Muses

Muse of the Blue Sky by Tanya Torres
Acrylic on canvas, 12" x 9", 2014. 

Muse of the Red Sky with Hibiscus by Tanya Torres
Acrylic, gold foil and bindi on canvas, 12" x 9", 2014. 

I finished these two muses last week, although they had been waiting since January for a few last touches. They were meant to be "twin muses" but each went in a different direction, one more simplified and matte, and the other more glossy  and "all the way" with bindi and gold foil on the sides, like some of my muses on tile.

Then, when I started writing a post about them, I stopped and realized that I have never put into words, even for myself, why I paint these faces. One reason is that they flow easily, "they do themselves." The reason why that happens is that they are the symbols of why I create art.

In the old times I was very dramatic, always concentrating on the painful and violent side of life. But when I started reading about spirituality, the idea that, through painting (or through whatever it is that we do all day,) we can send blessings and "good energy," prayers, to our world, ringed true and called to me. I started practicing it when I created my first Mary Magdalenes.

In the process, I learned about sigils. Sigils are magical symbols that contain the energy of your thoughts as you create them. They could be made of words, like in my painting of my Guardian Angel (on the robe are painted the words Amor and Paz.)

I realized that by painting the muses on tile that people take home, I am sending, within what I feel are harmonious lines and colors, my intentions of Love, Peace and Joy where they go. And that makes me very happy.

These two new muses are larger and painted with acrylic on canvas.

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