Discovery of the Golden Thread

The Golden Thread

Recently I’ve been reading about the importance of defining, what is called, The Golden Thread for artists. Lovely as the term is, I was mystified as to how it applied to me and the art I create.

To be honest, I give very little thought to why I choose a particular image to paint, nor do I go through the motions to analyze it. I’m drawn to certain faces or attitudes I see in a person, but is there one thread that defines my art?

It’s not colors. I love all colors, and each portrait requires a different palette and application. It’s not watercolor over oil painting as both offer interesting aspects that I enjoy.

I can say that watercolor is less messy and a bit more of a peaceful activity. Sometimes I need to return to watercolor just to relax a bit.

It’s not one theme, either. I love painting children, women, men, and varied ethnicities. I do love eyes, all eyes. I’m not drawn to landscapes or abstracts or even collage, although I’ve toyed with all of them. I do love gold leaf and if I could, I’d add it to every painting I do.

The Golden Thread seems to the “why” of what we do; the core inner drive that reveals itself on the canvas.

For me, then, The Golden Thread is “Narrative Portraiture”, a term that describes my process. Narrative Portraiture may have several definitions, but for me it means, I paint the story behind the eyes of a person. I don’t add symbols or geometric shapes. I stick closely to the message I see that tells me the person is in love, wounded, world weary, strong, victorious, desiring, innocent or wild inside.

Having a psychology background, I tend to “feel” the pain, the joy, the burdens, losses, longings and betrayals in the faces I paint. I can’t know exactly what each person experienced, but what I imagine their stories to be are revealed on their faces, and, with reverence, I can honor them.

Hard as facial lines are to draw, I tend to love those old, war-torn faces that say they survived in a difficult world. Many times, it’s a cultural message. Some cultures live very hard lives with dignity.

This exercise was enlightening and a good first step to marketing my art. My audience will be those who feel a connection to the human experience; perhaps seeing themselves in the journeys portrayed in my Narrative Portraiture.