I Am a Tree

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I just want to say thank you to all you lovely people who have popped by in the last three days.  Thank you for your kind and supportive words and thank you for coming to visit in droves despite my long and unexplained absence.  I so appreciate each and every one of you!  You have quite made my last couple of days most enjoyable  🙂

As a result, here’s another post hot on the heels of the first – just because I’m really happy and you know I have months of missing posts to make up for ……….

After painting every day for almost three weeks I was still really struggling to find my way with colour and form and technique.  And because I was receiving so many private emails and messages wondering if I was okay because of my absence from the blogging world I decided to bite the bullet and share what I was doing.

I was frankly amazed, though I shouldn’t have been, for the community around this blog is made up of the most fabulous people!  All those messages of support, so kindly given, left me quite touched and I awoke yesterday morning to find something in me had moved and changed.  I couldn’t wait to get the chores out of the way and get to the work station.  I knew what to do and decided to just go for it.  By last night a double page spread had emerged in my art journal, almost seamlessly, and was finished and, most importantly, I felt really happy with it.

It is by no means perfect, but it will be I think the basis for another work further down the track.

This idea was sparked by my friend Yvonne’s post that featured relief heads of women found around Venice.  The final photo featured an unusual fresco and aroused a number of comments both helpful and unhelpful.  Mine was one of the unhelpful ones!  All was revealed in Yvonne’s following post.  I thought she was a tree sprite of some kind and even though I was completely wrong – or perhaps because I was – I fell to musing about the spirit of trees and how they might appear, which then led to some further musing on what they might have to say.

I am a tree Aug 16

Detail

I am a tree detail

And the words, if your eyes like mine can’t stand the struggle ……… and because I have lost the ability to have you double click on my photographs to enlarge them  – I don’t know why……

I am a tree Words

Thank you for your support and encouragement – it really does take a community doesn’t it!

Thanks for coming by today, I love that you did!

 

81 thoughts on “I Am a Tree”

  2. “Ancient. Strong. I yield. I bend”
    Wonderful!
    Pauline, just look at the love you have garnered as a result of all of the love that you give.
    I’m so very, very happy that YOU are happy! ❤

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  3. There is nothing so wonderful as flow. You can enjoy the feelings behind it, the magic that comes out of it, and the joy of the process and a result you are pleased with. I’m so happy to have you back blogging and happy, too, that you’re back in the zone.

    You know how much I love your work, Pauline. You have such a creative soul.

    It’s wonderful reading how much you’ve been missed and how happy we all are to have you back. Big hugs!

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  5. Pauline, how wonderful to let us know your inspiration and then, see your journal with such a beautiful double page art entry! What a beautiful treasure! ❤
    The poem with such a powerful message really means so much to me. Trees are like clouds in my posts, they hold a feeling of life's mysteries. 🙂

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    • Thank you Robin – for your very kind comment. Trees are very important to us and our planet and as you say they are indeed one of life’s mysteries! Thank you for taking the time to come by and comment – I appreciate it! ❤

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  6. I know those are not wrinkles-right? I have to tell you this story. One time, I was sketching a lady in my class when I was in my 20’s ( too long ago to remember-lol), but I showed her when I was done. She was so upset that I put all her wrinkles in the sketch. I did not understand for I thought they were beautiful, but she did not…now that I am her age -well, I get why she was upset!!! Just had to share:-)

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  7. oh so glad I stopped by and you are here!!! I totally understand being absent, but so gald you are back. I love green + love the new gal….I love the words, I love the veins in her face and eyes that speak:-) beautiful!

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  8. I actually remember Yvonne’s post that you refer to. You took much better inspiration from it than I did. I think your painting is wonderful. All I did was sigh and wish yet again that I’d visited Venice while I was on honeymoon in Italy.

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  9. You caught me by surprise, Pauline. I wasn’t expecting another post so quickly:) I love the painting and the beautiful text about being a tree. Maybe, a techy blogger might give you some instructions on how to fix the ‘click and enlarge’ photo situation.
    Have a lovely weekend!

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    • 🙂 Hello Elaine! I think I caught everyone by surprise, not least myself! I’ll be back to my irregular widely- paced schedule from now on. I’ve had a tip re the photos and am working on it. Happy weekend to you too!

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  10. I love this Pauline. I have thought all those things about trees. They are so beautiful and many people just don’t notice them. I’m so glad your creativity is flowing again. It’s give you the Green Woman!

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  11. Hello hello sweet and talented friend. You have come back to your art with gusto. I am amazed at the rendering of her face! How did you do this, it’s fantastic! Is it pencils on acrylic? Can you share your secret? I’m not surprised your readers have been waiting in the halls of WordPress for your door to open. I actually went, “Oooooh” when I saw your art in my reader this morning and with giddy excitement came by in a blink. Isn’t it amazing? How supporters can drop in from all over the world. Somehow we need to figure out virtual coffee, ha! I think the verse is sublime and I love how it’s written in the lush greenery. ❤ ❤ Such a nice way to start my day, a visit here with you and your muse. Wonderful Pauline ❤ xoxo Love you K

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    • It is pencils on acrylic – well spotted! By the time I’d finished her I knew what to do – Are you like this when you are working – I learn as I go and see what I should have done after I’ve done it ……. Which is why I’m just working in my journal now and not on canvas or art paper. 🙂 I am so thrilled that you made a sound when you saw her picture pop up in your reader – that’s high praise indeed! Thank you for coming by at the beginning of your day – virtual coffee does sound like something someone should come up with doesn’t! Hugs to you m’dear xoxo

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  15. Look at you go! How wonderful, to be back where you want to be and where you belong! I like the painting a lot–so much to look at and, with the words, to think about. I love the idea of the subtle wood grain in her face.

