Oct 2, 2009

A day in the life of . . .

. . . me. I awoke to daughter's alarm at 5:15, hit my snooze until 6:30 knowing hubby would make sure everyone was up and going. I do this partly because the first thing I have to do when I get up is visit the bathroom and everybody needs the bathroom and with 5 people and two bathrooms, it is quite the rotation. So, I just stay in bed and cat nap and yell out every few minutes to make sure everyone is doing what they're supposed to be doing. A true pleasure of kids getting older is that they can get themselves dressed and fed and put together. But, after everyone is out of the bathrooms, I get up at 6:30 just to be sure everyone is going and has everything they need. When I got up today, hubby was still waiting for his turn for the bathroom and watching some documentary on a movie, famous I am sure, something about Flamingo. I was too sleepy to pay attention to the documentary but immediately had an art piece concept come to mind. Just like that, 6:30 this morning. I had the urge, the complete compulsion that cannot be denied as I have no self control whatsoever, to make what was in my head. So, even though my best intentions were to blog visit and catch up on emails and flickrs, I could not control the urge to start the piece, fully believing I would knock this out in a couple of hours and carry on with my intentions.

Well, 17 hours later, I just finished. This happens to me frequently. I get the main idea done and the main character but get hung up on the background, or borders, shoes or no shoes, crown or no crown, words or no words, background again, 5 different backgrounds printed, image searching to see if the "right" background just hasn't been purchased yet, no crown, a hat instead, no hat, nothing on the head, wait, what are other people putting on heads, more image searching, 45 pages of flickr collage searching, 200 some pages of Etsy collage looking, the flamingo I wanted to use only had one leg so had to "build" another one, . . . . in between I did manage to vacuum, dust, wash dishes, fold laundry and straighten up as son was having 4 guys over tonight to computer together. (Have you heard of LAN (Local Area Network) parties? It's when computer geeks (meant in the kindest of ways) swarm a house with their own computers and set them all up in one room and play these crazy intense games together for marathon hours. So I have four 18 and 19 year olds in my living room with massive computer gear and my electricity bill doubling every 5 minutes.) Anyway, the piece is done. My head is at peace. I can sleep (LAN party and all) . . . and tomorrow I will wake up and blog and flickr visit. Unless of course . . .

Being Flamingo


copyright by Marsha Jorgensen 10/2/09. All rights reserved. You may NOT copy, print, download or use this image in any way without my permission.
This is a 5 x 7 collage using a face from Landofenchantment.etsy.com, a body and crowns from keeperofthenest.etsy.com, and boots scanned from a catalog and altered. These pieces were reprinted, trimmed with scissors, and hand colored. The flamingo, flamingo wings, and grass are from Holliewood Studios at Oscraps.com and used with a commercial license. The main background was created using textures from flickr's moosebite and anwphotography. The checked border is from Crowabout.etsy.com.


(detail view)


copyright by Marsha Jorgensen 10/2/09. All rights reserved. You may NOT copy, print, download or use this image in any way without my permission.

I know . . . 17 hours on this. sigh

14 comments:

thekathrynwheel said...

17 hours well spent I'd say! I love flamingos - I used one once on a journal page to demonstrate Imposter Syndrome becasue they are not really pink! Beautiful work as always. (I'm a slow worker too - I envy these people who can just effortlessly throw a piece of art together in minutes!)

Elena Lai Etcheverry said...

i wish i could have spent the day crafting. i love this piece. love that it came to you like that. love all you do...

DMG said...

Wow, Marsha. That all I can say. Almost. This just blows me away: the subtle sunrise background, the colors, the priceless expression on her face, the flamingo in combat boots, for heaven's sakes! Your imagination took flight for sure during those 17 hours.

Nettie Edwards said...

This is cute, cute cute!!! I can really sympathise Marsha, it can take me serveral DAYS to get one piece done...moving bits of digital paper around the screen...blending...blending blending...unblending...but I'm not obsessive...honest!!!

yoborobo said...

You know what, we artist-types are just nuts! haha! But that being said, I LOVE her. Love love. And the words are perfect. You have my sympathy on the 17 hours. The other day (when I was supposed to be doing something else) I had a vision of a little doll, dropped everything and started working on her. I really resented having to stop and make DINNER!! LOL!!! Happy weekend, Marsha! xox Pam

Anonymous said...

Awesome read and lovely creative art.
Totally works! Beautiful!

Linda M. Cain said...

Simply beautiful!

Linda

Kim Mailhot said...

Can you honestly think of anything else that you would have rather spent 17 hours on ? You got the flamingo in you and she had to be expressed ! That is perfect !

Have you ever seen the movie Fanatsia (the Walt Disney movie) ? There is a magnificent scene in that movie about the Flamingo, dancing in the midst of all the other ballerinas, but she dances utterly and completely to her own tune and in her own pink/coral fantastic way. David and I saw that movie in IMAX on our first date and I was so taken by the flamingo andhow she just did her own thing, that I raved about it over and over on the way home. The next week, he brought me a large Beanie Baby pink stuffed Flamingo before our next date...Love it !!! She is still sitting on a shelf in the studio to this day - reminding me to dance and sing to my own tune whenever possible.
How is that for some Flamingo medicine ? May your weekend be full of it !

Kim Mailhot said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4H3icCCiXY

Check it out !!!

Terri Kahrs said...

17 hours and how many countless smiles at the results?!?!?!? You've certainly started my day with a big one! Love the "pink" - quite a departure for you Marsha, but I LOVE IT! This piece is full of joy. When the Muse speaks, you MUST listen! Hugs & Love, Terri xoxo

Leslie said...

I love the humor of this one! Well done!!

lilylovekin said...

Wonderful work, as always. Better 17 hours on this than anything else!!!

Lawendula said...

Great as always! :)

I am on with a new project:
Invitation to you:

Please check out: http://wovenletters.blogspot.com/2009/10/paper-swap.html

If you want to be in, please leave a comment on my blog, to make sure you won’t be forgotten. Thanks.

said...

Dare I say this is my favorite of all. I never was able to say that before because I love everything you do. Something about the innocence of children in this. And how the quote is just right - I can totally see a kid saying and doing this.