I mentioned this painting in my post of “See Ya’ Later” a piece that was completed as I was making the decision to transition from one place of employment to another.
This was another painting where the idea came out of the ether; I woke up with the phrase “There She Goes” hovering in my brain and then stirred around until I found the resource photos that provided the elements that I wanted to use.
I didn’t actively look for a sheep image… but, the idea of the sparrow leaving the sheep behind… well, in retrospect it’s perfect to what I was feeling at the time. The sparrow is totally engrossed on her departure – not looking back – sorta how I felt at the time.
Music as Muse
Many times, songs provide the inspiration for my art. You know… we’ve all experienced it; you have a break up and a certain song reflects back the feelings you can’t quite find the words for… and so, you listen to the song on repeat and wallow in your pain and suffering until you’ve exercised these emotions and are ready to move on.
According to healthline.com: “A…study, published in the Journal of Consumer Research, found that people tend to prefer sad music when they are experiencing a deep interpersonal loss, like the end of a relationship.
The authors of that study suggests that sad music provides a substitute for the lost relationship. They compared it to the preference most people have for an empathic friend — someone who truly understands what you’re going through.”
In other words, music helps us wrap our minds around our feelings and get those feelings out.
My artwork helps me do the same thing. Instead of music, I use images to exorcise what I’m feeling in my day to day life.
It was only after I had started painting that I remembered there was a song by that name. So, I looked the song up – listened to it on Spotify and read the background info on the song. I was really surprised to learn that people think the “she” in this song is referring to heroine. LOL – I just assumed the singer was a lesbian.
Overall Theme of the Painting
This brings me to a final point – the song, “There She Goes”… well, it meant something to me when I first heard it and that colored my thought process with each subsequent listening.
All forms of art are the same. In the case of paintings and visual art – the viewer and their imagination envision their own personal meaning of the painting.
For me and my blog the painting means: “Making a significant change in your life – leaving and moving on can be challenging. But, in this piece the sparrow is looking off into the distance – happy to be on her way.”
If it means something else to you – that’s O.K. As an artist I hope that the pieces I create touch the viewer.
