By Daniela Werneck
My niece, Giovana, was the inspiration for In Full Bloom. She modeled for me in February 2022 when she came from Portugal to spend three weeks with us; she posed for me almost every day.
It was late winter, and here in Texas the weather was already warming up. She posed at my entryway where the sunlight is beautiful in winter. It enters through the glass of the door and “bathes” my entrance, and I wanted to paint that light. I love the sun; I like to feel it on my skin. The light means energy to me; it is life, it is hope. It warms my life; it brings me happiness and calmness. I wanted to make the viewer feel the same.
This painting is part of a body of works titled “Metamorphosis,” defined as, “the process of transformation from an immature form to an adult form.” While Giovana was posing, we talked about her uncertainties about life – she was full of both dreams and doubts. Our conversation sent me back to my past, it made me feel again the transition from childhood to adulthood.
Metamorphosis also reflects my journey of looking for something new in my career. I want to grow and transform in every work I do; I want to transform but never stop. In this piece, the shadows of the lace on the subject are a romantic way to represent our own growth, transformation, and bloom.
