Treasuryofsouls 2017

Mary Jane Ansell created this painting, "Treasuryofsouls," with oil paint, a medium that has an amazing capacity for capturing light and shadow. The painting is mostly monochrome, hovering between black and white, which gives it a haunting quality. I imagine the artist must have felt a profound connection to her subject. Look at the texture she has created on the wings of the doves. There's such a delicate gradations of tone, and you can almost feel the softness of their feathers! The figure is surrounded by doves, each bird meticulously rendered with tiny brushstrokes. I wonder if she was thinking about symbolism while she made the painting? The doves could represent peace, or maybe even the flight of the soul. What a thing to be able to communicate so much with a tiny brush! Ultimately, a painting like this reminds me that art is always evolving. We stand on the shoulders of those who came before us, inspired by their techniques, but also pushing the boundaries of what painting can be.