Tuesday 14 February 2012

Week 6 lesson from "Life Book " (Willowing)

This is my work for lesson 6 from LIFEBOOK (www.willowing.ning.com) I have got a bit behind as I have been in hospital for five days (very painful and horrible experience) and been recuperating since. I have been stuck in bed or on the sofa but managed to have a go at this lesson with my work on a board. It is "Paint over Collage". You begin with collaging a whole page including the face of a model. Then you work in continuous layers over the top of the original collage, firstly with paint and brayering, then with stamping, then more brayering, more paint etc etc. This piece was designed to celebrate things we feel we have achieved in life and I decided to celebrate the place of acceptance I have managed to reach over the years about certain things which have been very hard for me in this life. I did some healing work on anxiety and guilt recently and the cat and hummingbird are symbolic of the fact that I am slowly learning to deal with it. I started off by visualising what my anxiety and guilt looked like - my anxiety felt like a wild cat that would suddenly pounce on me and my guilt (about mistakes made in my life) was like a manic woodpecker constantly pecking at my mind. I also had depression which started off as a big black slug but as I worked through the course, I learned to see depression turning into a gentle old dog who just got tired and worn out sometimes so I would keep him quietly by my side. I began to see the fear that made my wild cat lurch at me and dig her nails in so I learned to lift her from my shoulders and calm and protect her from her terrors. I did the same with the woodpecker...tried visualising lifting him from my head and stroking his ruffled feathers and gazing into his crazy eyes till he too calmed down. So when I did this painting, I put them all in but as I went on with my layering, I decided to paint out my dog, as I feel I cope well now with small bouts of depression. I placed my little cat in my arms where I nurse and nurture my anxiety as best I can when she raises her head and splays out her claws and I changed my crazy woodpecker into a beautiful hummingbird which I am trying to release forever.

2 comments:

  1. Wow lynda you really painted your heart and soul into this one, so personal, I just love it and love you for sharing your journey which is sometimes painful. Take care and keep arting. Love and light to ya! x C

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  2. Thanks so much for commenting Chellesky, you are a love! That has really brightened my day! :-) x

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