Years ago at the Art Fair in Ann Arbor I bought a little hand made angel doll who served as the initial inspiration for these paintings. I hung her over my desk at work and she has been with me ever since. Although beautifully dressed, she didn't have real hair or hands, so I didn't have to worry about painting them. Her mouth was just a little line that expressed some reservations about life in general. She was definitely with holding opinion and I found her a very congenial roommate when I was a librarian. Of course she would never have stood for the classroom atmosphere, so when I became a teacher, she remained at home. She now, of course, hangs in my studio, her little mouth again with holding opinion.
Initially, the angels were fanciful little things. Later, during a very stressful time in my life, they became very strong figures ("Angel in Red", "Angel with Crown.").
Both my daughters were angels at some time or other (Hallowe'en) and they served as a wonderful inspiration for yet more angels. And over time, I came to realize that the wings were unnecessary . A certain spirit is all it takes to be an angel painting. They may look sad to you, but they are really just with holding opinion. |
