This colourful portrait shows a young woman with a bird on her shoulder. Her head bows slightly towards the animal, as if she is listening intently. The painting symbolises listening to the compassionate voice inside yourself, the loving voice that supports you when you are too hard on yourself. It is an ode to inner gentleness and the power of mildness.
The style is expressive and built in transparent layers, where paint textures and details reinforce each other. The portrait combines realistic elements with a free, painterly approach. Subtle heart shapes light up through the background, adding depth and symbolism and giving the painting a layered character.
The colours turquoise blue, orange, yellow and magenta create a vivid and harmonious contrast. They give the work a warm, energetic feel, with the cool blue and warm orange balancing each other out. The soft yellow and sparkling magenta bring playfulness and light to the composition. Together, they create an atmosphere that invites you to slow down and get closer to yourself.
A painting that not only brightens a room with colour, but also offers a loving reminder to listen within.
Ariska Keldermann-Simons is the owner of studio Flow Painting. Her intuitive mixed media works are colourful and layered, in which the essence of man is central... Read more…