
The Proud Peacock holds a special place in my heart. It is the piece that gave me the confidence to do more with my art. I’d done some other pieces before, but this one felt different. You know that feeling when you think there could be more people out there who would enjoy it? When it was finally done, I said to myself: OK, this one looks good! And let’s just say, with my constant critical internal monologue, that means a lot. It had more substance, more blending of visual elements – it resonated with me.
I love combining visuals and emotions to create a puzzle that just fits together perfectly. I’m grateful to have found the reference of a woman’s portrait that displayed the exact emotion and angle I needed, and it all fell into place from there. I wanted to convey the story of triumph and beauty, and the peacock bird was the perfect inspiration.

…the story of triumph and beauty…
Now, I have to admit, I wasn’t used to using any colors in my art until about 3 years ago. And so for me, the combination of charcoal and watercolor meant a lot of problem solving. Such as, which one do I work on first? Watercolor. At what stage is the watercolor done enough for me to begin the charcoal layers? When it’s almost done. How do I protect the colors from the charcoal dust, etc. Plus, there’s always that “ugly phase” when you’re not sure if it’s going to turn out okay. It can get quite scary actually. To ease my mind, I have to remind myself that everything will look okay. I just need to relax and add more layers. In the end, I love the dramatic effect that is created when black monochrome is blended with colorful elements.
Creating this piece was a labor of love, and I’m really happy with the end result. My hope is that it inspires others to embrace their own unique beauty and be proud of who they are and their accomplishments.
And with that, I’ll wrap up this post. Thank you for following along with me as I explored the heart and soul of my art through “Proud Peacock.” I look forward to sharing more of my work and insights with you in the future.