Growth is...

💫New Painting Alert 💫
Growth
24” x 24”
Acrylic & Gold Leaf

Ya girl is on a roll with another new painting this month! This painting was finished just in time for the start of Spring, as the earth begins to sprout anew, and everything gains life once again. 

Aight that was a lil cheesy but any who. 

I wanted to try my hand at a larger canvas, something that would force me to slow down rather than race the clock to get it done in a day. Needless to say, large canvases are definitely a workout (arms and shoulders specifically). I was so tired after every painting session, but after completing it was worth it. 
It has continued to inspire me to lean into making a painting series that explores a specific flower and its meaning. My previous painting, Rebirth, featured Spider Lilies, highlighting the rebirth of my own creative journey. This painting continues the conversation with a woman wearing a crown and surrounded by an overflow of pink petaled ivy called Bougainvillea, a flower with a myriad of meanings.

Frequently they represent perseverance, strength, growth, and the ability to thrive. In some cultures, bougainvillea also specifically embody spiritual connection, growth and development. For example, in Greece bougainvilleas are often used to decorate shrines dedicated to the goddess Aphrodite. In Brazil, bougainvillea flowers are known as "Santa Rita", named after the saint of impossible causes. These flowers are used by locals to decorate the streets in Cachoiera, a municipality of Bahia, Brazil, during the Flower Festival of Santa Rita where a religious procession is used to honor the saint. 
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With this painting, I channeled early Renaissance portraits of saints in order to highlight growth, protection, and spiritual connection. Gold whether gold leaf, paint, or real gold, was often used to create halos around the heads of their portraits to symbolize that person's connection to Christ. The imperfect circle in my painting represents growth in all of its messiness as a work in progress towards the woman's future. The bougainvilleas surrounding her body are her protection, warding off what she no longer needs and what doesn’t mean her well. 

In order to grow, we all have to be wary about what and who we bring around us.

This painting was a part of Feminine Frequency, a Women’s History month exhibition curated by Rakia Jackson and Deborah J. Sheppard, the opening reception was 3/7. If you’re in the Greenville area, stop by the Scullery to see this and other amazing pieces while the show is still up. 

With love and magic,
💫Jae

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