Twin Suns

Twin Suns – acrylic painting by Heni Sandoval

I’ve just completed Twin Suns, a new painting for my Cosmic Bodies Collection. I got the idea to paint two suns together as I was thinking about how I was born with an identical twin. Last week I visited my twin sister for a couple of days to celebrate our belated birthday. We started getting together like this a few years ago and it’s been fun. I’ve done many double paintings over the years, usually fish or dolphins. I thought that this time it might be fun to do an abstract painting with a double effect.

It’s interesting to think that she and I were once an embryo that divided and formed into two individuals. I imagined what it might be like after a sun divided into two. I played with the idea of outer and inner space. I used two figure eight waves as infinity loops and more waves to give the sense of ever expanding movement.

Spring is in full force here, hope all are enjoying the season.

Solar Eclipse

Solar Eclipse – acrylic painting by Heni Sandoval

Solar Eclipse is a new painting for my Celestail Bodies series. The idea for this painting came to me for two reasons. First, after painting last week’s Sun Moon and Planets, I felt the strong composition of the large sun in the center worked well and wanted to try that again. The second reason was because of the recent spring equinox of equal day and night led me to think of doing another painting with the balance of light and dark similar to my crow with dove paintings. I then thought, why not do a new painting as a compliment to the first using a large sun darkened by the moon due to an eclipse?

The upcoming total solar eclipse is traveling across North America on April 8th 2024. In this painting I put in the planets as they will appear from earth’s view. They are bundled in one area in the sky, I added asteriods, stars and also the green devil comet which may be able to be seen during the eclipse. It was challenging to get the space dark but not too dark around the eclipsed sun, while also making sure the planets were light enough. I think it works pretty well.

There is lots of buzz here about it here in the US, which is probably another reason it came to mind to paint. It will be exciting for those who live or visit under the path of totality of this solar eclipse.

Sun, Moon and Planets

Sun, Moon and Planets – acrylic painting by Heni Sandoval

I’ve just completed a new painting for my space series which I’ve titled Sun, Moon and Planets. It’s done on the larger sized watercolor paper. I’m enjoying working in this larger format and spent most of the week on it. I started with a large sun centered on the page and then added the spheres and then balanced the painting playing with warm and cool colors.

The forcast here in Atlanta is calling for rain all weeknd, so I’ll probably stay in and start a new painting. I’ve been thinking of possibly doing a portrait. I like the mix of doing a freeing abstract painting and then the challenge of doing something more realistic.

Two Soaring Doves

Two Soaring Doves – acrylic painting by Heni Sandoval

Two Soaring Doves is my most recent painting. I started painting an abstract in August and then sat with it for awhile. Once September arrived I thought to add a white dove in honor of the International Day of Peace.  I had done several white dove paintings in the past for the occasion. It had been a couple of years since I’d done one; this time, I decided to paint two white doves together within the larger space.

International Peace Day is observed around the world each year on September 21st. It was established in 1981 by a United Nations resolution. “Peace Day provides a globally shared date for all humanity to commit to Peace above all differences and to contribute to building a Culture of Peace.”

I enjoyed painting both the abstract background and the two doves. Even though it seems more and more crazy out there lately, somehow, I feel that soon things will flip, and more peaceful solutions will come as we all get tired of the distractions that keep us apart.

The weather is beautiful here, still hot but cooler days are coming. Fall is just days away. Enjoy the new season.

Black Hole 2

Black Hole 2 ~ acrylic painting by Heni Sandoval

Black Hole 2 is a new abstract painting in my space series. A black hole is an area in space with so much gravitational pull that no matter or radiation can escape. Black holes are formed from super nova star explosions and the extreme density of the matter causes the gravitational pull. Astronomers think that black holes may help to stabilize galaxies.

This is the third painting in my space collection that includes a black hole. In this one, I put a large black hole on the top edge and added planets and stars along with a sun. I painted radiating colors being drawn to the hole along with a comet. It was fun to paint. I love the looseness of layering color washes and then scratching back to see what’s created. I also enjoy doing the detail work of painting the spheres and star dots. Doing detail work helps to keep me in the present moment, at times I tend to overthink. I’m fairly pleased with the result.

Fire

Fire – acrylic painting by Heni Sandoval

Fire is a new painting of mine continuing with the element theme. Traditionally the fire element represents action, power, passion, and creativity. A few years ago, I painted a night scene in the forest with a large Bonfire to represent the fire element. In this new painting I chose a daylight scene so that it would include the sun; which, of course is the biggest fire ball that lights up the sky and allows for life on our planet.

It is a another abstract landscape with the idea of a controlled fire. Fires are needed in dryer lands to clear underbrush and open acorns and seeds that open only with fire. Indigenous people have been practicing controlled, deliberate burns in North America, and around the world, for millennia.

