Hi Reader,

I hope that you're enjoying the beginning of summer!

I'm happy to share that one of my paintings is very close to being finished.

Since you're part of my exclusive email community, you get to hear about it first. 😉

Read on to learn the inspiration behind my soon-to-be completed commission, a project that has brought me so much growth as an artist.

Enjoy Sneak Peeks of The Magician - Self Portrait

This painting is a collaboration with one of my collectors, and it has turned into a transformative piece for me.

I've delved into creating nude self-portraits before, but never at this scale.

With this painting, I decided to go ahead and create a frontal nude self-portrait to challenge myself. I feel that as artists, we need to sometimes venture out of our comfort zones in order to grow. And this painting was certainly that.

It helped me to not only get over any fear I may have about exposing my body, but accept my body as it’s own source of beauty.

Plus, other female artists have created nude self-portraits, so why couldn’t I venture there as well?

So that’s what I did. 😉

Based on the idea of The Magician card of the Tarot, the painting is about the celebration of the Feminine as a creative force. And by extension, artists as a whole as engines of creation and transformation.

If you think about it, every time an artist creates, they're transforming ideas - concepts that don't have a physical form - and bringing it to the material world through painting or drawing.

All artists, in one way or another, are alchemists. We turn the lead of our experiences - whether good or bad - and turn them into gold.

This concept drives the theme of this piece.

I began this painting before my hysterectomy, capturing my body before such a radical transformation.

A moment in time, immortalized in paint. A reminder that even with such radical change that our bodies undergo, we still have that creative spirit that endures. The creative spirit that keeps on creating, no matter what.

It's also a celebration of femininity; the strength and resilience of the Feminine.

I feel that in today's world, where we still have so much internalized misogyny and women face so many pressures to conform, creating something that celebrates femininity can be a radical act.

After going through a hysterectomy and coming to terms with the transformation of my own body, I feel that's a message that's more important now than ever.

Once the painting is fully done, I'll be sharing cropped images on social media. But I'll be posting the full, uncensored image on my soon-to-be launched Patreon page.

My Patreon membership will be geared towards artists, art lovers, and collectors.

You can expect not only full, un-cropped images of new work not shown on social media, but full-length videos of artworks in progress, discounts on new work, and even a Patreon secret store with exclusive work not shown anywhere else.

This is just a few of the many things I have planned for my patrons.

If this sounds amazing to you and want to know when my Patreon membership launches, sign up for the waitlist below.

I can’t wait to share the full, uncensored painting with you on my new Patreon page. Stay tuned for the big reveal!

In the meantime, thanks again for all your support. I really appreciate it. ❤️

Yours in Art,

Aixa

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