Finally, the piece is finished and signed. Starting from the first layers of gesso to the final details and signature, this painting took me nearly 24 hours to declare it complete and my work with it isn't over yet. After varnishing it, I will frame this piece of artwork with a wooden frame, something as unique as the art itself.

After priming the canvas with gesso, it all started with an underpainting and the sketch of a getae-dacian solar symbol. The closer to the sun, the closer to the deity Zamolxis and immortality, at least that's what our ancestors once believed.

I "decorated" the outline of the symbol with precious gems painted in primary colors, representing the romanian flag. The centre part has as main focus a wolf, the banner of the dacians for strength and protection, facing towards a snake/serpent, symbol of immortality. The centre of the sun deserved a golden background, keeping the most important elements in focus.

As we leave the center part of the painting we can notice the viking inscriptions on a sand-like background. These are a few viking runes known as Elder Futhark (runic alphabet) and I used them as blessings. So you could say that that this piece is marked with symbols of sun, protection, strength, defense and Odin himself. Some of you may ask "what's the connection between Zamolxis and Odin?"... Well, I find vikings and dacians pretty similar, both cultures considered life as a transition and a warrior's death was the way to the afterlife. 

Other elements I added to the story...

-Huginn and Muninn- meaning ''Thought'' and "Memory", a pair of ravens in Norse mythology that serve as the eyes and ears of Odin, messengers that represent wisdom and intellectual power.

-Sânzienele- mythical creatures or the good fairies, protectors of the land and fields and very often associated with the flower Galium Verum, known in english as Lady's Bedstraw or Yellow Bedstraw.

-Carpathian Mountains- natural fortress and a living spirit world, a sacred place for worshippers, where the high peaks were considered the domain of the gods.

Color palette, composition and end result...

For me, the primary colors are the main colors I use in painting. I have shelves filled with all the fancy types of colors but I always get back at my red, blue and yellow. I guess I like mixing my own shades and I love the overall harmony that can be created when I keep the entire palette in the same family. For the past 2 years I figured out that all I need is 2 types of blue, 2 types of yellow, red, magenta, burnt umber and white.

It's not a secret that I love color when it comes to art. This piece has a very contemporary feel to it, that kind of feeling that makes me dream and think. Thanks to the surreal placement of the elements, the composition is eye-catching having blue hues as a dominant color, golden accents and red, strategically added towards the centre.

I'm still thinking on how to name this piece but one day it will come to me!

Thanks for bearing with me and if you're interested in other stories about my art journey, read some other pages of my diary:

Page 9 coming soon...

Have you enjoyed it so far??