I started this one in the early days of the pandemic. It is both a very personal and universal painting (I hope) . I didn’t intend for it to go here. It was supposed to be a simpler painting of an abandoned house. The child and the balloon were spontaneous, and demanded to be added. So I took the risk. The first time I stepped back from it after painting in the balloon, I teared up. It reached into both my deep past and the present.
The lives we knew are gone, the future is likely to look a little different. We are making memories right now, for some nightmares, for others, a time to reflect.
Although it is important to stay positive, it is OK to feel sad or scared from time to time. Be in the moment, no matter what it brings. Hang in there and look for the joy.
I’d love to know what this painting makes you feel? Makes you think?
The juxtaposition between young and old (then and now) is a perfect reflection of our times.
Things certainly have changed for us all.
On a personal note I(we) have left Ontario and are now in a
small town in Nova Scotia
Be safe my friend .
Thanks so much Alan. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you’re enjoying your new home!
Hi
Your painting has captured the moment very well. At this historic time and as things change one way or another, it really does say it. I am trying to stay positive but if I think about your image too long it will make me sad at the same time there is great joy on the creative side for your creativity , so thank you for sharing it, well done. I will focus on the creative part of the message.
Thanks Ralph. The creativity has been an outlet for anxiety for sure and that is very positive! Do focus on what you need. And thanks for commenting.
I feel a sadness when viewing this, and that is okay. Art connects us to emotions in mysterious ways. Kudos Michelle, I love it.
Thanks, Barb. We need to grieve what was before can truly move on, right?
The colour of the balloon ,red, ( happiness , a birthday ,perhaps a celebration).. But Sadness takes over as the balloon gets loose and floats away.
But as it glides over the house , perhaps it will be seen by someone who needs to see the balloon and it may bring happy thoughts and memories …
But what about the House the balloon floats over in the painting? . Who will see it and what will it mean to them ?
Perhaps I have been housebound too long ?
What a beautiful interpretation. Your hope is inspiring, thanks, Donna!
I love this painting Michelle. It makes me feel a bit curious. I know when I’ve released a balloon before, I’ve wondered about it’s journey, how far it’ll go and where it will land. Such is life right now.
Glad you’re painting and sharing it with us. I’ve always loved your work.
Thanks so much Roxanne. Curiosity about where it will go – so true! I’m a fan of yours too. I got to see your MAC show online – breathtaking!
I love that you have had this burst of creativity! Good things will come out of this time we are all living through. Your painting is really wonderful Michelle!!
Thanks, Anita! I’m asking questions and looking for more from my work. I wasn’t sure how to do that before, so yes, I think that might be my gift from this difficult time.
So lovely! Great passion is vital in art and creativity, you need to be moved.
Be safe and well.
Thanks, Al. Yes we do. Loving your woodwork. I hope you’re keeping busy with that.
It makes me feel wistful. Odd that I was mentioning to George the other day about the first time I watched a much treasured balloon escaping from me into the Florida sky and the sense of confusion and loss in my four-year-old self. Such a small yet profound thing. ‘But I want it back!’ I said, to my mother’s matter-of-fact ‘It’s gone. And no, you can’t have another.’ You can always get another balloon, but it’s never the same as the one you’ve lost, that connection to innocent delight. I’m pretty sure that marks my first experience of transience, and that sense that one should never get too attached has been with me ever since, with greater and lesser degrees of acceptance. I don’t know if that has helped me with this current period of uncertainty, but it certainly hasn’t stopped me from feeling sad, and just a little worn.
Wow… funny how synchronicity works and how we make connections. Such a profound lesson for a child and beautifully told. You are a wonderful writer.
I feel much the same as you. I know what you mean about degrees of acceptance and I’m beginning to think the ebb and flow are as much a part of the lesson. We have to grieve before we can move forward. I feel I’m somewhere in those stages of grief, in ebb and flow. Anxiety and sadness. And sometimes I’m awash with joy and gratitude in a moment when the world falls away into birdsong.
Thanks for your comment, Steph!
I absolutely love this! I can feel it, the rustic of the house, the smooth squeaky feel of the balloon and the warm air it is floating on against the child’s arm. From the ruins, we will rise….
What a wonderful interpretation! Thanks, Jennifer. It means a lot to see it here.
makes me think of journeys into the unknown and wishes 🙂
Gets the imagination going! Thanks, Jen!
I love that you placed the balloon so far up that it truly has been lost…. as well as set free. I see slight sadness in the painting as a whole but find joy in just looking at the balloon alone in the sky. It reminds me that it takes strength and courage to let things be as they are and to let things go. To remain unattached to the physical beauties of this world to supply me with happiness knowing that they are fleeting and will not last. So instead of hanging on to the balloon forever, let it go when it no longer brings you happiness so you are open to receive the next happy experience that is ment especially for you. Reminds me too of Banski’s red balloon….I wonder what would have happened if he put the balloon a few feet out of reach instead of where everyone could grab the string….
Thank you Michelle, it has been wonderful to think creatively this morning.
Letting go in order to allow new things in, is such a great way to see this. I love it. I truly feel that is so relevant right now. You know I thought of Banksy’s recent painting after I finished. It must have reached in and lost itself in my subconscious. It’s a good question though. His balloon is shaped like a heart. I like to think he is hoping we will choose not to let it go, grab the string and not let love go. Similar metaphors, so many different ways to see it. Thanks so much, Kathy, for the thought provoking comment!