The Mystery On the Easel Phase VI

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It is done – and what a marathon!  I have to thank you, my dearly beloved regular and loyal readers – or in this case, viewers – who came by with so many thoughts and guesses and questions and who inspired me to tweak a little here and adapt a little there until the final version appeared.

So here we go folks, for the last time let’s recap and see where it did end up

Phase 1

Phase1

Phase II

Phase 2

Phase III

Phase3

Phase IV

Phase4

Phase V

6 Phase 5

We Are All Made Of Stardust

8 Phase6 cropped

Detail pics

9 Phase 6 detail1

10 Phase 6 detail2

I always knew it was going to be a dream catcher drifting in the wind.  I did not know until you interacted with me that it would become a dream catcher drifting through the cosmos, gathering stardust and starlight.  Carl Sagan’s words came to me as I began the final work on the many little galaxies and universes scattered about:

“The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of starstuff.”
― Carl Sagan – Cosmos

And having mentioned Mr Sagan, how can we not end without going there, to his Pale Blue Dot

Thanks for coming by today, I love that you did!

70 thoughts on “The Mystery On the Easel Phase VI”

  1. Hello hello Ms P. I thought for certain I’d left a message at this post as I remember viewing and reading before. I guess I was in Washington and probably stayed up way too late with Julia. This is quite large by the looks of it. I marvel at how you painted over all the color in black! Was that hard to do? The dream catcher is a wonder in perfection. How did you draw everything so evenly? I got lost at Youtube watching old interview with Carl and then with Neil deGrasse Tyson, who I always love listening to. Once in a while, you hear something so profound it resinates deeply because there’s so much BS coming at us these days. I’ve started to tune it all out because it affects my phyche in a monstrous way. I just can’t manage the sickening antics of Trump. Putin, Kim Jung-un and so many more monsters in the world. x K

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    • Hello the lovely Ms B 🙂 I’m not taking too much notice of the madness either – I value my sanity! I’m pretty convinced it will all work itself out – it always does. There are already signs that people everywhere are waking up and taking back their power and as that is exactly what needed to happen we can probably thank the 45th.

      Imo the Pale Blue Dot should be compulsory listening for every person interested in entering public life. They must learn it off by heart and be tested on it before they get a license to run 🙂

      The canvas is 100 x 80 cm – pretty big. I always knew I’d be blacking out part of it – I just wasn’t sure how much would go. Working in mixed media as I do, I’m used to putting down layers and having them all but disappear – its just part of the process. You know how that works with layering as you do, a whole slice of paper may be laid down and just a tiny piece peeps out in the finished piece. And that in the end is just enough.

      Thanks for coming by – I know how busy you are. xoxo

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  2. You do inspire me. I have some new ink pens and watercolors to work on in my garden. I am trying to find the time to get out there in the garden to create. I love your use of color( do I sound like a broken record) and how it makes me happy. It just lifts my spirits your art. It can bring one out of a funk. That is a gift!!!!

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    • We artists never tire of hearing that our work makes you happy – so repeat away 🙂 Re ‘trying to find time to create’. Make a date with yourself for just ten minutes every day and work with your paints and pens – you don’t have to produce a completed masterpiece straight off. Just start working.xoxo

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      • I have a journal so I have been doing some lately:-) Just with my parents moving ( two father-in-laws with dimentia) in the same town last summer + helping my daughter with my grandson- I am finding it helps me relax. I just need to find time to complete a larger piece outside my journal-lol. Seasons in your life bring different adventures. This is the first time I have lived near my parents since I was 18 and that was a long time ago-LOL. I am finding 3 yr olds and 80 yr olds are very similiar:-)

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        • The journal is good. 80 year olds, 3 year olds and puppies – lol!! This painting is my first really big piece in years and I do want to do more – but it is a commitment! Good luck with finding the time xo

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  4. This ended in a surprising place, but it’s bad if someone can predict the direction of your creativity! I like the idea of a dreamcatcher spinning through the cosmos. Lovely. A friend of mine admired your light catcher tonight and I was able to relay tales of New Zealand artistry!

