Archive for May, 2012

In past blog posts I’ve mentioned my desire to create some pieces based on ‘Blackbird’ by the Beatles.  I listened to this song and was so inspired by the message, especially after listening to some of the traditional lullabies.  I absolutely refuse to teach my kid that if he’s unhappy Daddy will buy him one more thing, or that if the wind blows his bed will fall from a tree.

I’ve really loved working through this series and have hit several snags.  One of them is how to incorporate the verbiage of the song and capture the variety of my feelings in these paintings.  The other snag is when can I paint?  At the end of the day I’m usually tired from chasing a sweet but very active boy and but I need to focus to create good artwork.  I can create crap work on the fly, but if I want it to be something worthwhile I really do need to focus.

I also opted to address the underlying meanings behind my inspiration.  When I was young (about 16 or so) we didn’t think I’d be able to have children.  My whole life the possibility that I wouldn’t be able to bear children has hung over me.  When my husband and I decided to try for a child I knew we were in for a trial but I was hopeful.  My doctor said that I should be fine, but we had a lot of problems getting pregnant.  I also had a lot of problems sustaining a pregnancy.  When I was finally pregnant with my son and in the safety zone, I started listening to lullaby songs.  I was disturbed by the messages in the traditional lullabies.  Then I listened to Sarah McLaughlin’s version of ‘Blackbird’ and fell in love.  I felt like the song encompassed my emotions on so many levels.  I love the idea of not letting limitations hold you back and the refrain ‘all my life, I’ve been waiting for this moment to arise’ captured my emotions about motherhood.  I’d love to hear what you think about this series.

This is my first panel for ‘All my life I’ve been waiting for this moment to arise’  I’ll be adding photos of the pieces as I finish them.  I have to finish the two in work now and a few more.  I can’t wait to hear what people think!