A perennial problem for me is always wanting to do/be more than my body or mind actually has energy to achieve - so my life is a constant compromise and an exercise in the art of the possible.
I started this page in positive mode by painting it my favourite pinks and blotting it off in places with a wet wipe.
Then it was out with the pink collage scraps tray to begin the creative process. I was trying to avoid the all too predictable route of simply generating a border around the page - with the risk of too many straight lines.
I'd drawn these birds on a master collage sheet, which I then copied so that I could cut out and colour the shapes. Choosing to add the birds also gave my page its theme - expressing my feelings about wanting to fly but being earthbound. You can see once again my favourite technique of outlining shapes in black and adding a grey shadow to give depth.
I ended up with with large gap in the centre of the page, and I just doodled and coloured into that space until it looked "right". I've recently got some water colour markers, and I love the subtle shading they've given me here. I also outlined and added to some of the collage patterns I'd used, to make them more "mine".
It took me a long time to figure out the answer encapsulated here ... that my spirit IS free as a bird, and there are virtually no barriers (beyond tiredness and brain fog) to where it goes. I can still pray, meditate, reflect, learn and grow, albeit slowly ... and I can do all that while my body takes the time out it needs to rest.
Rosie
3 comments:
I think we can all identify with this sentiment in some measure, Rosie - age and life itself seem to inhibit so much of our willingness to take risks and to step out... I wouldn't put it all down to your condition, though I'm sure it has challenges many of us don't face. One of my favourite preachers says that when you have a dream which seems impossible, it's probably from God...this always makes me giggle. I think the secret is to focus more on what He's capable of than what we ourselves are not capable of! Not that I'm anywhere near that yet, lol - but I so aspire to be...
You are such an inspiration. Your artwork is absolutely stunning and you always tackle subjects which many of us face at one time or another. Thank you.
Cath x
So lovely, Rosie ... Your thoughts as well as your penwork :). I especially admire how you've added patterns and white to the collages bits at the start so they just flow so well with everything else.
Oooh my favourite colours. The 'ripples' in the middle feel like the chasm between what the mind wants to achieve and what the body is able to accomplish. This page just sums me up too. Fibromyalgia stops me being as creative as I would like to be xx
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