Alpha Shanahan. fine art and design.

Simply Beautiful

2012-01-09T18:49:00.000-08:00

"Simply Beautiful." Mixed-media painting on 300 gsm Canson watercolor paper.

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Christ Jesus.

2012-01-04T00:17:00.000-08:00

Christ Jesus. A mixed-media painting inspired by Byzantine icons. 7 3/4 x 7 1/2 inches.

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Mother and Child.

2012-01-04T00:11:00.000-08:00

Mother and Child. A mixed-media painting inspired by the Byzantine icons. 6.5 x 7.5 inches.

Now available on Etsy!

Mary.

2012-01-04T00:04:00.000-08:00

The color of the veil is raw umber, but it appears close to black in the photo. It is a bit difficult to get the real color of the veil. But i promise you, the real painting has more vivid colors. The picture has failed to capture the mix of colors on the face.

Our Lady of Guadalupe.

2012-01-01T03:34:00.000-08:00

"Our Lady of Guadalupe." Mixed-Media Painting. Approximately 8 x 8 inches. (c)2011 Alpha Shanahan.

I praise God for this new year . . . a new spring in my life and work as an artist. The past year was all about settling in a new base, making it into our home for now. My art has gone through some low moments ... a 'dry spell' which led to some serious processing. I realized i needed to re-connect with the original vision and purpose which spurred me into the world of painting about twelve years ago.

My spiritual journey was the center of my life then. As someone who has always been creative and artistic, i became attracted to painting. I find it a very contemplative activity. So my life as a painter began as an outer expression of my spiritual journey. I somehow lost track of this fact as i grappled with the business side of things. As i focused more and more on how to sell, the well of inspiration ran dry. Many months i did not paint a thing. There were sketches here and there, but nothing finished.

I entered the Season of Advent 2011 on a spiritual retreat mode. I did not go away. Everyday routine remained the same. But added to this were prayer, spiritual reading, prayer journal writing, etc. The Holy Father's writings and homilies were a great source for reflection and direction. Then it happened. It was almost at the end of Advent when i felt inspired to paint the one shown above. I gave priority to prayer and contemplation, the inspiration to paint came back. It feels like a new spring!

I begin this new blog to celebrate finding my way back to my art's original vision and purpose. I share these paintings with you all as invitations to prayer and contemplation.

A BLESSED NEW YEAR TO ALL!!!
alpha