The House of Mourning
Updated: 9 hours ago
24x18" mixed media on bristol paper
I shared this one recently on instagram/facebook, but it needs a spot here the most.
"The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. Ecclesiastes 7:4"
I created this one back in February of this year (2026) on my dining room table. i'm very happy to say the original belongs to Ella Webster now. So this one is definitely a "let's see where it goes" piece. I began with a quick doodle of sorts with soft pastels. meant nothing really, just giant heart doodles. then i took both hands and began spreading the chalk dust out past the edges. went in with a splash of coffee here and there. yes, coffee, bc i felt like it. let it dry and put it away for about 2 weeks. i brought it back out and began again with watercolors; drawing in large shapes just where and how i pleased, letting the water and coffee flow with color and trying not to be too in my design head. then i used alcohol markers for more color and layers. when it really started taking shape was with soft pastel chalks. i did alot with those. smearing here and there and letting other marks stand bold with color. lastly, i used my oil pastels to finish off with interesting lines and color. and as i'm drawing, i kept thinking "there's always a way home. there's always a door.and you can always go home."
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