2021 Topic 4 Free (yourself) to Fly with Lynne Perrella {by Keren Baker}

 2021 Topic 4: Free to Fly

A really thoughtful creation from Keren today. She's used words to show fragility that we may not perhaps realise is there, and I love how the wings signify both strength and fragility. We all feel like we've been through a tumbled glass machine in the past year and this reminds us not to judge, but to be there to support and help each other where we can. It's beautiful!
~ Leandra

Hi everyone, it's Keren Baker with you today, and I'd like to share with you a reflective piece of art about using words to free people to fly. 

Increasingly I'm enjoying using art to extend my thought processes and I had been musing about how people are at different stages and how using words and support can aid people to fly again or 'fly' onto their next step. Once I had the basic idea, I looked for images that might tie in with the theme. These two Lynne Perrella sets LPC034 and LPC030 appealed to me; firstly because the women could have integrated wings and also because the pen on the second set was both representational of words plus would be the perfect branch for the butterfly girls to hover near or rest upon.

Next I needed to choose some wings. I needed some straight strong ones, some damaged wings and something to signify other people helping them. But before that, I'll talk about the background. Trying to tie it in with the theme, I thought I'd use an image to represent a support network. I decided that honeycomb was perfect; strength with lots of small unified pieces. France Papillon's FP005 would do double duty for the 'helping hands' too. I wanted to dig out my mica powders and so stamped them in Versamark and then just circular brushed different colours onto it.

Such a blast from the past, but it gave the piece a lovely subtle background a really gorgeous sheen.

The images are all coloured in with alcohol markers. Here's how the butterfly girls got their wings;

She's the mostly together person (I'll call her she, but she could easily be signifying a male too). She has strong wings and just needs kind words, affirming words and perhaps a few wise ones spoken over her. But is she strong? She looks it from the outside, but see the word to her left? Unsettled. We never know how much the 'put together' people need help. I used the Ink & The Dog sets Petals 6 and Words 3. (I spent a ridiculous amount of time working out where 'unsettled' came from!!)

The next butterfly girl is one who's flagging. Her wings are worn and nearly down to the skeleton. She really needs some extra support and helpful words, reassurance and timely truths. Courtney Franich's ECF05 had leaves that would make fabulous worn wings.

 

The last lady needs full on support; physical help, hugs and more. The sort of help many of have both missed and been unable to give recently. The bees from France's set signify how someone needs help to fly, and I gave the bees words too. It's often words that can both destroy or give freedom/permission to move on.

All the words come from the I&D Words 3 set. They aren't encouraging. I really could have done to have a relevant set from Alison Bomber! But what they are doing, are being linked together as words are spoken and they provide a connecting and fortifying link. Sometimes it doesn't matter what people say, it's the fact that they're seeing your distress and are speaking kindness to you.

I've not created anything difficult or complex, but just a piece that allows me to be reflective.

Perhaps it's time to get my empty new art journal out and start to record my thoughts. Creating something that reflects my state of mind is so therapeutic and I thoroughly recommend creating just for the sake of it! 

Hope you have a chance to use your words today to free someone to fly, or momentarily escape from their stressful situation or maybe distract them from their difficult inner thoughts.

Keren x

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