A good painting to me has always been like a friend. It keeps me company, comforts and inspires.  

~Hedy Lamarr~

                                                       

i think this drawing will be my very best friend for a long while, since it is taking me like forever!!!

The Tire Swing

The Tire Swing   2012 (c) Kathryn Hansen

 

He gazed across
The wind-swept meadow
To a lone tree
Standing there

Its jagged, silhouette
Surrendered ‘neath
A sky more firey embered
Than his flaming hair
Which crowned him then

But it was neither tree nor sky
That stole his youthful eye.
It was the tire swing
Whispering, promising,
“With-me, you can fly!”

The boy lept across the meadow
Like a deer panting for water,
Till at last
He climbed aboard his dream.
His round, black, holed
Flying machine.

Then, holding tight,
And bending to and fro
With all his might
Began to drive
Began to glide against
The sinking sun
Till it was night outside

Across the starry littered sky
Beneath the moon’s soft lullaby
Ascending ever higher
Make believing
He’s a flyer,
He smiles,
As he tips a wing.
He is an aviator.
He is the sky king!
And all because of one,
Old tire swing.

Zach McClure

switzer falls and a new drawing!

i found a new highly enthusiastic hiking partner lately...my daughter Emily. the last time we went hiking (many, many years ago) her attitude was quite the opposite, using such phrases as "doesn't this place have any escalators?" no honey, there are only escalators in buildings! and over and over, "when will we be there?"

most of my hikes have no destination point...except this hike rewarded us with an intensely beautiful waterfall at the end! and maybe that made all the difference...or maybe it's the 4 years since!!

i just know that this was one of the most stunningly spectacular places i've ever hiked!! and i'm totally blessed that it's so close to home!!

 this is the start of a new drawing, inspired by the theme of "memories" for the brand 41 works on paper competition. when i was thinking of ideas for this theme, my mind flashed back to growing up in rural wisconsin...climbing trees, catching tadpoles, skates that had keys to adjust them, sailing homemade boats down a small creek that formed at spring time in our backyard! even tho we had a swing set and not a tire swing hanging from our old willow tree, this represents all those combined memories. so i am highly enjoying drawing this piece...it makes me feel very nostalgic!