Sing Like Yourself

Sing Like Yourself

One Hundred Faces by Sharon Tomlinson
36" x 12" on wood

 It was very hard to photograph the whole piece.

To get all 100 in one photo (above), I spliced together sections (below).

Don't look too close, the splicing is not so perfect. 

found poem "100"  by Sharon Tomlinson

 100

For a moment she wondered about something to entertain

before blinking she picked faces.

She picked

beautiful dreamy eyes

spicy lips

unruly hair

sweet cheeks

teeth

a

shy and inquiring

smile

and

a hand

The

moment

was

to see

her

voice

echoed

forward

saying

"sing like yourself"

♥

ps: I still have more to say about One Hundred Faces but will leave that for another post. 

Dont' forget, sing like yourself!

What a great idea

The book is, The Bailiff Yerney And His Rights by Ivan Cankar

the idea
in art,
is
theme
becomes 
more dramatic
in its simplicity
and
yet
intensify the
final
story


at least
it
might


I'm still finding the story in this book.  For now, I don't wish to illustrate it and when I think about how to illustrate, I feel like I am forcing it. It is strange. 


But don't you like this idea! "a theme is more dramatic in its simplicity". This seems to apply to my work in progress as the simple discovery of the birds truly made the story in the piece of art more dramatic. Actually, it became more dramatic to me in a personal way that I may not be able to share.


Being unhappy with her face, I worked both yesterday and today during my Morning Art, but alas, I'm not finished. I had to make matters worse before making them better. If this happens to you, my advise is to just keep going. I will surely be ready to show tomorrow. Going into a weekend with something on my easel...is a good thing. 


In the meantime, this little book is just full of words for me. 
TGIF
♥

Characters in Dream Images

This is an old book. As a matter of fact, it is nearly as old as me. The publishing information says, "First Issued 1930, New Edition (Illustrated) 1946." 


I'm sure I have the 1946 edition as mine is illustrated with many amazing white on black illustrations by Nora Lavrin. 


I take inspiration from the illustrations and if I illustrate, I will continue with the white and black. 

The book is, The Bailiff Yerney And His Rights by Ivan Cankar

Some
glimmer of
talent
therefore feels
brave 
What's wrong
with
this attitude


Gradually
art and
life
helped
set
free
characters
in
Dream Images
with
amazing results


Something that might be of interest is (I think) Nora Lavrin's illustrations are a method called "dry points"  which will of course explain why, I will not be able to actually make my illustrations like hers by just using my white gel pen on black. 


PS:  I'm watching for characters in my dream images. It's happened before.
♥

This book is speaking to me

The book is, The Bailiff Yerney And His Rights by Ivan Cankar
First Issued 1930, printed in Great Britain
by the Chiswick Press, New Southgate, N.11
for Messers. Eyre and Spottiswoode LTD.

protest
in mind
was intent
to postpone the
struggle
of
the dreamy world




incidentally,
downtrodden
so much
targets
individual
exceptional
painter

I didn't make that up.

That is what it says.

♥

Going Full Circle

The book is, The Bailiff Yerney And His Rights by Ivan Cankar
First Issued 1930, printed in Great Britain
by the Chiswick Press, New Southgate, N.11
for Messers. Eyre and Spottiswoode LTD.

Things become different
so achievements
humble who hardly exceed


In spite
all can boast of the fact
with their death


But what is
the soul and the conscience


a mirror

About six years ago I was inspired to find these words in this old book.  And then, I put it down. I quit. Moved on to other things. Sound familiar?


Well, I'm absolutely overwhelmed and humbled with all of your comments. I heard you say "It's OK...don't paint". I heard all your stories of similar experiences; I heard all you encouragement, praise, love, compassion, understanding, feelings, best wishes, suggestions, and reassurances that this too shall pass. 


I know it will and I know I will want to paint again.  I just needed to say it because sometimes that's all it takes. Understanding and the admission.


So, this morning I stood in front of that stack of Journals and not a single one of them spoke to me. They did not invite me in.  They did not excite me. They did not open me.


Then I saw this little book. You can see it in the picture down there. The top left corner of the big black journal is almost pointing to it. It has a ragged dust cover and sits between the green book and the journal with the fuzzy stuff right at the edge of the picture. 


It is a small book with only 105 pages.  The first thing I'm gonna do is read it. Reading was a suggestion from some of you.  Then I'm going to look for the hidden wisdom that I'm sure is there waiting for me. I intend to share the altered pages with you. I feel as though I'm circling back.


For now, that is my direction. And today, I'm excited about it. And I'm hearing little whispers about using a brush.....in the alteration.
♥

Wallflowers Again

wall flowers

they

stood gazing

so tall

and still

and

silent

waiting

standing quiet

shy as a bird

their wings

like lace

whispered

happy

dreams

........signed now, by Sharon Tomlinson

Wall Flower Angels

I continue to enjoy show and tell in progress. Nothing changed there. After painting 3 inch little faces last week I was spiraled into the need to paint big and bright.

So on Sunday, I played a little game with myself.

And here is how I started. I confess that I knew I was going to paint three faces and did not want to paint the faces on the canvas.

Hence, the text.

Just being different.

And

I knew the dresses would be collage down the center.

So the game I played was to work on this canvas for 15 minutes and then go and clean or do laundry or put some of this stuff up or just anything that needed to be done.....

for 15 minutes.

Then back to the painting for 15 minutes.

Pretty tricky because at this stage, it needed to dry a bit.

I won't show the stack of laundry that I folded.

Then I came back and spent 15 minutes preparing wall paper for dresses.

I stenciled with doilies and stamped with homemade stamps.

Just random fun.

Just random with no thought except the snapdragon napkin would be incorporated in some way.

Then I spent 15 minutes organizing some of my stuff.

The Mr Police Person was watching and questioned if playing with my stuff counted.

Of course, it is something that needs to be done.

Paint sketching the faces.

I was challenged to use three different pallets of colors for my Wall Flower Angels.

Actually, I knew COLOR was going to be bright and vivid and many.

Do you see the hand that my muse snuck in?

Forget the game. It lasted about this long. Then I needed to stay with my angels.

When there is paint left on my palette, I usually remember to use it up on the canvas somewhere. Even though it will get covered later. It gives a nice starting layer.

I knew I was going to use the narrow strip of wallpaper.

So I painted the blue and used a stamp to add texture between the strips.

This is a close up showing the use of stamp to lift the paint from the wet blue and then stamp onto the canvas.

Making progress, but this is the point that I usually zone out and forget the camera.

Wall Flower Angels

16 X 20

************

I'm at home this morning but need to get ready to go.

So have a great day.

Expect it,

Sharon

PS.....do you see the snapdragon napkin? It is there but became insignificant. That napkin is a real challenge and I have a plan for it....but I'm out of time today.