Finding Balance Between Opposing Forces
When I first conceptualised "Woman . Fire . Water" I was standing on a rocky beach during sunset, watching the flames of the sun reflect against the incoming tide. The ocean is my happy place.
That moment crystallised something I'd been struggling to express for months: how we contain opposing forces within ourselves, particularly as women. The duality struck me as both universal and, of course, deeply personal.
The painting emerged toward the end of one of the most turbulent periods of my life. I had been dealing with recurring miscarriages and I would often find myself simultaneously burning with anger and flowing with grief. These contradictory emotional states became the foundation for the work you see before you.
The Technical Challenge of Painting Opposites
Creating "Woman . Fire . Water" represents a move away from my previous Undercurrents paintings. I began with a similar approach - sketching the feminine silhouette and breaking down the form - but quickly abandoned the monochrome colour scheme of earlier artworks in the series. This piece, I felt, required fiery sections, to contrast with the cooler blue regions.
Embodying the Elemental Feminine
Throughout art history, women have been associated with water - fluid, nurturing, yielding. Men, conversely, have traditionally been linked to fire - aggressive, consuming, transformative. "Woman . Fire . Water" challenges this binary by placing both elements within a single feminine form.
As I painted, I reflected on how these elements manifest in my own life. There are days when I am water - adaptable, embracing, finding the paths of least resistance. Other days, I am purely fire - passionate, destructive, purifying. Most often, I exist in the tension between these states, just as the figure in the painting does. Being a woman is empowering. And ultimately this is what this painting is about - tapping into the feminine wisdom and power.
Finding Meaning in Contradiction
"Woman . Fire . Water" has become one of my most personal works, despite, or perhaps because of its abstract nature. The feminine form emerges not as a subject separate from the elements, but as constituted by them.
When viewers encounter this piece, they often share deeply personal interpretations. Some see ecological themes - women as nature, threatened by seas and burning forests. Others see purely emotional states - the constant negotiation between passion and tranquillity.
The Transformative Power of Opposing Elements
Working on this piece was an exploration of my own relationship with contradiction. I'd always viewed internal conflicts as problems to resolve rather than tensions to hold. I’m practical like that. Through the process of creating "Woman . Fire . Water" I began embracing the productive potential of opposing forces within myself.
The central figure in the painting isn't being destroyed by the elemental clash, she's being formed by it. The brightest whites and most vivid colours emerge precisely where fire meets water. This represents my core belief that our most authentic selves emerge not from resolving contradictions, but from embracing them.
Exhibition History
Well, there is none. This is a personal painting I haven’t exhibited yet.
Limited Edition Prints are available.
What elements do you see in "Woman Fire Water"? How do you balance opposing forces in your own life? I'd love to hear your interpretations in the comments below.
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