This is the first painting in a series of five large paintings as part of my ‘We of Wild’ series. Learn more about the series and this painting below!
See the second painting in the series here: The Lover
Title: Mending Matters
Series: We Of Wild
Media: Acrylic Gouache on 300lb Arches, Cold Press, Watercolour Paper
Size: 40×60″
Date: 2024
A little about the series:
We of Wild is about connecting with our inner, wild, and true selves. It is a collection of five large paintings that represent five different feminine archetypes: the healer, the lover, the warrior, the mother and the wild/wise women. Each character relates to an element: water, fire, air, earth and space. They are accompanied by ten smaller paintings, two for each archetype, each delving a bit deeper into the themes.
Reminiscent of tarot, if you were to pull any of these paintings as a card from a deck, they may have an insight, story or warning for you: the healer might be asking you to look at your past, or something deep within that needs mending: the Lover might suggest you spend some time with yourself, looking for the things that bring you joy or ignite a passion: the Warrior suggests a fight or battle on the way, it might ask you to look at aspects of yourself that might need addressing: the Mother, might imply something in your life needs a bit of attention and nurturing: and lastly the wild women or wise women, might be calling on you to connect to your intuition, to the thing you already know but have been avoiding.
The representations of these archetypal roles are an exploration of a fundamental quest for identity, a longing to connect to the divine feminine, to reclaim intuition and empower womxn. Whatever the outcome, the paintings act as a mirror calling you to look within and invite you to reflect on matters in your own life that may need examining.
Mimicking two of the major Jungian archetypes: persona and shadow self, the persona is represented by the superficial bright vibrant paint sitting on the surface of the paper and the shadow self: the narrative being told through the visuals. The stories they tell are meant to capture the universality of these themes as part of the human condition.
We of wild,
Are the
Divine feminine,
That is life,
The untamed womxn.
A little about the painting:
This piece titled “Mending Matters” is about ancestral trauma passed down from generation to generation. The title is a double-entendre/play on words referring to the importance of healing past traumas, both the emotional and physical aspects that can affect our lives.
The seeds of the fruit represented as hearts and the red, reminiscent of blood in the painting, reference not only fixing a broken heart but also mending the genetic material that is passed down from parents to child.
The colour blue represents the element of water and signifies the emotional aspect of this painting as well as its life giving properties.
The threat of setbacks is constantly lurking around our main figure ready to interrupt her important work at any time. The flock of birds are there to remind her of the importance of the work she is doing, as they diligently mend the/ir hearts. They do this so the fruit will grow strong and nourishing, so future generations may live with health and peace.
Mending matters
future and past
So we can walk freely
Forever, at last.
See work-in-progress on my Insta account: https://www.instagram.com/jesfortner_illustration/