Sunday, November 25, 2012

Birdman 8/30 and 4th Blogiversary

Birdman, collage/acrylic, 6 x 6
Elizabeth W. Seaver

Theodore was Birdman; Birdman was Theodore. There was no separating the two. Now he hangs upside down from this tree, and it must be said, grace and attentiveness during flight is not in his skill set.

Enthusiasm, yes. Zooming wildly about rescuing chicks fallen from the cradling nest, yes. A heart as big as all outdoors when protecting the weak and the undefended, absolutely yes. Which, if you think about it, are all very fine qualities. And if, several times each week, Theodore wrapped himself around a tree limb and had to be rescued, well, it went along with being Theodore.

Looming tree limbs are a normal part of life when you fly. It takes lots of courage to yell for help when you're beak down, cape over your head, skinny legs hanging on for dear life. You are never more vulnerable than then. But that is what friends are for: to support your removal from that tree, straighten your cape, brush off the leaves and twigs which have gotten stuck in your feathers and say encouraging things so you can fly fearlessly again. 
 
Go, Theodore, go!

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In other news, I cannot believe that I just blew by my fourth anniversary of starting this blog. I looked back at my first post about making tiny paintings on slate that had been removed from the roof of my church. Since then, I have painted enough slate in large and small pieces to roof a small building. I still find stacks of it in my garage and in my basement studio, and I took the last of the pins I made from it to Lorton this month for the gift shop there. So, there's a thread from past to present!
 
A creative life is essentially a solitary one. Most artists I know encounter deep pits of self-doubt and discouragement along with the heights of achieving something you never thought possible. If you stick it out, this roller coaster ride, the learning is incredible and such blessings emerge when you stop and look around. A blog is a historical document of your creative life, and sometimes even the personal one. It is proof that you stuck it out. It reminds you where you have been and how far you have come and that you CAN keep going because look what you have done so far. 

So, blog on, blogging friends. Thank you for coming with me. Thank you for taking me along on your journeys.

14 comments:

Barbara Muir said...

Congratulations Elizabeth. Four years -- so many lovely pieces of art, and amazing stories. Love this one -- the art and the story.

Beautiful art, and beautiful writing.

XO Barbara

Elizabeth Seaver said...

Hi, Barbara! You've been here since the beginning, so you've seen the good, the bad and the ugly. Thanks for hanging in and for being one of those generous, creative bloggers I talk about in my post.

Anna M. Branner said...

Happy Anniversary friend! You've helped straighten my cape many times. :)

Elizabeth Seaver said...

Well, ditto, Anna. You get the prize for my most faithful reader and commenter, I believe! Thanks for being there.

Sonia Aguiar said...

Hola Elizabeth :) En primer lugar felicitarte por tu cuarto aniversario en el mundo bloguer.
Estoy muy contenta de conocerte. Tus pinturas y todo lo que relatas es muy hermoso. Das ánimos de una manera generosa y sensible. ¡Gracias!
Un abrazo Sonia.

Vanessa Brantley Newton said...

Congrats, congrats, congrats to you!! This is such a lovely piece. I feel all the love and creativity that went into it. I love the colors. Thanks so much for your encouraging words. They mean so much!
V

Sadami said...

Dear Elizabeth,
Happy blogversary!! Your art work is beautiful and charming! Keep up your wonderful work. Thank you for visiting my blog.
Nest wishes, Sadami

RH Carpenter said...

Happy Bloggerversary, Elizabeth and here's hoping for many more :)

Elizabeth Seaver said...

Hola, Sonia! Thank you for your happy thoughts about my anniversary. And also for your kind words about my post. I hope you will be back!

Elizabeth Seaver said...

Vanessa! Thanks for your visit and kind words. I always look forward to your wonderful posting of artwork and encouragement.

Elizabeth Seaver said...

Hi, Sadami, I hope you will return as I will often to your lovely blog!

Elizabeth Seaver said...

Thanks so much, Rhonda!

Polly Birchall said...

Hi, I'm a newey to your blog, best wishes on your milestone. Luv your quirky work. If I'm feeling down just one look at your site will cheer me up. Look forward to following your characters and their stories.

Elizabeth Seaver said...

Hi, Polly! I'm so glad you found your way to my little corner of blogdom! Thank you for following and for leaving a comment!