This post is my entry for @juliakponsford 's ArtExplosion Contest Week 29. I have not participated in this contest for many months. I think my last entry was probably in October, the month before I fell really sick. I decided to give this a go for the sake of fun and well they said, the more people participate, the merrier! The theme for this week is Awakening. What I like about this contest is we can interpret the theme as we please. It gives me the freedom to come out with something that is truly uniquely mine - my art, my opinion, and perspective. I love to read the other participants entries too because we all have so many different perspectives and ways to interpret the life around us.
The inspiration
When I think of the word "awakening", the first thing that comes to my mind is the state of being aware of something you completely ignored before. For me, the word awakening represents the state of freshness like you have been given another chance to start your life on a better path. It also means, when you are "awaken", you have been given the freedom to choose between two (or more) things.
I believe each and every one of us has encountered "awakening moments" in our life. I have experienced some of these moments, some are more profound than others. One of such moments was earlier on in my parenting journey. My daughter was about five months old at that time and she was very sick with diarrhea and my husband was away out of the country. I was totally alone caring for a very sick baby and I was so scared. She did get better after a few days but she did not make a complete recovery until three weeks later. When she was sick and I was alone, it dawned on me that this parenting gig is not for cowards. It's a challenging journey and you will probably alone most of the time trying to figure it out and doing your absolute best at the same time.
Another profound "awakening moment" I experienced was about 12 years ago when I decided to get baptized despite being a Christian since I was a baby. Prior to my baptism, I had a series of personal Bible studies with a couple of Christian friends that opened my eyes to the real truth of God. My life has not been the same ever since.
The painting
I chose blooming tulips as my subject matter for this theme. Why tulips? The tulips are just blooming and as you can see in the painting they are leaning towards the sun. They are awakened by the force of life and the warmth of the sun.
I used watercolor and watercolor pencils as the medium for this painting. I painted the background in blue before using my watercolor pencils to paint the flowers. Here are some of the progress photos:
Thank you for visiting! What do you think of this painting? Please leave your comments below.
My previous posts:
Daily Devotional | Why Job Remained Silent?
The Strange Lighthouse And My Memories
Stencil Watercolor Art | Mistakes and Regrets
Acrylic Painting | The Evil In All Of Us
A Year Younger | Today Is My Birthday!
I am selling some of my paintings over on Artfinder. Shipping is FREE worldwide. You can check them out here: ARTFINDER.
My gifts & merchandise available at REDBUBBLE (international), Printcious & CreativeUnited (Malaysia).
Thank you!
My avatar was illustrated by @pinstory
