A commissioned painting, one breath at a time

I’m always thrilled to be commissioned to paint. For this commission, the workspace is 12 inches by 12 inches. This size provides the interesting challenge of telling a story in a small space. I begin, not having an end destination in mind. As usual, I work with a premium two-inch deep gallery canvas, and gradually the painting takes form.

Breathing by Tanja Groos, in progress shot

I work with liquid, medium-bodied and metallic paints. I let my subconscious energy push the brush.

Breathing by Tanja Groos, in progress detail shot

Finished! And now, after many breaths, I see the resultant creation. In my paintings, I tend to suggest narratives that invite the viewer to formulate their own story. This piece suggests an energetic deep space atmosphere in which creation occurs. I’ve titled this piece Breathing. Breath enables us to create, and creation happens one breath at a time.