Treading Softly – Year of the Tiger 2022

by Goldeenin Artworkon Posted on
Treading Softly to an Unpromised Future •  9″x12″ Watercolor • 2022

Happy Lunar New Year of the Tiger everyone! Tread softly, and bring a big cat. And if you like, you can pre-order the print over on the Heliopause Store!

I hope this piece resonates with you as much as it does for me. There’s a lot of personal meaning packed into it for me, but the key elements of the thread connecting the past and the future; how we grow and change and yet remain the same; and how nothing is really promised us in life so we should take the present in our teeth and not let go, are hopefully things we can all appreciate.

That being said, here’s the backstory from my end:

I’ve long been enamored of Tran Nguyen’s stunning paintings, and this piece is something of a (humble) tribute to her incredible skill. She has a recurring theme of young women and girls with oversized large cats, and frequently uses a long and winding thread or ribbon to connect them. This is my take on that style, run through the Goldeen filter which can never resist the temptation to subvert expectation.

The girl is not just any girl. That is me. Specifically it’s me around the age of five or six. The clothes, the expression, the way she’s holding the glowing blue thread of time like it’s a horse’s rein, it’s all real. Look, I’ve got pictures to prove it:

(The horse’s name was Blue and he was one of my first riding instructors.)
This is a picture of a picture that I found on my mom’s bedside table when I went to visit a few weeks ago. I remember that outfit. I loved it so much and wore it until the sparkles fell off and the velveteen got all bare and sketchy. (As you can see I’ve already done a number on those shoes.)

And of course the tiger is none other than my own dear little black house-tiger, Theory.

No, she’s a tiger. Really!

Well, at least she thinks she is.

So there we are. And here we go. Year of the Tiger, baby. Nothing is promised but death and taxes, but between them we’ve got cats and chocolate and anything is possible.

Keep in mind I’m open for pre-orders until midnight on Valentine’s day! You can order 9″x12″ photographic prints which will come without text, or you can treat yourself to a limited edition giclée which will also include the title. Check it out here!

P.S. Both versions will be signed by me. (I cannot speak for Theory in this regard.)

Friendly note: If you would like to see posts like this earlier, along with even more behind-the-scenes work in progress updates, exclusive content, free ebooks, monthly short stories and more, consider subscribing to my Patreon. It helps me continue to create and share content for everyone!