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  16. Great news, Pauline. This is one of your best ever. For the enlargement of images: On the old style display for ‘My site’ scroll down to WP Admin at bottom left. Click on that to bring up your post. Click on the top border of the picture – take the edit option (the pencil) – when the page comes up click the box that says ‘Open link in a new tab’ (on a laptop scroll down for that) . Click on Blue Update box to the right. This takes you back to your post. Don’t forget to save or update once more. (The newer display is very different and I don’t understand it)

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    • Thank you so much Derrick – I shall tootle off and follow these instructions…….
      I did the first photo – lets all see if it has worked 🙂 It’s rather complex isn’t it! Bless their little hearts!

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      • You can check once you have saved it by looking at the preview. What makes it more complex is changing the display so you have to go back to WP Admin. There may be a more streamlined way, but I doubt it – Becky showed me how 🙂

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        • Well, I have followed your instructions to the letter about six times and it isn’t taking. The little box ‘open link in new tab’ doesn’t stay ticked when I go through the necessary save changes steps. There are other bits of info to be inputted around that little tick box so my guess is I need to do something there but have no clue what! Thanks for your help anyway Derrick – I appreciate your effort!!

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  18. I got goose bumps reading the poem. I liked what you wrote about encouragement too. It made me think of cats. Cats are very independent but also need a little stroke from time to time. I find I get a great deal from a little bit of encouragement. So I must say I love your tree spirit lady and she makes me feel quite uplifted. ❤

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    • Quite so Sharon – I love how you said ‘I find I get a great deal from a little bit of encouragement.’ It’s so true isn’t it – and our peeps are nothing if not encouraging 🙂 I think I’m a lot like a cat – I’m sure if I knew what my totem animal was it would be a cat! I’m so pleased to hear the tree spirit uplifted you!! ❤

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  19. Your tree Sprite is lovely, Pauline. You are back with a bang! I’m so pleased you found support for your creativity within our wonderful community. There we are, creativity is not a lonely state at all. Let’s hope your renewed streak continues. Go, Pauline!

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  20. Wow! You are back in full force and we are so glad! Such creativity! I echo the thoughts of others about the detail of the face resembling a tree. You have such a lovely style. The flowing green of the hair really caught me!

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  21. Aww this so BEAUTIFUL! The details especially in her face blew me away. I see life, abundant life in her, with hardship, worry and love. She is strong and fierce. Yes, I see and thank you for fresh sustenance everyday. ❤

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  22. Boy, you come back with a bang. If you are a tree, you are a beautiful, wise oak. Tall (well, imaginatively) and strong with arms reaching to all. I LOVE the painting. It has so much of you in it. I’m glad you are finding your way with the painting again. So much of you comes through in your art.

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  23. An exceptional piece Pauline. If you had to look at the picture without the words the grain of the tree and the surrounding greenery would tell you all you need to know.
    Keep painting.
    xxx Humongous Hugs xxx

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  24. Very interesting … I see a complexity in the different styles in the eyes, facial skin, and hair. For me, the hair with the words to ponder led the way.

    OK … because you are on a roll and enthusiastic about your return. I expect another post tomorrow. 😉

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  26. This is truly a lovely painting, Pauline. I am especially fascinated by the creative treatment of this lady’s skin….like the texture of a live tree’s wood, yet somehow very soft in the whorls of its “experience”.

    She reminds me of the mythical story of Daphne— the nymph who was turned into a tree, in the poet Ovid’s “Metamorphosis,”— which was all about transformation. And it sounds like you have experienced something like a bit of transformation lately, only I hope that you will not exactly be like Daphne and turn into a laurel tree!

    Funny, that also reminds me of the Olympic games currently going on in Rio. in those original games, in Greece, the leaves of the laurel were woven into a crown to be worn by one who has achieved something really special….as have you!

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    • And you ended exactly where I ended – the next one will have leaves for hair and the grain of the trunk will be more firmly defined. As is always the way, when working in a journal and letting the muse go where she will, the end result is just the beginning for the next exercise. I’m just so happy that the doorway has opened up at last 🙂 Thank you for your words of support and I’m very happy to hear you like her ❤

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  28. Wow! Pauline, how wonderful to have the creative juices flowing – such excitement. This is a wonderful day’s outpouring of creativity. I love your colour choices for the tree, and the fine detail of lines for the rings and knots. Your words add a special meaning to the painting as a whole and I love the way they flow together with her hair. I’ll have to come back and check out Yvonne’s post that inspired this work. Awesome!

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  30. You have got the creative juices flowing for sure! That’s a great painting, I’ll bet you were happy to have it emerge onto the pages. ❤

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