Friday, August 29, 2008

Creativity has alleviated some stress







"Cardinal Lets Loose"
Digitally Enhanced Watercolor

Well, this little cardinal (who symbolizes me) is finally letting loose and playing after a day spent figuring out computer settings for making cards and other graphic design brain activities that had me on the brink of a breakdown. A voice inside of me said "stop and play!!!!". And so I let my hair down, or shall I say, let the feathers fly, experimented and allowed the spirit of creativity to take me where it wanted to.
Cardinal gal has been sitting around on a white background for a few years all by her lonesome. I supposed my fear of painting backgrounds usually left my nature friends floating on blank paper. So I decided to add some things to give her some companionship and to get past my own old hangups. The background is a little hand-painted tissue paper I finally dug out of my studio and incorporated here. There's some pretty cool brushes on the computer that I got my hands on and it felt good swirling them around. These little brush tools seemed to release some inner stress I was feeling. Little birdy looks a little crazy now, hope I didn't transfer any of my loony vibes to her. She could be overwhelmed by all the changes I did to her and the painting. Hope she doesn't get lost here now, because she is a beauty in her own right. I enjoyed moving the bird off the page a bit and liked touching a few brush strokes to outside edges, felt freeing to me. (represents me pushing out of my self-limiting boundaries).
I feel more relaxed and mellow now as I sit here writing about my new/old creation so I thank you, my cardinal friend, for letting me transform you and visa versa. Let us both soar together.

8 comments:

Soulsearcher said...

I like the picture very much. I don't think cardinal will mind. Nor will she get lost; she's very much in the forefront. I attended a painting retreat a few years ago and I didn't include backgrounds. The facilitator had issues with this and kept encouraging me to fill up the paper, leaving no white space. ThaT stretched my creativity and it seems to have done the same for you. Good job!

Lin said...

Ooooh, she's cute and sort of whimsical! She has a little devilish look to her, like she's about to get into trouble. That's my kind of gal!

Good for you, Bev!

april said...

I love that you've let the bird come off the page and the strokes of your background too. It breathes life into the whole thing. It's exciting, Bev, and the cardinal is happy! ...April

Laura said...

Well now there Bev, I think you showed us that you can play like the big kids. I really love this little piece. And I agree with April that I like that's she/he has stepped off the main part of the paper. I think it helps me see the playful side to the Cardinal. Well done.
~v~Laura

Laura said...

Now for second guessing yourself. Just kniks that off the page here. Just lets us know the process and let the censor take a hike. Remember our job isn't to please everyone it's our job to let it come out and through us to the choosen surface and let it be. Enjoy the moment and move on. And keep playing I found out as you do this long the way our Dreams do come true.

~v~Laura

Doris said...

She's a beautiful little bird! Good to hear how relaxing she was to work with. All we have to do is begin...

Marjorie said...

I love that little guy and what you did with the papers we made!! It's great you went for something you never finished too! He's so whimsical and sweet, and I love his little feet and the colors swirling in the background.

Laura said...

Not time to hibernate there SunHawk or fly South so what's you been up to????