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    • I also like the idea of a dreamcatcher spinning through space – there’s a slight hint of Doctor Who in that 🙂 I’m delighted to hear your catcher is admired. I can’t imagine what those tales might have consisted of, but nonetheless I’m equally delighted about that! xo

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  9. We are stardust
    We are golden
    And we’ve got to get ourselves
    Back to the garden

    I’ll have this song in my head all day now! Your piece turned out great–it’s riveting to look at and it is SO you! How big is it? Did I miss that?

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    • Ha! Yes, see this is what happens when you were even just the tiniest little hippie back in the 60’s. Now I’ll spend the rest of the days trying to remember the rest of the song! 🙂 I’m unsure now if I did mention canvas size – being me it’s perfectly possible I didn’t….. 80 x 100 cm. (approx 31 x 39″) So pleased you find it riveting – that’s a good thing! Thank you! xo

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  10. Yay Pauline! Its so beeaauuttiiffuull!!!! I love the endless flow, the feeling of openness and the security of love everlasting! The colors are super!

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  11. Not only do I enjoy the journey through your visuals showing the progression, … and the final result … but then you top it off with one of my favorites … The Pale Blue Dot … many thanks!

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  13. I love the way this has evolved into such a bold and exciting piece! Thanks for sharing each step with us – it made it fascinating to watch it all come together so perfectly in the end.

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  14. You will not believe this but I came here to visit and comment yesterday and would have been the first one! Then … things got hairy at work. Ah well, at least I am here now.
    I absolutely love it!
    I wasn’t as surprised as some about the “blackness” of Phase III as I think I’ve heard of that artistic process before (is that right?), but I couldn’t figure out where things would end up.
    The colors are wonderful and i love the feathers and the cosmos.
    Brava!

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    • I think we may have discussed somewhere along the road the blacking out process – maybe last year? I’m sorry you had a hairy day at work! Hopefully now that is all under control and you are getting ready to head to DC. You aren’t going on to NYC with the others? Oh no, that’s right – you’ll be off on your cruise! 🙂 Have enormous fun and let’s skype when you get back – I want to hear all about it!

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  15. You’ve out done yourself this time. It is perfectly lovely. So much movement and beauty.

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  17. This is absolutely beautiful, Pauline. I love it, the painting, the words, their message, the intent. It is just gorgeous. I’m so pleased you showed the detail. I missed the hearts when previously looking, and I didn’t see the words before at all. To use Carl Sagan’s words and couple it with his video makes it even more magical. The feathers and the galaxies – all so lovely. Thank you for sharing your painting and the process. Although I would love the final painting anyway, it was fascinating to see it evolve – as the cosmos evolves. (What a pity the word isn’t ivolve. It would be an anagram for love vi!)

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    • That was quick thinking on your part Norah, the possible anagram. I’ll take the compliment! 🙂 The words are deliberately hidden, you have to look quite hard to find them as I wanted the eye to scan feathers and galaxies and the mind to wander and wonder …… I certainly enjoyed sharing the process with you! Such wonderful support and cheering on keeps me ever hopeful of producing something worthwhile.

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  21. I was very dubious at Phase III, but how wonderfully you transformed it. Your vision for how the work would progress, but that you could also be flexible enough to incorporate new ideas from others, leaves me in awe. I love that it became a cosmic dream-catcher.

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  22. Well yes I see now. Sumptuous I’d say. Whoever dreams have been caught I’d hazard a guess they are pretty contented- ditzy and in a happy place.

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  26. Pauline, it’s beautiful and ethereal and very much you. I love what you’ve captured. It’s been a real joy watching the process. And now you’ve taken an idea from a journal, crafted a beautiful piece of art, then infused it with a few more ideas from your loyal fans. Kismet!

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