ByShi: Compassion

Showing posts with label Compassion. Show all posts

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Sympathy Blossoms

'Sympathy Blossoms'

4"x6" watercolour and pitt pen card

A friend asked if I had any cards for the purpose of Sympathy cards. I realised I didn't.

I haven't been well enough to get out the acrylics and do a big painting, but I thought I could try a small watercolour.

I've been noticing cherry blossoms and how beautiful they are and wanted to paint them. I didn't have 'real life' ones so I drew from photos.

I have been reading a beautiful book by Marie Williams, called 'Green Vanilla Tea.' Marie's husband Dominic struggled with Alzheimer's and died in his early 40's. The book is a memoir accounting both the incredible struggles and the wonderful memories of life with Dominic and their two sons Mike and Nic. The love in their family is powerful. It is touching to read.

Cover of 'Green Vanilla Tea' by Marie Williams

(used with permission)

http://mariewilliams.com.au//

I have 'met' Marie Williams online and I dedicate this sympathy card to her and her boys.

I drew the blossoms on my sympathy card, guided from the photo on the cover of the book 'Green Vanilla Tea', only from the other direction and with other colours.

I chose the colour of the blossoms inspired by cherry blossoms in a photograph by a friend, Josie Eldred of -love to be young photography- . I am a huge fan of her beautiful photography - she does the most amazing macro work, and it's even more amazing because she, like me, struggles with ME (Myaglic Encephalomyelitis) and has done since a very young age. So her work is out of passion and painful determination like mine. I loved her macro shot of cherry blossoms

in pink and this inspired the colours of my cherry blossoms on my card.

#cherry blossom #macro

(used with permission)

website: http://www.lovetobeyoungphotography.com/

facebook: -love to be young photography-

So I dedicate this card, with sympathy especially to Marie, Mike and Nic. Also to all who suffer or care for those struggling from chronic illness, especially those who have lost their loved ones.

'Cherry Blossoms'

Original 4"x6" watercolour and pitt pen on paper

Saturday, November 17, 2012

'The Best Support' - 'All I Did Was Listen'

Today a poem and drawing I created when I was 16 was featured in a blog by one of my favourite artists. Her name's Rachel Awes and her blog is "All I Did Was Listen." Today's post (including my drawing and poem) is 'Listening to You' which is in a series of guest posts on Fridays, on the theme of 'Listening'.

Rachel does wonderful line drawings with colour, combined with a quote, usually something inspired by her experiences as a psychologist. She has a new book out filled with her gorgeous drawings, called 'All I did was Listen' which you can order on Etsy (click on the title for the link). I can't wait to receive my copy in the mail!

I will include for you my drawing and poem shared on her blog. It is one of the poems in my book "Stranger In The Moving Chair," self-published 2004.

'The Best Support'

"The Best Support"

The best way to help

Is to listen
>

Advice seems to pour

From those

Who insist they understand

But have never experienced it.
>

Those who help

Are those who listen
>

Those who accept

There is no magic cure

Accept they cannot instantly

Make things happily ever after
>

The best support

Is not a quick fix

But a listening ear,

No judgment,

And acceptance.
>
>

Sunday, September 16, 2012

SpiralKittyLove

12"x16" Mixed Media on Canvas

Started 6/8/12 completed 16/9/12

I love animals and pets. I have a lot of friends who have gorgeous precious kitties and I wanted to create something dedicated to their wonderful furbabies, continuing in the style I used for the painting 'SpiralBird'

I'd like to show you the development of the painting:

1) Firstly I was doodling until I had an idea of how I would express what I wanted to create:

2) Then once I had an idea of what I wanted to draw I developed that picture:

I could envision the final product already and knew all the steps to take, but it took time doing every following step, and I had to pace myself so I didn't overdo things physically. So it took 10 days working on it bit by bit (and banning myself from working on it more than was physically healthy for me.) I was itching to get it done and see the final product, but I had to contain my enthusiasm and practice patience, and work on the piece bit by bit, only when able.

3) The next step was to put the coloured background on the canvas. I used pearlised purple acrylic paint with hints of other colours seeping through (secret technique I love: using a squeegie!)

4) Then I painted silver paint onto some bubble wrap and then printed it to add some silver to the background:

5) I then ripped and glued on some of the gorgeous paper that inspired my colour palette, one of the beautiful papers in the 'A Formal Affair' scrapbooking paper range by Alison Ellis Design (copyright 2011).

6) Then I photocopied my final cat drawing and enlarged it. I cut it out and placed it on the canvas using repositioning tape to keep it secure but not glued down, so I could draw the outline of the cats onto the canvas (another technique would be to trace or use carbon paper but I chose this technique as it was quite simple and a carbon outline could be difficult to see on the shiny dark surfaces.)

7) Then I drew the outline with a permanent marker:

8) Then removed the paper drawing:

This is what it looked like:

9) Then I painted the cat silhouettes in silver:

10) And finally, I drew on the kitty faces and the spiral/love heart design to the bodies of the kitties using permanent markers:

Finito! Sending spiralkittylove out there to all those cat lovers!

Friday, May 11, 2012

ME Awareness Day

When in pain and exhaustion of an indescribable magnitude

It hurts too much to talk

But the comfort of your

Company is powerful.

May 12 is International ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) Awareness Day

Welcome to ByShi, Art by Shiloh!