Finally Completing Self-Art

[Mina]

You can also upload pictures directly from your computer into albums you create in your profile here on the forum. I think you go to My Profile >> Albums >> Create New Album (somebody please correct me if that's wrong). From there, you should be able to upload straight from your computer.

 

[Artista]

I'll have to try that. Still a little shy about the piece but maybe... I do think it would be helpful to get feedback from my peers here.

 

[Artista]

OK... trying what Mina said. Here is a picture of my painting. My photo of it is off centered a little so its tilting... dunno why. I'll have to take better pic next time when it's complete. This is my accomplishment so far... very solid now at least just lotsa things to tweak. Any comments are welcome. I am not shy of criticism! It is all good to me!

The seed-like pods have words in them... you can't see them well just yet and I have to work on that. I don't wanna say just yet my symbolism... i prefer you get whatever you want out of it. It is just for me any way and am thrilled if anyone else responds to it visually. I know the bottom pic is a hard one to look at for some, but the top is where we are all headed I am hoping!!!!!!!!!

 

[gdf]

That IS awesome. Going from black and white to color, from closed to open. It kind of looks like a prayer. Thanks for sharing it.

 

[Artista]

Thank you gdf. It is all still a work in progress of course, but I was asked by therapist to share it with her and took it yesterday. She really got a few interesting things out of it that I hadn't intentionally done and it helped our therapy and my perspective of myself and what i am currently working on. Art and making images out of our feelings can really open up some things we fail to verbalize! I think it would help anyone... you don't have to be an artist!

 

[curiouser]

Artista, looks like it turned out great, nice use of color symbolism, balance, and rhythm within the composition. Is the painting oil or acrylic?

 

[Deleted member 5760]

First off - I'm jealous, as I can't paint to save myself! Stick people are a challenge for me.

What I see is the old giving way to the new. When something happens part of you dies and part of you is reborn. You have to say goodbye to the old you, which is sometimes as painful as grieving someone else. But I suppose if you give the 'new you' a chance - you might even find you get along quite well with yourself :)

That's what it says to me artista. But that's what I love about art. There is no right or wrong answer - it's all in the eye of the beholder. And someone else could see something ~completely~ different. Thanks so much for sharing :)

 

[AdamAnt]

I see a wonderful metamorphosis. A new birth. A being who has braved the trial by fire and emerged stronger of spirit, deeper of soul, and victorious over those who would subjegate her spirit. In the Tao, this would be described as the "new beginning"...there's no returning to the dried husk of the old you, only the rising and growing, like a phoenix from the ashes rising into a fuller potencial not possible without the tribulations you are now facing....

 

[Artista]

I love to hear your takes on the image. It is a treat to have some other perspectives on what is seen.... Means even more to me now.

 

[gdf]

Artista,

I looked at it again tonight and read through the rest of the comments and was thinking it almost looks like you have "buried" your old self and a new self has grown out of, or is emerging from, the ground.

Gina

 

[Jestadud]

I hope you really mean you want people's view's, I envy your artistic ability's.
What I see is someone dreaming of breaking forth and sowing anew with the power to transform their surroundings.
But I don't like the way the hair seem's to change into polyp's, I don't know why maybe it is too alien or maybe it like something living in it. Feathers are probably more my taste. But what do I know as I never made it past crayons!

 

[Artista]

Thanks for the views!!! And YES absolutely I do not mind you telling me what you think or what you see or what bugs you! I am not someone who is sensitive about a critique at all... as a professional artist, I thrive on them.

So... since this is a personal piece, i will tell you a bit about the "hair" dilemma. I hated the original that basically just had my long blonde hair. It just seemed like a lotta space with nothing to say... I kept stepping away and coming back. I had then added the flowers... the wild white daisy represents my childhood trauma and the Gerbera Daisy represents the older trauma to present day. I had been reading about sex and the soul and images that are sexual... hair is one of them. I ended up making my hair the marks of how these traumas have affected my sexuality for years... the oldest hair (tips) are meant to be the white petals the middle the pink and so on.... the now blonde hair that is growing through is me finally getting to ME just me. Not the traumas owning my sexuality but ME! I hope it grows out soon... but as we know we can''t rush hair growth; same as life growth. There's lots more symbolism. I'll see what else any others have to say before I mention more specifics. Or maybe I'll explain more as I go and post another picture when I work further into it. This is the only place besides group and therapy I feel I want to share it.

Incidently... Daisies are my favorite flower. Gerbera Daisies are my favorite daisy. If you notice, they have huge leaves to gather strength from the sun. They spread out and grab ever resource they can. Their stems are HUGE and if you cut them for a vase they last for 2 weeks no problem. Sturdy!!! Solid. That is where I want to work to be right now. In fact I grow them.. they are all leaves, where wild ones are more fragile and willowy and the leaves are minimal and rely on the roots mostly for nourishment. Perfect for my symbolism. And I hadn't even researched it. I just naturally liked them.

I love everyone's input here! Please... feel free to share how it makes you feel or what you see in it. There's never a wrong answer in art. That's what I love about art. There's no pigeon-holed view.