Many times, ideas strike me or a small doodle becomes something larger and “comes to life” as a painting. On the day the idea for this painting came into being, I found myself in a bit of a sour mood. I felt like I was stuck in a rut and honestly, not very happy.
Then I had a moment of reflection realized that “It is up to ME to decide how I wanted to feel on that day and how I wanted to choose to respond to situations I was experiencing in my life”. I wrote this idea as a quick note to myself with a sketched-up image to work out later on canvas.
On that evening, “Choosing What Mood to Wear” was brought to life. Each of the faces above the head were connected, yet separate. Representing a different feeling or mood. Whether it be sadness, anger, contemplative, enlightened or connected, obstinate or frustrated, wise and serene. I felt it all. These were feelings and moods that anyone could relate to.
The different directions of the eyes on the face are reflecting two different concepts: The way we see the world, straight on (horizontal eye) and the ways we can choose to react to it (vertical eye, as if inward or thoughtfully). The small mole under the eye is in the shape of a heart to remind the viewer to respond with love for themselves in whichever choice they make.
The antennas that reach out from the hair are indicators that what we send out, we get back. And likewise reflects how we receive energy, whether positive or negative. Often, this is what we use to determine our responses to life situations, people within our lives and more broadly, the world at large.
This painting is a reminder to each of us that we truly have the ability to choose how we want to feel or how we want to respond in any given situation, on any given day. We have more power than we realize! I invite you to ask yourself: What mood will YOU wear today?