About Diana, Earth Angel Of England

Taken Inside With Soft lighting.

Taken Outside.

Recently, my husband and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary in Europe. It was a long standing dream for my two daughters and me and we were thrilled to have pulled it off.

It all started about a year ago. Anxious yet excited about the prospect, my daughters and I set out to plan the perfect European vacation. It was going to highlight not only my anniversary but also my oldest daughter and son-in-law's 3rd wedding anniversary and my youngest daughter's senior year of high school. So we had a lot of expectations riding on this trip. Ha!

                                                                                   

A splendid day at the Palace

The first country we visited was England and we had such a splendid time there. The things that stuck in our mind the most about England were the historical landmarks. Everywhere you turned you saw loyal dedication and devotion to the monarch and to the Queen in particular. England was still celebrating the Queen's 2012 Jubilee so we were thrilled to be able to visit the Palace since the Queen was away in Scotland. It was magnificent! Seeped with ornate decor, art and antiques, we marveled at its beauty.  

Isn't this lovely!

Having fun at the Palace

Tea Time

Queen's Jubilee Cake

My Girls and Son-in-law
We even got to have tea at the Palace. How perfectly marvelous was that! 

We also visited Ireland for a week and the fabulously romantic Paris for 5 days. Yes, it was the trip of a lifetime. But we can't wait to return to England and Paris, hopefully in the near future. How is that for dreaming?

Chancery Court Hotel

Now for the story of 

Diana, Earth Angel Of England. 

St. Paul's Cathedral

One of the best moments during our trip to England was when we toured the beautiful and historical St. Paul's Cathedral, where Princess Diana got married. Even as a small child watching Mary Poppins, I was always enchanted by its beauty.  So when I decided to pick a location that reminded me of England, Saint Paul's jumped in my mind as the perfect backdrop for my painting. I wanted to showcase a landmark that everyone would recognize. 

This painting represents the old and the new of England. One of the greatest legacies I think Princess Diana left to her children and to the country was her foresight in the need to bring England into the 21st century while also maintaining its rich heritage. England needed to let go of some of its outgrown beliefs and traditions so that it could become relevant in the changing world. Diana accomplished this by  the way she raised her boys as a hands on mom. She showed her sons the world outside the Palace walls and she taught them to be respectful of all people. I think Princess Diana also broke through some of the old paradigms that isolated the royal family from the average person. She could relate to everyone and because of this she was able to brake down many barriers and prejudices. I was so sad when Diana died, I had just finished reading her biography the night she passed away. So that made it even more real and tragic for me.  I guess you could say that I always felt a deep connection to Diana.

Stages of Diana

 Earth Angel Of England

My vision for this paintings was to showcase England as a country who was embracing its need for change so that it could keep up with the every changing world, while at the same time maintaining its deep love of traditions and history of the monarchy. To highlight this need for balance I chose to use Princess Diana and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, as the inspiration behind the paintings. She became the Earth Angel of change but also the preservation of traditions for the future. I chose to use Kate Middleton  to represent the youth of today. Modern yet also respectful of the heritage of England, Kate reminds England of the need for a balanced life. She is holding a royal cup of tea as a symbol  and reminder to take time to slow down and enjoy life. After the hectic and fast pace life of Princess Diana, Kate was able to bring in a more simplistic and  slower pace life. This breathe in a sense of renewal to England. I believe Diana will always carry a special place in the people of England because she could relate to everyone. She turned her pain into love and then she found ways to help others through their struggles. She opened the Monarchy to the world on a deeper more personal level and she encouraged her boys to do the same. I think her legacy lives on through Kate and I am sure she is watching over her.

I will say on a much more personal note, that this painting came to teach me many of these same lessons. I am reminded to keep some of the traditions that bind my family and ground me with my own heritage and roots. I am aware of my family legacy and I know that it is part of who I am.  I am also aware that I need the courage and strength to let go of some outgrown stifling paradigms that no longer serve my life. With this lighter load I will be able to step forward into knowing myself on a much more intimate level and then in turn I can help my own daughter become freer to move forward into their lives with confidence and courage. I think we are in fast changing times but we must keep our feet on the grown so we are not swept away. I think this painting brought these insights to the foreground or  at least they highlighted them for me to see.

Title: Diana, Earth Angel Of England
(Part of my series called Earth Angels From Cultures Around The World)

Dimensions
30 x 40

Material
Acrylic on tissue paper canvas

The print of this painting will soon be featured in  my shop.
Check back.

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