When you give something made with your own hands, you are transmitting an energy, your own. A little bit of me goes into every work I make, and above all into the rocks of kindness, because I do it with a special intention.
A few days ago I received a gift, a beautiful, delicate and fine box of delicious chocolates. She knows that I love them and at that moment the only thing I wanted to do was to share it with that same person, so the energy of the gift comes and goes in the same direction.
Chat, mate, chocolates in a beautiful afternoon near the sea. What more could you ask for a Christmas present. But while we were talking, I was thinking about what she needed, what she would like. I like to give things that I make myself, and I know that she appreciates it, that's the most important thing for me.
I'm talking about my friend Loli, a cheerful Malaga girl who is always on the move.
I have already once given her rocks of goodness, remember? The starfish and the sunflowers. But this time she doesn't know about the gift. Well she is finding out right now, because I know she reads all my posts. I hope to brighten her day and draw a smile that will last in time like rocks.
I always say the drawing is simple and someone who will also read me will think, it is never simple. This time the butterfly was not difficult. But my intention was to put emphasis on the colours, it had to be blue, violet, but with white and full of light, the light of wisdom.
The other rock is a bird with which she identifies and that is the eagle. This bird signifies strength and renewal. The eagle's life is hard, as was my friend's life. You know? The eagle must, in order to survive, renew itself at one point in its life and that process takes six months. If you look on the internet you will find a lot of information, but it is a painful and hard process.
I think you identify Loli very well. Yes, today I start by talking about what the rocks mean, because I know that is the first thing she will read.
The butterfly is the change. First it is a caterpillar and goes through a process of transformation until it becomes free and a beautiful butterfly. I also identify with her.
Blue, because blue is Loli's favourite colour.
The most complicated part of the drawing was the eagle's beak because it is a bird of prey and its shape is special. But it didn't cause any problems, although at the beginning my idea was to make an eagle in flight, but then I changed my mind because the face wouldn't be visible.
The technique used is always oil on stone, and with 00 brushes. For the eagle I used white, black, dark and light brown, yellow for the beak and in the background the same colours but to make the drawing contrast.
First I painted the feathers of the head and then the body, but without much outline, then the beak, locating it with yellow and then I outlined the eye. With the dark colours I gave it the right shape. Often it is complicated to paint feathers, small short strokes are the key. In the case of the white feathers the black helped me to shape them and in the black or dark part the other way round.
It is always the shadows that determine that something has volume, since in conjunction with the areas of light they form the relief of an object, thing, animal, plant or human figure.
The butterfly has its wings spread out in flight, firm and strong, although apparently weak. In this case the design was different, something not realistic but a design with curved shapes, as if moulding itself to the circumstances of life.
Although it seems that the only colour I used at the beginning was blue, in reality I used blue and violet and when I put the white on top of them, they came out. I shaded some areas a bit so that the outlines were not so rigid.
The background was to be white, yellow and some ochre. Wisdom for change and the road to travel in that change.
I know that these rocks will accompany my friend, because she will see them every day along with the others I have given her. I hope you like them very much and enjoy them Loli.
This is my gift for this Christmas season, may they accompany you and when you look at them, may they give you strength, change, renewal and wisdom always. Very soon I will be delivering them to you.
Thank you very much to all of you for watching and reading this far, I send you a big greeting. See you soon.
Amonet.
All photographs are my own.