“Born Free” was the featured work in my solo art exhibition, IMPETUS at Mid Main Gallery last year. The opportunity to show my art in this wonderful space, was incredible.

Mid Main Gallery is located amongst the heart of the arts in Houston. It is neighbors with The Ensemble Theatre, MATCH, and The Continental Club. The gallery has epic windows that let in natural light. These windows provide an elegant and modern opportunity to display artwork to passengers and pedestrians. Needless to say, I was deeply inspired.

In prime “AVM” fashion, I set out to create brand new large works specifically for these windows. Six to be exact, all surpassing 5ft tall and 4ft wide.

With this inspiration, I rolled out a heavy roll of canvas onto my work horse, cutting the life-size canvas to tack onto my studio wall. I began “Born Free” like my many other paintings, pulling out materials and mediums I’d like to play with, ready to explore the blank canvas, completely open to where ever the path may take me.

I typically paint, session after session, until I see an avenue interesting to explore. The moves I make are unconscious. I feel a possibility of where the painting could potentially go, and I explore that idea to see where it takes me. I never know what the final output will look like, but I trust myself enough to know, I will not stop painting, until I am completely satisfied. If I don’t like it when it’s finished, then it’s not finished.

With “Born Free,” I distinctly remember painting for three full days, back to back, and not having any idea of where the painting was going. This unnerving feeling began to trigger fearful thoughts. Fear that I am a fraud. Fear of not being in control. I felt the unease of not achieving what I want at the exact time and way I want it. Eventually, I surrender to the flow of what the painting was always destined to be.

WIP of “Born Free” by AVM Hawkins. Private Studio in Houston, TX.

I cannot remember when this thought arrived, but somehow through my gestures from the oil pastels and the movement from my brush, I received the thought, “the painting is a horse.” I “saw” the possibility of the horse in the painting. A large, valiant trojan-like statute of a stallion. A white stallion.

I googled some images for reference photos, I printed them and tacked them onto the wall next to the painting to give me a good idea of how to free-style the silhouette.

WIP “Born Free” by AVM Hawkins. Private Studio in Houston, TX.

Somewhere during this process, I wrote the words “Born Free” in the painting with oil pastels. No real thought as to the reason why. However, that exact phrase has always resonated with me, and has appeared in my work in the past. The words, “Born Free” are a personal reminder of our divine natural state and internal power that lives inside of us.

We were born free. We can truly do and achieve anything.

Just like the wild mustang, there is a pure free and full being inside of all of us. Regal and powerful. Majestic, beautiful, awe-inspiring, intense, and energetic. A miracle that cannot be contained. That should not be contained. An energy that is meant to be free and fully expressed.

I feel all of us are like this, at our pure natural essence.

I feel like we are all born with a uniqueness and incredible expression, that when one gazes upon it, just like seeing a free wild mustang, galloping out of shear joy and ability, it liberates the viewer, reminding him or her of their original essence. Reminded of their birthright.

This is the energy I feel from the painting.

What do you feel?

I strongly believe that the viewer’s perspective on a painting is just as valuable as my own. Just because I took part of its creation, does not mean that I am all-knowing of its purpose and impact. I may have an idea or a theory. But the process of painting is different than the actual result of a painting.

I may have input in the intention. I may have made physical contributions to the piece, but there are many moments where I allow myself to follow the flow of energy, opposed to attempting to bend the energy according to my own will.

Art for me is the one place where I allow myself the freedom to surrender to the “will” of the painting. See where it goes. Relinquish control. Have faith that something good will happen.

It is my hope that “Born Free” becomes a reminder to embrace our inherent nature, to be who we were born to be, express ourselves in our highest expression, be our best and most glorious, most joyful self. Live free. Live with a free mind, an inspired mind, one free from fear.