ghostkitten: 2014 Moon Calendar Aya Azure is here!

Thursday, December 19, 2013

2014 Moon Calendar Aya Azure is here!

Each year I create a Moon Calendar that features a character and her avatar animal and sell them in my shop. You can see some of my previous calendars here and here. As artists, we often share the technical process, but here I want to share the internal journey that lead to this years' calendar featuring Aya Azure, the girl with birds in her hair.

I closed my eyes and tried to search inside for the feeling of this character. Was she playful and mischievous or gentle and sweet? Who was the girl that wanted to come through this year and be with me day in and day out on my wall? I could sense an intensity. Aya was someone who would look you straight in the eye and be fully present with you. She was a bit wild. She was fiercely loyal and protective of her family and friends. Then, I saw her. She was looking straight at me with a unflinching, clear gaze. Everything was moving about her but she was still and focused. Now that I found her, I started to sketch, trying to work out what exactly she looked like. What was the expression in her eyes and mouth? What did she wear? What were her colors?

As I was sketching, I found her animals were 2 bluebirds that fly around in her hair creating a swirling energy. Before drawing, I thought her animal might be a wolf but as Aya emerged I found that her spirit was lighter and more ethereal and the birds gave her a sense of movement, air, and activity.

When I started painting, my intuition kept guiding me towards cobalt blue and lime greens. I kept thinking, "She is a fiery character so she should be in warmer hues," but it never felt right so I stuck with the under-the-sea palette. I am not sure exactly of the reason yet but as I sit with her over the next year, I will get to know her more and more and understand more fully why she emerged as she did as Aya Azure.

What feelings does she evoke in you?