As I was putting the finishing touches on the painting for a new Seasons of the Soul print, I realized that it has been 25 years since the original version of the print was published. Wow! That was kind of shocking! So much has happened!
During that time, over 4,400 of the lithographs have been
purchased. But perhaps the most
interesting thing is how Seasons of the
Soul has taken on a life of its own.
I am not quite sure how to describe it but people find their own stories
within the narrative of the symbols.
I will never forget the woman who was grieving the tragic
death of her son. She contacted me
about purchasing a Seasons of the Soul
print, after she had seen it in a therapist’s office. She said she just wanted to stare at it. I was so very deeply touched. I thought about how one goes through cycles when grieving. Cycles that repeat like the
seasons…
The figure symbols that make up this artwork originated as individual doodles scattered throughout the pages of a sketchbook during a time of personal crisis. It wasn't until sometime later that I noticed the doodles when I flipped through the sketchbook. They seemed to be connected, so I drew them in a line and was amazed to see a visual story reveal itself. At the time, there were only ten figures, instead of the eleven that make up the finished piece. Somehow I knew that the visual story was incomplete. There needed to be at least one more figure... I had no idea what that figure would be. The other figures had come to me without forethought. After some time had past, I had almost given up on getting another insight. And then it happened. I was watching the television series, Fame, (this was the '80s, y'all). There was a scene where Debbie Allen was rehearsing alone in a studio and dancing her heart out. As she started across the floor, she struck a pose that instantly crystalized in my mind's eye. That was it!
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| detail from Seasons of the Soul ©1990 |
So I drew the figure and then added it to the end of the line of others and it completed the cycle! My next challenge would be to find the perfect background... After much experimentation, I ended up with a sky with clouds moving toward the golden sun.
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| click on image to enlarge Seasons of the Soul ©1990 Stephanie E. Robinson |
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| ©2015 Stephanie E. Robinson click on image to enlarge watercolor and ink on paper image size: 11 x 11 inches Seasons of the Soul 25th anniversary edition |
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| Detail from 25th anniversary edition Seasons of the Soul |
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