The Woman in the Golden Shell

The Woman in the Golden Shell

In my recent Melinda Thomas Robinson Art YouTube exercise, I decided to paint a woman in a golden shell.

I have given a lot of thought to this concept in the past; how many women feel as if they are encased in a kind of shell that inhibits or restricts their true self from expanding. Within that shell, women learn to create their own inner world, their own inner thoughts and dreams____ even escapes.

We don't necessarily start out locked in a shell as a rule. As children we are all free of inhibitions and joy- filled. Over time, however, we are signaled, via others or society, as to which of our behaviors are acceptable and even lovable. We adapt.

As I considered how to create the concept I had in mind, I studied the intricacies of seashells and especially the spiral shapes. In these I saw a woman's inner journey, the swirls representative of the many circuitous routes our lives take and coil around us.

I wanted to represent the beauty of such a woman, despite her restrictions, so I chose an image where the model was meditative or prayer-like. Encircled by the darkness of the unknown, I envisioned gold leaf as the light within the darkness.

Done in black acrylic and oil on canvas, this painting measures 16" x 20".