TY - GEN T1 - Heart Chakra AU - Russo, David AB - Heart Chakra: Deals with Love. Blocked by Grief. I enjoy the process of drawing. It has become a form of meditation for me. Each stroke I make is like a breath of fresh air. When I am producing a piece, there is a raw connection between my mind and the lines that I choose to put down. My personal meditation practice connects directly to my work. By focusing on one’s mental state through meditation, I believe personal well-being improves. As a result, spirituality is a prominent theme in this series. I aim to intrigue the individual by evoking a unique feeling or broadening their mind through abstract thought. The chakra structure is a concept in which there are seven spiritual and emotional points within the body. Every point is opened through mental focus and self-reflection.I have abstracted my approach to the chakra structure, evoking a unique response from each viewer. The release of negative emotions is achieved through the development of each chakra and culminates with reaching one’s spiritual enlightenment. The complexity of the themes complements the intricate nature of my drawings. Digital painting is my preferred medium because of the ability to layer and incorporate effects. I use bright and intense colors, through overlap of the lines, to represent beams of light. This enhances the connection between the figure and the background within every composition. The singular color of the backgrounds, along with the line work, are what develop the emotional energy of each piece. The technique and style of my recent work is a combination of realism and abstract drawing. I would say that I developed my technique by contemplating the feelings which relax me the most. I populate my drawings with patterns that drag the viewer’s eye across the page to view the intricate detail. I also use a combination of overlap, shading, and contour lines to display dimensionality. With this body of work, I aim to blur the line between the human spirit and the body. I demonstrate that life surrounds us in different forms of emotional energy. Mental contemplation and meditation are the overall themes in my current artistic work. By using my drawing skills in combination with digital art, I aim to share a contemporary interpretation of the human chakra structure. I want others to view spiritual connectivity in a visually intricate manner. Life surrounds us with energy in different forms and we can make changes to improve our individual well-being. DA - 2019-4-1 PY - 2024 ER -