Adri's Palette

I thought I’d close this nostalgic trip back in time with angels. (If you missed my previous posts you will find the first here and the second here) Now, these drawings really surprised me. For one, because I forgot all about them. But mainly, because they do not carry any special religious significance for me. So I was surprised I had so many drawings depicting them. And then I remembered scattered images of a video clip (I have no idea who the artist was) in which angels were moving as light as feather, in majestic unison to the music, almost as if I was seeing an act by Cirque du Soleil. I think that is what must have inspired me to explore these figures. When I held this drawing in my hand the first thing I thought about was wind blown hair. Or wings in this instance. I think I found with the wings something that would give me similar dynamics, movement. And yet there is this very poignant restraint in the drawing. The dress wanting to get caught by the wind and play with it, but cannot. The hair being held back by the wings. And these two wings tower over the figure, overpowering, almost crushing her. The more I look at it, the eerier it becomes. What surprised me when I looked at these sketches is that here there were two figures. Now looking back to my drawings from this period I realize that this is a rarity. And then I chose not just any figures, but angels. One reaching out a hand, asking for help, the second offering that solace.
I remember the second was a brave experiment. I had two pieces of broken glass that I decided I’d paint like stained glass. I sanded down the surface so it would have some grip, and painted the figures with oil paint in such a way, that looking at the piece from both sides you would see the same image. Painted layer upon layer and then reversing the process on the other side. I loved the outcome! That is why I cannot imagine how I could have misplaced them. I have not seen them in years. But what I do remember is that I drew the same angels on the inside cover of a copy of A Hundred Years of Solitude (one of my favorite books) which I gave to a friend. Fitting that they ended up there.Now this one is a funny one. I think the splatter was made with watered down ink. And looking at the image of the angel I saw strange little marks. That’s when I realized, that I put the paper through a typewriter (yes, you read correctly) and typed quotation marks in the pattern of an angel. Later I drew over the image with graphite pencil.

Strange as this subject seemed at first I am glad I made and now re-discovered them. I don’t think that as an artist (but as a person even) I have to follow a fixed set of ideals or meaning, to use an image in one single way. What I need to be aware of is the general connotation and how my interpretation might be affected by it. For me angels will be something very delicate, the symbol of fragility, and even isolation and loneliness. But even though these are not the most cheery ideals, as I was looking at these drawings I still felt a warmth in my heart. They still filled my soul with color and happiness. I am really glad I explored this subject! Hope you like them too!