This has been my most ambitious series to date. It chronicles the journey of a soul from a state of abstraction and chaos throughout its formation. As the soul began its journey long ago, it is reflected abstractly with sepia tones which are reminiscent of an old photograph. A red light brings the first hints of humanity and the soul begins to take on skin. Throughout this process we have positive and negative forces influencing and attempting to lead the soul in opposite directions. We have light and dark, with the soul in the middle, with the soul at risk of becoming deformed or triumphing to become elegant. Will the soul make choices that lead to Imprisonment or Education? Will the soul embody Friendship or Judgement? Will it embrace modern customs or to cling to history? The soul reads, it studies, it makes clear decisions. Finally, it becomes radiant, or it becomes lost.
2016 - 2025
Chaotic Soul
Epiphany
"Chaotic Soul" / 11x14 / Oil on Linen / $280
This painting represents the unnurtured soul, a soul that is lost and in chaos. Painted Alla Prima from life.
Signed on Back
"Epiphany" / 11x14 / Oil on Linen / $300
The soul encounters a realization, reflected by color illuminating the undeveloped soul. Painted Alla Prima from life the glazed for color.
Signed on Back
Sorrow
Restoration
"Sorrow" / 10x10 / Oil on Linen / $220
An unnurtured soul filled with sorrow, this soul is mostly empty. Painted Alla Prima from life.
Signed on Back
"Restoration" / 10x10 / Oil on Linen / $230
The soul begins to heal empowered by color illuminating the damaged soul. Painted Alla Prima from life the glazed for color.
Signed on Back
Unification
"Unification" / 12x16 / Oil on Linen / $385
The soul begins to take a more human and defined form; this is a transition from chaos into a soul with form. Painted over multiple sessions from life.
Signed on Front
Light From Above
Torn
Light From Below
"Light From Above" / 8x16 / Oil on Linen
"Torn" / 8x16 / Oil on Linen
"Light From Below" / 8x16 / Oil on Linen
(Triptych)
The collection of all three paintings together: $500
The soul experiences positive and negative forces, a light from the heavens, a light from below and a soul trying to navigate between the two. All three painted from life Alla Prima then glazed.
Above/Below Signed on Front
Torn Signed on Back
A Soul, Deformed
A Naked Soul
An Elegant Soul
"A Soul, Deformed" / 6x12 / Oil on Linen / $235
Throughout the gross process this painting illustrates an unfortunate path a soul took, leading to deformation. Painted Alla Prima from life.
Signed on Back
"A Naked Soul" / 6x12 / Oil on Linen / $225
A soul laid bare, naked and ashamed. This soul is in the early stages of growth. Painted Alla Prima from life.
Signed on Front
"An Elegant Soul" / 6x12 / Oil on Linen / $235
The opposite of the deformed soul, this soul is on a good path and its inner beauty is becoming evident. Painted Alla Prima from life, then glazed.
Signed on Front
Imprisonment
Olive in the Library
"Imprisonment" / 12x16 / Oil on Linen / $385
A soul that has succumbed to negative influences and made poor decisions, leading to its confinement. Painted from life over 4 sessions for 16 hours.
Signed on Back
"Olive in the Library" / 12x16 / Oil on Linen / $450
A soul that has embraced positive influences and sought education and wisdom, at rest in a library. Painted from life over 4 sessions for 16 hours.
Signed on Front
An Old Soul
A Modern Soul
"An Old Soul" / 12x16 / Oil on Linen / $385
A soul that has let past experiences shape it and grows from prior wisdom. Painted from life over several sessions.
Signed on Back
"A Modern Soul" / 12x16 / Oil on Linen / $385
A soul that has questioned the past and is willing to break past custom to take a chance to grow in a different direction. Painted from life several sessions, then glazed.
Signed on Front
Sit Beside Me
You Will Be Judged
"Sit Beside Me" / 11x14 / Oil on Linen / $350
A soul offers friendship and even though the chair is narrow, kindly welcomes others. Painted from life over several sessions.
Signed on Back
"Judgement" / 11x14 / Oil on Linen / $350
A soul that prefers Judgement over empathy or kindness. The face is fully empty and undeveloped. It is incapable of smiling or emotion. Painted from life over 4 sessions for 16 hours.
Signed on Back
Ghost of a Girl Reading
Lost Soul
"Ghost of a Girl Reading" / 11x14 / Oil on Linen / $450
The soul has taken form, and this painting represents the ultimate positive outcome of a soul seeking knowledge and wisdom. Painted from life over several sessions for 16 hours.
Signed on back.
"Lost Soul" / 12x16 / Oil on Linen / $385
As a soul takes form, it can result in positive or negative outcomes. This painting represents the ultimate negative outcome of a lost soul and is a warning to others. Painted from life over several sessions for 16 hours.
Signed on Front
The Girl in the Yellow Dress
"The Girl in the Yellow Dress" / 9x12 / Oil on Linen / $275
This piece marks the end of the series. She is more representational, her dress full finished and radiant. She is the destination through the series of haunted souls, beginning to become mostly human again.
How often do we go through change in our life where we shift from an agonized, deformed soul and shape ourselves into something more recognizable as a beautiful human being. It takes a lot of torment, navigating through dark places, but we can emerge one day a radiant human soul.
The Creation Process
The series was painted from live models, typically over a period of 16 hours spread out over four sessions in a month.
During the first session, a small black and white study was typically constructed which seeks to understand light values. This was used as a reference for the next three sessions when the actual painting was created. Additionally, an underpainting was created using a quick drying Raw Umber. You can see mostly what the underpainting would look like in the center piece above where only a small section of the painting contains the opaque upper layer.
By the second session, the under painting had dried and the actual painting was then created on top of it. In some cases the underpainting was left untouched in sections, creating a vintage sepia feel (see the painting with the red dress). In other cases, such as the painting with the purple dress, the underpainting was glazed and bits of it could see through.
The disintegration pieces typically required only a single session, as the underpainting was left untouched on large sections of the paintings.
Some of the dresses are opaque, which were painted from the live model. Other dresses were achieved by applying a glaze to the underpaintings after the session concluded to create the color.
The process resulted in a lot of friendships being formed, both with the models as well as the 2-3 other artists who would also be painting during the session. Many thanks to Olive, Kira, Kylie, Aimee, Etta, Ashley, Maya and Elle for their help in creating this series.
