Description
Home Is Where The Heart Is (2022): Original Recovery Art Oil Painting
Home Is Where The Heart Is (2022) is a powerful, large-scale original oil painting on canvas by South African contemporary artist Lucille Fernandes-Stangl. Measuring 100 cm x 120 cm, this expressive figurative work captures a crowded, vibrant home group 12-step meeting. The dynamic composition features multiple figures seated together in a circle, surrounded by symbolic numbers along the wall and warm interior elements that convey safety, shared human experience, and belonging.
“It is recommended, when first attending 12 step meetings, to find a home group. It is about friends made that become like family. It is about choosing a place to return to, give back in service. A place that becomes sacred, we grow to know each other intimately, holding each other when life is good and when life is bad. Those fractured cracks that form within families begin healing through empathy and solace. Holding each other through the storms so that may help each other and not succumb to the tragedy of active addiction.”
— Lucille Fernandes-Stangl, Artist Statement
In contemporary recovery art, the home group represents a vital sanctuary where chosen family replaces the isolation of active addiction. By translating the warmth, physical presence, and spiritual safety of these gatherings onto a large canvas, Lucille Fernandes-Stangl offers collectors an extraordinary visual testament to resilience, community service, and emotional restoration.
Artistic Technique, Color Palette & Medium
Created entirely in studio using professional, artist-grade oil paints on canvas, Home Is Where The Heart Is (2022) showcases a rich, layered application of expressive paint and gestural mark-making. The artist builds structural depth across the canvas, layering figures, background numerals, and warm interior lighting into a cohesive, energetic space.
The color palette balances grounding warmth and atmospheric mood:
- Earthy Ochres & Deep Terracottas: Warm reddish-browns and burnt ochres wash over the background walls, enveloping the scene in a sense of safety and domestic sanctuary.
- Luminous Moss & Forest Greens: Deep botanical greens structure the floor plane, anchoring the seated figures in a shared physical space.
- Expressive Blue & Neutral Tones: Denim blues, soft whites, and warm skin tones bring individuality, movement, and life to the gathered community.
All materials and canvas substrates utilized conform to high archival and lightfast standards, ensuring long-term structural durability and color permanence.
The Narrative: The Home Group, Empathy & Recovery Art
Home Is Where The Heart Is (2022) addresses the profound shift from solitude to sanctuary. Within the walls of a home group, individuals learn to re-establish trust, navigate grief and joy together, and mend the internal cracks caused by addiction. Through expressive figurative painting, Lucille Fernandes-Stangl transforms a weekly meeting into an enduring piece of contemporary fine art.
As an authentic studio original from Johannesburg, South Africa, this canvas serves as a compelling centerpiece for fine art collectors, gallery curation, and spaces dedicated to recovery, healing, and human connection.
Artwork Specifications & Fine Art Provenance
This original canvas is an authentic studio work from Johannesburg, South Africa, and includes complete provenance records.
Artwork Details:
- Artwork Title: Home Is Where The Heart Is (2022)
- Artist: Lucille Fernandes-Stangl
- Year of Creation: 2022
- Medium: Archival Oil on Canvas
- Dimensions: 100 cm wide x 120 cm high
- Framing: Unframed canvas (Stretched on professional studio wood strainers)
- Provenance: Direct from the artist’s studio (Johannesburg, South Africa)
- Shipping: Fully insured, professional global packaging and worldwide delivery
- Certificate of Authenticity: Accompanied by an official, hand-signed Certificate of Authenticity. Preservation follows standard international art conservation guidelines.
Care & Display Guidelines
To preserve the rich texture and archival qualities of your original oil painting, display indoors away from direct, unfiltered sunlight and extreme moisture. Clean gently using a soft, dry microfiber cloth or camel-hair brush to remove dusting without disturbing the delicate impasto peaks.
