More Portrait
The summer of 2018 was a rough time for me. I was dealing with a lot of personal issues and going through a bit of a rough patch. Thankfully, I had just gotten back into painting around that time, and it quickly became an outlet—a way for me to channel and work through everything I was feeling.
Around then, a friend came into my life and introduced me to Taylor Swift. I happened to be in the middle of a portrait painting phase, having just wrapped up Ache Pa Ti, my first foray back into painting people. I was looking for my next subject. As fate would have it, my daughter—who was about to turn eight—was also deep into Taylor Swift. And just like that, the journey into my next painting had begun.
One thing about Taylor Swift: her music really connects people. Once I started working on the painting, I realized just how many people in my life were fans. Every time I posted a progress shot, calls and messages came in—some supportive, some surprised. From my guy friends asking why the hell I was painting Taylor, to my best friend opening up about his long-standing crush on her, to my "Intern and Padawan" breaking down the lyrics of Out of the Woods during an emotional conversation—it all added layers to the piece I was creating.
That talk especially stuck with me, and it led to me incorporating the lyrics of Out of the Woods directly into the painting’s background, weaving them through the composition. I also remember watching all of Taylor's videos with my daughter during this time—something that led to priceless memories I’ll always cherish. We must’ve watched Wildest Dreams a million times while I was working on the painting. Honestly, if I hadn’t already begun writing down the lyrics to Out of the Woods, the painting might have ended up being titled Wildest Dreams instead.
There are so many more memories tied to that time, but like any storyteller, I’ll save those for another day.