Art Update with High Pressure

Sunday Doodle for June 8, 2014

The pressure of this move is really piling on. Combine that with the High Pressure outside (aka Summer heat) and it's even more fun. We should all be wearing party hats. And why does the "H" for High Pressure have to be in blue? I know there is some sort of Meteorological reason, but seriously, it should be red. My favorite weather pressure - Low Pressure should be in blue.


Anyway, I have found a new surge of motivation this weekend with what needs to be accomplished around the house with this move, and also art projects. 

However, while I feel there has been much accomplished, so much remains. I thought about making a list, but then I figured so much would be added to it and then I'd get depressed and discouraged.

This first art update is kind of free style concept that I've been brainstorming on for awhile. I'm not really sure it's finished.

An Enigmatic Mind...Copyright 2014 Jill Henrichsen

It's titled An Enigmatic Mind. It looks like with all the detail that it would be a large piece. However, it's rather small. Only 11x14. That's another reason it should have been finished sooner. 

There is clearly a lot of symbolism going on there and despite some of the obvious elements of the piece, it's not all melancholy and tragic. Hence the title.

It's no coincidence that An Enigmatic Mind contains various roses with the thorns. Sure, those two symbols used in art (and music...and writing...) may seem kind of overdone and cliche, but it's always meant a lot to me.  One of my first poignant poems I wrote when I was 17 contained the roses and thorns element, and it still remains an important poem to me to this day. And I'm not much of a poetry writer, so that is why it stays in mind with its importance. I also created an art piece from back then that contains that poem within it. That may be when I started using so many words and text within my art. Maybe I'll find that piece in storage in just a couple weeks when more of the garage is tackled.

Anyway,  I hope the different "enigmatic" reasons for the use of thorns and roses trumps the fact that they're overdone in general. In fact, another piece I completed this week contains a quote regarding roses and thorns, and it's a quote that I've been inspired by for quite some time.  Abraham Lincoln appears to be credited for saying it, but I cannot confirm it enough at this time to confidently provide him credit. However, I would love to give him credit! 

The original quote reads: We can complain because Rose Bushes Have Thorns...or we can Rejoice because Thorns Bushes have Roses.

Because Thorns Have Roses... Copyright 2014 Jill Henrichsen

While I am pleased with the imagery of this piece, I have issues with the way the lettering came out. Clearly, there is too much multi-tasking going on and it could have been done better.

I wanted to include some cute drawings that Alexander has done, but that will have to wait until next time. 

What I do have for this posting is an example of some fun little things we've found him doing as we're dealing wtih our moving messes and he's finding more ways to yes, make more messes, but also dazzle us with the high levels of "adorable" that makes it hard to grow too frustrated. 

This (right) is what we found him doing on the office floor with a black piece of poster board and some paper scraps. Yes, I crudely blurred out some other messes. A lot of packing and stuff is going on in the office. I don't prefer to save and post some of that for memory as I do the cute little "poster board" people that come out of the mess. 

Until next time.