, I was attracted to the music of Tchaikovsky. Interestingly, I had been hearing a particular tune in my head for some months before the vision. I recognized it when I found it on YouTube. This recorded version knocked my socks off!
My Sketch of Tchaikovsky
Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 Op. 23 in Bb Minor. One of the most powerful pieces of music I have ever heard, performed by the young (17) maestro Evgeny Kissin, with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by legend Herbert von Karajan. My research informs me that the highly esteemed Karajan passed away seven months after this, his last performance.
The beautiful music of Tchaikovsky accompanied my painting, and it was such a significant contribution to my immersion in the energy this work.
The Music
Each layer of a painting, holds and emits a particular vibration that I am. I invite you to enjoy the shared process shown in the following pictures.
The Process
And then, just a sprinkling of gold, expressing the completion from vision to painting.
Prima Ballerina
Oil on Canvas 65cm x 53cm
By Paul Stewart
Made with love,
Paul