Leap
Posted on | January 4, 2008 |
I sat down tonight to paint the way Bean does–with color first, then the image taking shape. I had no plan, no illustration in the back of my head, just the commitment to take a small corner of time out of my day to do art this month. It feels good to keep returning to my studio. To give myself this gift of quiet moments, paintbrushes clinking in jars of chalky colored water; tubes of paint and stamps and papers fluttering to the floor like moths.
When the turtles showed up, I pictured them poised to leap into a sky filled with stars, mythic and dreamlike. Because isn’t that what the moments before anything are like? Before you leap? Before you know the outcome. You’re just there, with a possible bucket of stars below you.
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16 Responses to “Leap”
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January 5th, 2008 @ 1:07 am
Delurking to say I love this painting.
January 5th, 2008 @ 3:30 am
I do too - the colors, the bubbles dark and light and then the turtles, hard shelled and ready to leap into the water/sky. Beautiful contrasts.
January 5th, 2008 @ 5:01 am
I wish I could have this on my kids’ room wall. Love it.
January 5th, 2008 @ 9:51 am
Love this one!
January 5th, 2008 @ 10:05 am
Gorgeous!
January 5th, 2008 @ 10:20 am
Loving the vivid colors and the meaning.
January 5th, 2008 @ 1:19 pm
Love, love that image.
January 5th, 2008 @ 1:57 pm
Beautiful. You are an amazing artist.
January 5th, 2008 @ 4:04 pm
I love this painting and your words always inspire me.
January 5th, 2008 @ 6:25 pm
Such a beautiful picture - what talent you have!
January 5th, 2008 @ 8:07 pm
this is beautiful. the image & the words you created…
January 6th, 2008 @ 1:38 am
love this piece - thanks for sharing!
January 6th, 2008 @ 2:47 am
yes, to begin with color. My favorite prompt. This painting is so sweet. You should hang it in your classroom!
January 6th, 2008 @ 5:41 am
Finally delurking because I just got up and the last think I dreamed about before waking up this morning was turtles then I hopped over here to find this stunning image. How serendipitous. Perhaps I should look into dream interpretations for turtles?
What I really want to say is your art is beautiful and moving. Thank you for sharing.
January 7th, 2008 @ 1:57 pm
Beautiful! Painting that way is such a cool idea. You never know where the painting will take you.
January 11th, 2008 @ 10:02 am
oh my gosh i so LOVE the turtles!
i really have always loved them!
and these are spectacular!
tara