RISE

I had NO idea where this was going when I started it.  I was sitting outside of a dear friend, Rita's, studio on a breezy cool day, in the shade wondering where my pen would take me.  I drew the skeleton of the curve and the interior 'flares' and at first saw a person with a shawl of sorts.  I loved it.  And then I took it completely somewhere else.  And...I still love it!  I will admit I did not like this piece much while I was working on it, but I didn't want to set it aside.  I had a goal to finish a new piece before my show coming up in June, so this had to be it.

RISE.  

With about two square inches of empty paper left, it suddenly ALL made sense.  I knew the name, I saw what it was, and what I was trying to say with these lines.  What a relief after hours of working on something I didn't understand.  I think I even whimpered a little, with a small tear at being able to see what it was.

RISE.

Leading up to the completion were some fun conversations with friends about oh...the evolution of us as people - how we connect, how we grow, how we learn, how we become better, how we shed our skins of the past making shiny new skin while the inevitable wrinkles of time happen to us.  This involved the relevance of certain animals in our lives.  (Not your favorite pet that we're talking about).  But that animal of strength inside you that keeps popping up with significance when you need it most.  I recently have tried to attune myself to 'my animal'...I haven't gotten further than a Phoenix (which is fantasy) and dead squirrels.  Ha!  Then I was sitting down with my friend Greg and he picked up his mandolin and played a song that sounded much like Eddie Vedder's "Rise."  He played around with the song for a bit and we moved on in conversation.  Nothing significant really.  I finished the piece the next day, and when I told Greg the name, he sent me the lyrics of the song and it was an uncanny parallel to the drawing.  I love it when life just happens like that.  It's moments like that, that make being an active part of your life so amazing.  To be conscious, to be present, to be open, and to RISE up and see all the things around you that make everything happen right in front of you.  YOU play a part in that!!  Putting faith in something that at first glance is amazing, and then it looses it luster - but you stick with it and voila!

BTW:  check out Rita and Greg's work - they played a part in this and have an amazing collection of soul expression themselves!!
www.ritamarieross.com
www.gregdavisphotography.com

RISE!!

14"x 17"