Frida 20 Painting by Valerie Capewell

Painting: Acrylic on Canvas, Wood.

Frida Series:
I began this project with a muse – Frida. I received my copy of Gray Magazine with covers interiors, architecture, fashion, art and design. The well written cover headline/story, and the beautiful photograph completely inspired me. The image reminded me of Frida Kahlo, and the fashion designer Paloma Hurtado, has a great story. The headline read, "When you come as an immigrant to the U.S., you develop a thick skin. It drives you to be successful. To do things...even if you don't feel prepared." As an artist who has also been schooled in design and fashion design, this cover just needed to stay with me a little longer. So, I tore it off one of my favourite magazines and hung it in my little studio and began. Each painting in this ongoing series has a common 'thread. They were all painted independent of each other, in part because my studio isn't vast enough to line them all up around the room. To me the photo encompasses so much. Beauty. History. Struggle. Colour. Inspiration.
I hope when see these paintings you will feel what I felt. They are more than the violets. They tell a story. Enjoy