Thursday, May 8, 2008

revised and revisited

after i posted this collage on monday i just kept looking at it and thinking it needed more. i do this quite frequently. it is not at all unusual for me to revise and revisit a canvas a couple of times before i put the top layer of protection on it. that is one of the things i like best about paper collage-- it is quite forgiving and easy to cover up and/or fix. so on this one i squirted some sea foam green scrapbook paint out on my palette. i wadded up a plastic grocery bag and started dabbing the bag into the paint and onto the canvas. this was a total first-time experiment and as always i was a bit anxious that i would completely mess the project up. but i loved it. sometimes you CAN'T have too much of a good thing SO i did the same thing with a shade of grape scrapbook paint (but with a bit more moderation). this extra layer added just the right sea-like effect and was a huge improvement to the finished piece. i can now walk by the canvas as it sits on an old antique dining chair in my art room without thinking, "i don't like it; it needs something else".

i must say that at this stage of my life i tend to revisit old thoughts, feelings and experiences quite frequently as well. even though i can't revise what happened in the past i am able to reconsider how i feel about them now that i can see them from a distance. i have a more mature and settled outlook on life and i'm able to cut myself a bit more slack. being accepted and liked is not a huge priority for me. what matters more is that i like me and am happy with the course i am setting for myself. this journey in art and self-expression has been a long time coming and i plan to stay the course and enjoy the ride for as long as possible!

quote for the day::
two roads diverged in a wood, and i--
i took the one less traveled by,
and that has made all the difference.
robert frost, the road not taken

7 comments:

Tess Kincaid said...

I love that Frost poem! Yes, I have learned to cut myself a little slack as I've gotten older. Because no one else is going to, right? It has helped to be a tad kinder and gentler to myself.

Your grocery bag technique paid off...wonderful effect! Love it.

Simply Sentimental said...

Love this....and so does my son Kase (who's 2)...he just looked up from watching Elmo and say "Hey that's Nemo"....LOL....sometimes the funniest things come out of his mouth....
Thanks for all the comments on my blog and I just LOVE your work....

painted fish studio said...

the piece is definitely better! it's fun to see the work in progress.

julie king said...

thanks ladies, for your kind words and repeated visits to my blog! i feel blessed today to be in such good company!!

Auburn Kat said...

That is one of my favorite poems!!!! I just love it!

My other favorite is... homework oh homework, I hate you you stink, I wish I could wash you aways in the sink, if only a bomb would explode you to bits, homework oh homework your giving me fits....

Wow, I'm impressed that I remembered that! It's from The New Kid on the Block book of poetry.

XUE said...

hi julie! i love the same poem & i love this latest fishy creation - it's like a watercolour painting!

julie king said...

thanks for the poem, heather! it is funny and new to me. how about this one:

i've never seen a purple cow
i hope i never see one
but one thing that i know for sure
i'd rather see than be one

hee hee