The Colours of Grief - Carina Sacher - Artist, Illustrator, Writer

"Breaking Bad"

"Moments"

"Lights and Shadows"

"The Warrior in Women"

Format: A1 (594 x 841mm/ 23.4 x 33.1 inch), Acrylic on water colour paper. When you look in the mirror, what do you see? Sometimes it feels as if spears of anger, rejection, or sadness are raining down on us constantly. But this is life - we cannot control situations, but our reactions to them. The first spear is the pain we experience; when we find ourselves struck by a storm of outside adversity. The second spear is self-pity, anger, rage, and wallowing - this is where the true damage is done as this kind of thinking drains us of our mental strength. So how can we bring out our inner warrior to fight off negative thinking? We focus on what we CAN control. It helps to put a limit on self-destructive thoughts; maybe spend an hour or two, a day perhaps, but not longer. Because the things we think about determine the quality of our mind. Every action is driven by it. So let us not allow the second arrow to hit – as soon as we feel the first, let’s get back up on that horse with courage and determination. Remember Marcus Aurelius' very wise words: “You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realize this and you will find strength.”

"Victory"

Format: A1 (594 x 841mm/ 23.4 x 33.1 inch), Acrylic on water colour paper. What would it mean for us to win the battle with old demons we still carry around with us? The ones that don't serve but instead, hinder us? What would it mean if we claim victory and slay our Medusas? For ourselves? For our loved ones? Family? Children? Friends? What would our life look like if we could heal our injured instincts and move forward stronger and more self confident than ever? Our demons only hold as much power over us as we give them, so I say, let's bring out our warriors, slay our inner demons and become victorious! :)

"Achieving Fierceness"

Format: A1 (594 x 841mm/ 23.4 x 33.1 inch), Acrylic on water colour paper. What defines a fierce female? Many people think the word ‘fierce’ as bearing negative meaning when actually, it is very positive. The fierce woman is someone who is confident, self-aware; she has her morals and ethics in place. Someone who stands up for her beliefs, does the right thing no matter the cost, and is someone who is not easily pushed around. She is strong and courageous, kind, loyal and strong. A fierce female is a multifaceted woman who works to empower herself and others. She isn’t afraid to acknowledge her fears, her doubts and insecurities. Although she may tremble in the face of her fear, she will do so with her head held high, and works hard to beat her inner demons. The Fierce Female is within all of us, ready to slay her dragons every day. :)

"Wild Waves"

Format: A1 (594 x 841mm/ 23.4 x 33.1 inch), Acrylic on water colour paper. It has often been said "Women are like Water". I would like to add: "Wild Women have the soul of an adventurer, ready to be one with the sea." Water itself is often used as a metaphor of the wild, mysterious and unrestrained femininity and womanhood. It is connected with birth and re-birth, rejuvenation and creativity, wisdom, power, calmness and strength. The wild woman archetype is one that is highly misunderstood. It doesn’t mean a woman who is wild, embraces sex, or experiments with drugs. On the contrary, a wild woman is highly evolved, with discerning taste, style and opinions. She is someone who lets her emotions flow like a river and is powerfully devoted to those she loves. Just like water, she can be playful but equally possess immense strength (of character). She has a keen sense of intuition, embraces her imperfections, follows her instincts and has the confidence to pursue what she desires— not what society tells her she should want. Sadly, this version of a wild woman has been drastically domesticated - let's liberate her! :)

"The Creative Wild"

Format: A1 (594 x 841mm/ 23.4 x 33.1 inch), Acrylic on water colour paper. "Many of us have been brought up to be people-pleasers. We’ve learned that it’s best to be agreeable, even if it means we prioritize other people’s desires over our own. We’ve learned not to listen to our intuition. Yet when we get in touch with our desires, pursuing the things that light us up, learning to trust our instincts, and living in harmony with nature - we find our way back to our creative wild side. With the wild nature as ally and teacher we see not through two eyes but through the many eyes of intuition. The wild woman is fluent in the language of dreams, images, passion, and poetry. That is creative life." Clarissa Pinkola Estés

"Wild Beauty"

Format: A1 (594 x 841mm/ 23.4 x 33.1 inch), Acrylic on water colour paper. "When we accept our own wild beauty, it is put into perspective, and we are no longer poignantly aware of it anymore, but neither would we forsake it or disclaim it either. Does a wolf know how beautiful she is when she sleeps? Does a feline know what beautiful shapes she makes when she sits? Is a bird awed by the sound it hears when it snaps open its wings? Be proud of your scars. They have everything to do with your strength, and what you have endured. They are a treasure map to the deep self. Learning from them, we just act in our own true way and do not draw back from or hide our natural beauty. Like the creatures, we just are, and it is right." Clarissa Pinkola Estés

Sweetcorn study black charcoal, A1

The corn plant is a tall annual grass with a stout, erect, solid stem. The large narrow leaves have wavy margins and are spaced alternately on opposite sides of the stem. Of all the grains eaten in the world, corn is surrounded by more legends and folklore than any other. Corn has been planted, tended, harvested, and consumed for millennia, and so it’s no wonder that there are myths about the magical properties of this grain. Maize was the main cereal grown in Central and South America long before Christopher Columbus ventured to the ‘New World’. By the late 15th and early 16th centuries the crop had been brought to Europe. Technically a grain rather than a vegetable, the Cherokees used maize to treat kidney stones, while the Navajo people used it to ease sore throats. Many native Americans used the leaves as ‘chewing gum’. The Mayans worshipped the maize god for thousands of years. In their mythology the god was beheaded at harvest time, bur came back to life at the start of the next growing season. Did you know? Maize is an important ingredient of Bourbon whiskey! This is a study of ripe sweetcorn plant, sketched with charcoal and roughly A1 in size.

