During certain parts of the year – I create work for art shows. When this happens, the gallery puts out a prospectus detailing the theme and it is up to the artist to decide if they have art in their library that fits the theme or if they need to create something specific to submit.
However, what I prefer is to paint the subjects that are foremost in my day-to-day life. This is the concept that was the main thrust of the Sparrow Series.
Typically, I awake with a song or an idea in mind that sends me in a search for resource materials to build the design. Sometimes, an idea comes to mind, without a clear impetus.
“See Ya Later” is one such piece.
Hidden Meaning
Frequently I have made paintings where the sparrow is in perilous circumstances. Some such examples are “Rough Life”, “Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea”, and “Friend of Foe” – for me these pieces carry the lesson that the sparrow can escape because she has wings.
I’ve never really considered why I created these situations for my sparrow. People have winced at some of the paintings and drawings I mentioned above – they dislike the menace they feel. Even “The Watcher” seems to make people nervous. (Although, to me that particular piece has no menace at all.)
Directly after painting “See Y’a Later” I created “There She Goes!” – for, me these two pieces are, and probably will always be, linked.
It wasn’t until a few weeks after completing these pieces that I decided to leave the day job that I felt stuck in. (Yes, I need to have a day job to continue to support myself while I work on making art and trying to get this to be a successful full-time gig.)
Once I was through the transition period, I was able to reflect on the message of these pieces. It seems my subconscious knew that I needed to make changes and was speaking to me and for me – I just needed time to absorb the message.
I like the idea that this feeling percolated up through my subconscious and help me come to terms with the fact that I needed to make a change. Too, I wonder – did visualizing the sparrow flying off in “There She Goes” – make the idea of making a change a solid concept in my mind?
Painting Style
See Ya’ Later is also a departure in painting style for me. Most of my previous Sparrow pieces have solid backgrounds – specific places and situations that are relevant to their locale.
See Ya’ Later forces the viewer’s focus to the relationship between the sparrow and her adversary.
I do love this painting – the colors, the relationship of the characters, and foremost because it helped me make a necessary and important change.
