My uncle recently passed away and he enjoyed deer hunting in WI. Yesterday I tried piecing together my next painting and knew I'd paint a female with deer antlers in honor of him. I went to bed, head still reeling wondering what this new painting would be, upset at myself because I didn't have a direction. I laid there on my back and noticed my arm was turned up as though I was giving blood. I thought about how I gave blood every few months and the image of the painting came to me abruptly. The ideas floated in fast and choppy and suddenly I had a puzzle to solve, before I go to sleep of course. I sketched her out in my sketchbook, insisting I sleep and address the painting in the morning.
Here she is in progress after a few hours, already named Sapere Aude, Latin for 'dare to know/dare to be wise'.
