Story behind the work: Unafraid of Deep Waters
Unafraid of Deep waters. 2021.
Oil on oil paper.
An oil painting for a Tattoo commission.
Commissions come from the most surprising of places. I had shared on social media a photograph of ‘On top of the world’ when it was newly finished and an old Acting friend reached out and said that the painting had inspired her to get a tattoo and asked if I would be willing to accept a commission to design one for her.
It took three attempts to get the design right - it was to be her first tattoo so getting the design perfect was important and I felt honoured that she trusted me with creating something in my style to be tattooed on her. As an artist that has been drawing since a young age I can create almost anything and I have designed a few tattoos to date but none in my own contemporary style. I feel I can access my creativity and flow state better when working with my hands, so even though the end tattoo design was supplied as a photoshopped image (just the Mermaid herself without the dark background and kelp) I found it easier developing the image by drawing and painting physically rather than on the computer screen.
Something I loved that came out of the second brainstorming sketch was how the fin behind her almost visually doubled as angel wings (below). Other elements that I felt were important were a light radiating from her heart centre and a halo / crown around her. I wanted this piece to communicate her self power, full heart and embracement of self. ‘Unafraid of Deep waters’ is about living life unapologetically and not only loving but trusting ourselves in even the darkest and deepest of places life may take us.
