My “big bath remodel” project all started when I joined a FaceBook group named “I am an Artist”. I fell in love with some artwork by artist Crimson Rose and purchased 4 small pieces. When I first got the artwork, I just propped it up to look at while I decided where to hang it. I found unexpected benefits — I felt a new sense of peace and calmness working its way into my stupor of grief following the death of the love of my life. Looking at those paintings led me to realize I could go on and remake my life by redesigning my surroundings for positivity.
This is the first painting, “Paradise Dreams”. When I look at it, I see an idyllic fairy-like land reflected in a lovely pool of water. It reminds me that we can create places of peace and beauty in our lives. This was the first painting I chose, and it may be the last one I hang on the wall.
This one, “Eye of the Storm”, was the second one I chose for my first purchase. I usually see it as an aerial view of an actual storm, like a hurricane, but sometimes I see it as the eye of a giant creature in the sky. This one was the first I hung on a wall — in my bedroom over a chest of drawers. I created a fairy tableau below it on the top of the chest. The scene includes my own craft creations of a fairy bed, a tiny woven rug, a crown, and a magic wand — with a lighted tree I found online. It reminds me there can be magic in the world.
The other two paintings I selected in that first bunch are also acrylic pours, titled “Laguna” and “Waterfall”. I rearranged the major display in my main living room to make space for these two. Below is the first version of that wall–it is still evolving. I’ll share more about it later.
I still can’t decide which of these two is my favorite. “Laguna” makes me think of the churning power of surf — waves crashing ashore, while “Waterfall” fits its name: a vision of falling water, it has a hint of a veil of wisteria blooms. One of these gives me energy, the other inspires relaxation. Just looking at them I can hear the sound of the water. (I have more of Crimson’s work that I’ll show in subsequent posts, along with works by other artists I discovered on the journey, stay tuned!)
The creator of these pieces is Crimson Rose of Fort Wayne IN. Crimson considers herself an intuitive painter. She never sits down with an idea on what to paint, her creativity just flows, and once a piece is done, she is always surprised with what she has created. Crimson has an eclectic mix of styles, which she says helps her when she’s bored. That variety also results in her work appealing to a broad client base. While I personally favor the acrylic pours with no embellishments (most of the time), Crimson is known for her distinctive trees, flowers, butterflies, and bubbles added atop poured backgrounds.
Crimson was just a child when she realized she loved art. but she didn’t develop her full passion for painting until her teen years. She was encouraged to paint by her art therapist. as an outlet for dealing with childhood trauma. She says she loves painting because she can tune out the world while still using her five senses. Crimson loves the smell of wet paint and other chemicals and the slippery feeling of the paint on her hands. She visualizes herself surrounded by the colors she chooses and is influenced by the music she listens to while painting. She uses mediums such as watercolors, oil pastels, and chalk, but will use whatever is available when she gets creative!
When she isn’t painting, Crimson loves to garden and cook, probably one reason flowers show up so often in her paintings. The best advice she has to give anyone wanting to start out is to “remember that it is all an experiment and have fun! Throw the rule book out the window and make your own rules because you are the artist!”
If you are within traveling distance of Fort Wayne, you can see Crimson’s work in person at The Muse on Main (see themuseonmain.com for schedules), Acacias Journeys Metaphysical Shop, and Beewitched . Online, you can find her work on her FaceBook page, (crimson.rose.902), in the FB group “I am an Artist”, and in her ETSY shop, CreativeMindNSoul http://etsy.com/shop/creativemindnsoul