Deer study in blue

Since childhood, I have always adored Deer! I came to know them through the many fairy tales I read as a child, ranging from Russian, Bulgarian and of course, Grimm's fairy tales. Deer have significant roles in the mythology of various peoples located all over the world. These include worship, the incarnation of deities, the object of heroic quests and deeds, or as magical disguise or enchantment/curse for princesses and princes in many folk and fairy tales. The deer also symbolizes a connection to the supernatural, the Otherworld or to the fairy realm, e.g., being a messenger or an entity's familiar. This study was painted in Richmond Park, London. I was mesmerized by the deer herd, suddenly surrounding me one autumn. They were so powerful, mysterious, beautiful and majestic. Did you know: Deer are the only group of animals in the world to have antlers? Antlers are the fastest growing living tissue in the world! The format of this study is A4 with Blue ink.

Pliers study - black ink A4

Sunflower study in black

Who doesn't love sun flowers? :) I love all flowers and animals, but beaming sun flowers always remind me of a little sun, smiling at us without a cloud ever in sight. :) Sunflowers are known to be useful for more than just their aesthetic beauty. I love that, at the end of their season, we are able to harvest them for their seeds either for us or the birds. This study is quite large - around A1 size in black ink. Did you know - sunflower fun facts: Sunflowers can grow to heights of up to ten feet! Sunflowers follow the sun! :) When they are not yet mature, the young flowers will track the sun. This is called heliotropism and stops once they are mature, and most sunflowers will face east. Each sunflower can contain as many as 1,000 to 2,000 seeds.

Tree study in black

I have always been fascinated by trees. Not only the structure and texture of the tree barks, leaves, their changing colours but also their meaning in stories and tales from long ago. Trees are significant in many of the world's mythologies, and have been given deep and sacred meanings throughout the ages. Human beings, observing the growth and death of trees, and the annual death and revival of their foliage, have often seen them as powerful symbols of growth, death and rebirth. Evergreen trees, which largely stay green throughout these cycles, are sometimes considered symbols of the eternal, immortality or fertility. The image of the Tree of life or world tree occurs in many mythologies. This graphic study of the bark of a tree is in A4 and black ink.

Grandma's hand bag - charcoal A1

Velvet throw study in black charcoal, A1

Velvet is a very intriguing material! It has a beautiful drape and a unique soft and shiny appearance due to the characteristics of the short pile fibres. These make it tricky to draw at times! The term “velvety” means soft, and it takes its meaning from its namesake fabric: velvet. The soft, smooth fabric epitomizes luxury, with its smooth nap and shiny appearance. Because of its unusual softness and appearance as well as its high cost of production, velvet has often been associated with nobility. It has also always been popular for evening wear and dresses for special occasions. Some historic facts: Velvet was introduced to Baghdad during the rule of Harun al-Rashid (786–809) by Kashmiri merchants and to Al-Andalus by Ziryab. In the Mamluk era, Cairo was the world's largest producer of velvet. Much of it was exported to Venice (whence it spread to most of Europe), Iberia and the Mali Empire. Mansa Musa, the ruler of the Mali Empire, visited Cairo on his pilgrimage to Mecca. King Richard II of England directed in his will that his body should be clothed in velveto in 1399. This is an A1 study, drawn with charcoal and took quite a few hours to complete. :)

Silver Birch at sunset - acrylic A2

Birches are truly magical trees! One of my favourite artists, Gustav Klimt, seems to also have felt their tranquil and painted birch forests. In mythology the Silver Birch takes a female form – it’s ancient name is “Graceful Lady of the Woods”. It appears fragile and delicate but it is extremely hardy – it teaches us that in apparent weakness there is often great strength to be found. Ancient wisdom taught that birch wood aided the calming of emotions and that looking at silver birch aided depression – it provided light in the darkness and is lit up by the moon. The ancient lesson of Silver Birch as “a fresh start” – new beginnings in life as an adult, new choices, leaving childhood behind and the promise of new life and love. Not only did the Silver Birch have these magical values, it also had many uses both medicinal and practical. The leaves of the Silver Birch tree can be brewed into a tea that treats infection and stimulates a healthy vitality. This Silver Birch grew outside my family home in Germany and the sunset always made it look even more mysterious and dreamy. This painting is in A2 and in acrylic.

Neuschwanstein Castle, quick study - red chalk A1

Red Brick study - acrylic A4

Cloth study - black ink and chalk

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