“The Many Faces Of Eve” by Leada Wood, Texas Artist

"The Many Faces Of Eve" ©2019 Leada Wood

"Tear off the mask, your face is glorious." ----Rumi

This painting has had many faces. I started it in a figure painting workshop with Liz Hill several years ago but it was tossed in the unfinished painting stack to deal with later, when inspiration arrived. I cropped the finished (is a painting ever finished?) version to give it more mystery.

Inspiration finally did come but in phases, as most paintings do evolve in stages. I thought it might be interesting for you to see the process that Eve has been through.

The original had shorter hair, but I wanted it longer. I also painted over her face and  added crackle paste to give her texture.

This is another version before I decided she needed longer hair and a new face, back in the pile of unfinished paintings she went.

"The Masque" ©2019 Leada Wood


One day I saw a mask that captured my attention and decided to draw it. I really enjoy drawing with graphite and it is very relaxing to me. This one action created a reaction and got me thinking about the "lost girl' painting.  I retrieved Eve and started working on her again.

     

This is a very rough sketch on velum to see if the mask idea would work on the painting. I decided it would so I added a face and the mask to the girl.

“The Many Faces Of Eve”@2019Leada Wood

One idea usually leads to another and I started thinking of Eve and women in general and how we all hide behind masks at times. We wear many hats or masks throughout life. We are daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, nurse, nanny, cook, housekeeper, and soooo much more! Some have careers added onto all of these titles and change from one role to the next at the drop of a hat.

All of this brainstorming was how I came up with the name, "The Many Faces Of Eve".  In life, just like painting, we undergo so many transitions and they take time. We are all the Daughters of Eve, the mother of humanity, all different but related and we all wear masks at times.

"Behind every mask there is a face, and behind that a story" ----Marty Rubin