Number 31 of 52 Portraits: Viriditas Sancta Spirita

I finished this last Thursday and totally forgot to write about it!

This was not meant to be one of the portraits. I was working on a new abstract on a 36" x 36" canvas when lo, she appeared.

(And why "lo"? Because this is a religious painting...)

I began it while working on Number 28. I started with listening to a playlist I call "Spirit of Good Sam", songs of the choir I am in have sung over the years, or that are in the spirit of what we sing. Mostly gospel-style. That's how it went through the first few stages.

And then there were flames. (going sideways here)

Which then became hair.

To paraphrase Jane Davenport, she just fell out of my paintbrush. And I knew she was the Holy Spirit.

More blue and more green and my playlist changed to Hildegard of Bingen who spoke of "greening", the creative power of life, of the Divine.

The face stayed as it is, although I added a reflected light on her jawline.

The pink labyrinth also "just happened".

And here is the final painting. My church is having an art show, and I'm hoping this one (along with a couple of others) will be accepted!