Frida Kahlo Challenge

Frida Kahlo acrylic on canvas

She's my first Frida! I painted her as part of the Frida Kahlo Challenge at Gritty Jane's on facebook. The challenge has been such fun! I honestly didn't know much about this fascinating artist. The challenge helped me understand the character of Frida and the following she has around the world. Frida was passionate about painting. She suffered in pain and found paint as a pain killer. I have fallen in love with the artist and the followers who are inspired by her works. This is my first contribution to the challenge.

I wanted to capture her beauty without the pain but realized she is who she is because of the pain she endured in her adulthood. One of her original pieces shows her body punctured by nails or pins representing the pain from surgeries and heartbreak. I chose to dress her neck in the sharp tacks, though she often wore elaborate jewelry, this was my interpretation of her jewels. I found beauty in her smile.

She wore flowers in her hair and her eyes were very distinctly shaped, almost almond shaped and dark, and mysterious.

She painted self portraits showing her hair up mostly. Flowers and big bows adorned the top of her dark black hair like a crown. In researching her images I found a photograph of her with her hair down. Her hair in this piece was painted with pure black heavily applied by twisting the worn brush back and forth as I drew downward.

And to finish her trademark look I extended her eyebrows and dusted her upper lip with a mustache.

This is my first Frida. When I photograph my work, I notice all the things I could change. I am so tempted to repaint and touch up here or there. I need to walk away, sleep on it, return in the morning light, and let it go.

So I have... here at Dabbling In The Dew. Yea... she sold for around $2.00. Call me a starving artist.
I have been selling vintage collectibles in this etsy shop for a long time. Truthfully, I opened it originally to sell folk art and hand painted items. I had gotten away from painting for such a long time. There was a time I painted everyday, on canvas, floor cloths, wood, furniture, and walls. I was so passionate about painting, like Frida, but I stopped at some point for what I am not certain. I'm just glad to be able to paint again. It feels good to scrub a canvas with gesso and create something from a glob of color.
I hope you like my return to painting.