I recently started painting rocks using acrylic paint. I’m still learning the medium, since I’ve always been more comfortable with gouache. One of the first characters I painted was No-Face from Spirited Away – a character I’ve always loved for his quiet and gentle nature.
No-Face absorbs the energy of whatever space he’s in. When he enters the bathhouse, a place filled with greed and excess, he begins to mirror that energy – demanding gold and causing harm. But when he sees Chihiro again, the little girl who showed him kindness earlier, he tries to offer her gold. She refuses it, and instead helps to ease his pain and cleanse what he’s taken on. This brings him relief, and once he leaves the bathhouse with her, he returns to the calm, peaceful state that reflects his true nature.
No-Face reminds us how deeply environments can shape us. We can absorb the energy around us and start acting in ways that aren’t aligned with our true nature. Protecting your spirit and choosing the spaces that support who you really are is so important.
“Nothing is more important than this moment.” – Eckhart Tolle
These faces were inspired by a little glass Buddha jar we got from Mr Price Home. I was sitting at the table near the kitchen, and I just started mindlessly doodling on the sticky notes in front of me. I loved how calming the faces looked. I stuck the little sticky notes on the wall and left them there as inspiration. I loved seeing them whenever I walked past. Then one day, when I was painting, I decided to re-create these faces with gouache paint. I loved how simple the strokes were, but how impactful the mood came out. So calming, and so soothing. They invite contemplation and slowing down. A reminder to become present and live in the moment.