ballerina

Dance with Your Heart

/ Jodi / 71 Comments

Dance with Your Heart Pink Ballerina 11×14 140lb Cold Press

Dance with your Heart.
Your feet will follow.

There is something so fun about painting ballerinas.

I came across this idea and painting demonstration by Julie Hyde that uses cling wrap to create an ethereal effect of movement to the ballerina’s skirt.

Using a wet on wet technique, you apply crinkled cling wrap to the wet paint.  After allowing it to dry thoroughly, when you lift the cling wrap, a beautiful texture is created.

I also bought a book by an artist I recently discovered  – Ann Blockley, called Experimental Landscapes in Watercolor.  She also uses cling wrap and salt and ink and other various techniques to create dramatic expressive and interpretive landscapes.  I’m looking forward to trying out some new ideas from that.

In the meantime, I hope you will dance….

with your heart, with paint, while baking, while working….

whatever it is you are doing.

And Cherish the Moments.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

 

As If I Were Dancing Myself…

/ Jodi / 72 Comments
Graceful Ballerina Watercolor 11x14 Saunders Cold Press

Graceful Ballerina Watercolor 11×14 Saunders Cold Press

As If I Were Dancing Myself…

I’ve always admired the delicate gracefulness of a ballerina…
As a little girl, I dreamed of being one myself.

I had a little jewelry box with a tiny ballerina that twirled to music when I opened it.
I wanted to be able to do that and look so delicate and graceful and beautiful.

But I wasn’t delicate or graceful or beautiful.
I was chubby and a bit clumsy and loud.

I tried tap and jazz and ballet classes,
but my mind and body didn’t cooperate with the rest of the dancers.

I was heavy-footed and exuberant and impatient.
When the rest of the class moved right, I moved left.

I continued to grow into being a “big girl” with a “pretty face.”
Just what every teenage girl wants to hear – right?!

I had short, wavy mousy-brown hair – with bangs no less –
when all I wanted was long, straight hair.

I had a full round face, and when I smiled or laughed,
I completely lost my eyes, which became tiny slits (still to this day!)

I had big feet –  a sturdy foundation Grandma claimed –
not delicate ballerina feet that could point and hold me up so gracefully.

A ballerina I was and am not,
but that is finally ok with me now.  (only took 50+ years!)

If I can’t be a ballerina,
I can paint one.

And I can feel the same delicate gracefulness
as if I were dancing myself.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

*Painting inspiration from Pinterest (no credit identified).  Three colors used:  Daniel Smith Neutral Tint, Azo Yellow, Alizarin Crimson.