Two spirited

 There have been several times when I have taken an in-progress picture of a painting and shared it knowing that it was something special. When that happens, comments get shared that add to the tension of whether to leave it as is or to take it to completion. This happened the other evening with Kermode, the Spirit Bear.

This was the image I shared.

It was the first thing Pamela saw on her social media the following morning. It grabbed her in a deep and meaningful way. She reached out immediately asking if she could buy it, exactly as it was - unfinished.

Kermode, Spirit Bear
16" x 16", acrylic on canvas
available for purchase here

As I am an early bird, I had already completed the painting and had to disappoint her. Or did I?

"What if I recreate it for you?" I asked.

With the process still fresh in my mind and body, I set out to follow the same path and see if I could recreate the magic of the unfinished version of the painting.

She loved the result and I had to ask why it grabbed her in such a strong way. I also asked if she had a title that would capture the essence of her connection to the painting.

"Two spirited," she wrote without hesitation. 

"It represents the two faces of our spirit. The side the world sees and the raw and sacred side we tend to hold within."

What a wonderful interpretation of her profound reaction to seeing an unfinished painting on Facebook. Thank you Pamela!