What if Elephants Could Fly

I am often amazed at just how diverse an artist life can be.  I can only speak for myself of course, but I always have a pretty long list of things I would like to paint or draw.  While I am retired from any real 8-5 employment positions, I still find that there are often times that I can go weeks before I am actually able to work on my own projects.  That is mostly because there is something taking my artistic attentions in another direction.

This week it has been all about flying elephants.  I know you think that I must be a bit crazy to be thinking of aerial pachyderms but my only daughter asked me to paint a special piece for her upcoming baby shower for her very first child.  There is no way I would not consider doing this commission piece.  What an honor to be asked to share just a little bit of my talent for this special occasion.  This little guy will be our eighth grandchild (we will have 6 grandsons and 2 granddaughters) and we are anxiously awaiting his arrival towards the end of November.

As my normal ritual, I first grab the pencils and pens and work out some concept ideas on paper before I crack open a new canvas.  Drawing the subject first helps you to understand and get a better idea of what your brushes will need to do in order to accomplish the composition you have in mind.  I guess it's a little like a road map.

Since my son-in-law is an active reservists with the Army and a Purple Heart recipient for injuries sustained in Afghanistan, I thought a touch of military flair might be to their liking.














She loved the concept but decided she preferred a more traditional elephant for the nursery art.  So back to the drawing board minus the Olive Drab Green and the AR15.  Trade those for a couple of cute stowaways and you get my final piece that I'm calling "Up, Up and Away".

With so much attention spent on this odd subject, I couldn't help myself but to jot down a few lines of a poem that kept rolling around in my head.  It's pretty silly stuff, but I hope you enjoy this little rhyme.
I have plenty of other crazy stuff and cool artwork on my website and you're welcome to come visit at JulieTownsendStudio.com.  Drop me a message and say "Hi" or let me know what you think.

WHEN ELEPHANTS FLY

By Julie Townsend

Have you ever stopped to consider how crazy this world would be if elephants could fly?
That would surely change the look and beauty of the overhead sky
I was just wondering if they would fly solo or in a herd like flock?
And just how many elephants would it take to darken the sun or completely block?

Now maybe I shouldn't even go here and you might say I’m crazy to even think
I mean just the thought of what I’m thinking makes me shiver and takes me to the brink
So where do I run and take cover when from up above the urge of nature calls?
Believe me I don’t want to be anywhere near when that stuff from the sky falls.

Creative Hyper-drive

My Journal Page

So I have a confession to make this morning....I'm in love the idea of artistic journaling for sometime.  That is where you keep a diary or journal but instead of just writing on the pages you use your creative or artistic skills to fill the pages with drawings, sketches and fancy fonts.  I belong to a Facebook group dedicated exclusively to this form of journaling and some of the posts are simply amazing.  The closed group is very large with over 20,000 members and many are so positive and encouraging that I love to share my sketching with them.  The conflict comes in because my sketching efforts are more to work out renderings for paintings or to come up with designs that I can use to matte and create a greeting card portfolio.  These sketches also don't necessarily meet the groups guidelines for posting because they are no longer inside a sketchpad.  Also, my own dear journal that I started almost 2 years ago sits on my drawing table untouched and not finished.

So yesterday the idea just hit me! I came up with the perfect solution to my conflict and I'm really excited about it.  I'm not sure why I didn't think of it sooner.  As I complete a sketch or painting, I am going to print out the artwork on a 4 x 6 card and attach it to a journal page.  Then I can add my thoughts about the piece, the date that it was completed and in this way I will fill my journal with pages that are especially interesting to me and create a fun portfolio of my work at the same time.  It's a win win in my book (Journal)!

So last night was my first entry using this format and low and behold I got so creative that I actually started writing a poem to go along with my "Resting Hummingbird" sketch.  This whole process got me so excited that I was formulating more poems for a couple of other sketches I have recently completed.  I was scribbling down a flood of ideas on a piece of scrap paper between brushing my teeth and and taking my vitamins.  If I hadn't been just drop down unconsciously tired, I might have filled several pages with madly scribbled pose.  Blow out the cobwebs!  My mind was in creative hyper-drive.

So don't you dare laugh at me but I decided I would share with you not only my journal page entry but my rough draft of the poem I wrote call "The Hummingbird Song".

            The Hummingbird Song
 The song you sing is hardly a song at all
I may not see you in the branches but I can hear your call
While the other birds fill the air with a melody so sweet
Your song is more like a sour off tune tweet
Or maybe it’s more like a chit, chee-dit or a chirp
To me it sounds more like the scolding I get when I loudly burp
 Not at all a pleasant sound to my ear
Rather it is more like I’m being scoffed and chided I fear
Makes me wonder how could one so cute, tiny and small
Have a disposition and attitude that's bigger than all?

Be sure and check out all my work on my website-Julie Townsend Studio