March 06th, 2019

We see not only with our eyes but with all that we are and all that our culture is.
--Dorothea Lange

I did a little painting and asked people what they saw in it. Many saw what I thought I painted--a joyful, playful image of children dancing with trees--but many did not! As I work to illustrate for children, this is very valuable information. Here are some of what people saw:
The Background:
*"Why is the forest on fire?" The color is "hot, sun-like."
*"Joyful and playful."
*"A weird color."
*"The pink and yellow sky add to the bright energy."
The Trees:
*"Look ghostly", "like monsters."
*"Invite us to join in their warm, deep, soft, free and joyful world..."
*"Need to have more bark color and texture."
*"The tree on the right is scary."
*"Are trying hard but stressed."
The Children:
*"Good colors"
*"Faces give more dimension to the children,"
Some people saw hope and joy, others saw sadness and the tragedy of climate change and our disconnect with nature.
So, I definitely need to work on this some more. First I did some experimenting with colors. I did 6 drafts, painted copies on plain copy paper.
I still need to work on the trees and give the child on the left a face, so back to the drawing board!
Your suggestions and comments are always appreciated.

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