'Hope' is the thing with feathers.

Acrylic on canvas, stretched and ready to hang.

Signed on the back.

I work from found and created photographs and film stills. At first glance I was immediately taken by the sense of poise in this image... the young ballerina strikes a ballet pose underwater and the elegant wrists, the feeling of flight, the open heart, and the upward gaze at her reflection in the waters surface represents a feeling of hope to me. Aptly named after Emily Dickinson's poem, "'Hope' is the thing with feathers - that perches in the soul", the canvas is covered in Japanese Rice Paper to give a lovely texture that is akin to the movement on the surface of water.

As with most of my paintings I paint in layers - the background using action painting techniques - pouring, dripping, splashing paint and involving my body in the painting process rather than just the paint brush. The figure was created using pop art techniques and stencils, and a further layer of hand painting brought the foreground and background together. I've chosen a harmonious palette in this versatile square format, mostly consisting of complementary colours of teal, blues, purples, and orange. 
I particularly love this piece - the colour and the uplifting subject - and hope you like it too. 
Professionally stretched, signed on the back, ready to hang and enjoy!