"Polaris No. 3 (Untethered)"

In “Untethered”, the woman wears an extended line of a prism across her collar, much like a section of armor. Did she build the structure herself? Is it something she’s crafted and tied? What does it mean for her?

Over time she has begun to let it unravel. She is resigned in posture and breathes deeper as the ties loosen and fly. She isn’t tethered anymore to a structure that no longer serves her. She has found a sense of direction in the action of letting go.

The portrait is at the center of the work and the foundation for the design. Following the charcoal work, I painted the overlapping design of the watercolor prism across the neck and shoulders. The final elements were the pastel background and color overlay and the pencil line work. These multiple layers and the spontaneous choices for the finished details are a very organic process as the work nears completion. The frame design is a simple thin black line, reminiscent of the lines drawn into the piece and carried into the mat. The space depicted in the mat provides room for the “untethered” lines to wave in and out of the composition.

Polaris No. 3 (Untethered)

charcoal, pastel, and watercolor on Stonehenge paper

18x18" artwork size, 30x30" framed

2023

Available - Contact Artist

Polaris Solo Exhibition

Grand Bohemian Lodge Gallery

Falls Park, Greenville, SC