I put in the fire salamanders as I did in the Bonfire painting. They symbolize the fire element; in fact ,the name salamander is derived from a Greek term loosely meaning “fire lizard.” Some salamanders hibernate in hollow, decaying logs of wood. When the log was used for burning the salamanders would leap out and this led to the idea of them being born of the fire.

I’m pleased with the painting and am beginning a new one today. Happy Mother’s Day weekend to all.

Venus

Venus – acrylic painting by Heni Sandoval

Venus is a new painting in my planet series. I’ve learned quite a bit about the mythology of Venus from the research I did for a couple of other abstracts last year. The abstract which I named Ishtar, of a eight pointed star symbolized the planet Venus’s star pattern as she travels through space around the sun from our view on earth. Ishtar is an ancient Mesopotamian  goddess very similar to Venus, the goddess of love and beauty in Greek mythology. The earlier abstract I painted, Golden Mean Spiral, was based on the spiral pattern found throughout nature. Venus as she continually moves through space in a golden mean spiral forms a beautiful rose pattern. It’s interesting to me that the ancients knew about this.

I started this painting planning to get the star formed around the planet but then I thought I’d already done the star; so, I then decided to paint Venus as she appears in space. Venus is the second planet out revolving around the sun and as seen from earth is always close to the Sun, sometimes she’s the morning star and sometimes becomes the evening star. Those transitions are when the star points are formed in the pattern. Venus is a white planet brighter than the moon and has pink clouds. Here on earth, she appears as a bright white star.

I began to imagine Venus as almost like a pearl from the seashell within the sea from which she was formed in the Greek myth so famously portrayed in Botticelli’s Birth of Venus painting. I put in the sun on one side and used pastel colors, on the other side of Venus, I imagined it as the sea with its mysterious depths. It was fun to play with and I’m pleased with the painting. Spring is here in Atlanta, a great time to see the gold mean pattern and appreciate all the beauty in nature.

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Sun with two Black Holes

Sun with Two Black Holes -acrylic painting by Heni Sandoval

Sun with Two Black Holes is my painting for this week. As you can see, I have stayed with the sun theme and am also continuing to try to get a more spatial feel in the paintings. I used the black holes to bring in more atmosphere. The black color added a nice depth and provides contrast to the other colors.

I think black holes are fascinating, A black hole is caused by a star imploding on itself, if I understand it correctly. They have dense gravitational force that pulls objects in. There is no light within the black hole. I seem to remember from science fiction films that one can travel through time within a black hole. There’s so much to learn about space, both inner and outer. With all the hoopla on mars this week, I may paint mars next.

This weekend I get to spend time with my niece who is pregnant with her first baby at an outdoor baby shower. I’m so excited, my sister and other niece will also be there. I haven’t seen them since the pandemic started. We’ll all be wearing masks and social distancing which will be a bit strange. I just couldn’t pass up the chance to see my niece pregnant; her baby is due in late March. Hope everyone enjoys the weekend.

Sun #2

Sun #2 – acrylic painting by Heni Sandoval

Sun #2 is my new painting for this week. Last week’s painting, El Sol, looked flat to me. so I decided to paint another, this time trying to get a more three dimensional feeling. It’s an imaginary sun with different solar system of planets revolving around it. I worked on the painting for a number of days and almost gave up on it. Luckily, I was able to push through and am pleased with how it turned out. I like the dynamic feeling and the sense of space.

We had couple of mild days here that uplifted my spirits. It was pleasant hearing the birds sing and children laugh while playing as I went on my walks. A few neighborhood friends dropped by for enjoyable afternoon gatherings in our front yard which was a needed break from this isolating COVID-19 time. Now the rain has come through and cold weather is back. I love the warm days we get here in Georgia in later winter; it means spring will be here soon. Happy Valentine’s Day weekend!

El Sol

El Sol – acrylic painting by Heni Sandoval

It’s a new year and I’m back to painting.  El Sol is new abstract. I started with the large sun in the center and went from there; it’s not my favorite but it’s good to be back in the saddle. There is a certain resistance that sets in as weeks go by without painting, so I’m happy to have started up again.  I got the idea to paint the sun after the last painting ,Orbs in Space, when a Facebook friend suggested I paint stars. I decide to start with painting our star that gives us life here on earth. This painting is actually my second attempt as the first one started to look overdone. I do like the second one better, it’s a happy painting with the bright warm colors.

This year is looking brighter. My daughter finally was able to fly to Vancouver for her graduate program at University of British Columbia. After a two-week quarantine, she’s settling in to her new home and is able to see a few of her fellow students that she’s gotten to know online though her classes. She’s texted me some photos of a trail where she jogs, a beautiful wooded trail just minutes from her dorm. We’re happy for her and glad that she’s been able to get back to some sense of normalcy.

With more time to paint now, I have a goal of doing art each day to keep the momentum going. My artist friend and I are going to help each other by texting each other an image of our progress each day. I hope each of you are having a good start to the year and I look forward to seeing your posts.