Bee Memories

April 20th, 2010

This is where I took the collage that I began in the video I posted last week. Much of the collage is covered, but some of it peeks through and provides a cool texture and layered look to the piece, which is appropriate considering it's all about a memory.

I was inspired to paint this after re-connecting with someone I went to preschool with. She shared some super funny memories of our time together, including the time we dumped an entire bottle of her mom's perfume on ourselves and her doll carriage, and another time when we put my mom's lipstick all over her face (and it wouldn't come off!) But the most vivid memory I have of the two of us was when we sat on a bench in the preschool playground that was a bit too close to a beehive and we both got stung, her on the knee and me on the finger. I have a film-strip memory of the whole thing in my head as if it was happening in slow motion. Funny how the mind works, isn't it? It sounds like a scary memory, but it isn't, just a surprisingly vivid one, embroidered into my brain. And when I reconnected with my old friend, who is now a mom of a small child, I got the idea to paint an image of this little story that is so rich in sensory memory of sight, sound, scent, and touch for me.

What strong sensory memories do you hold in your body? In what ways could you express them?

21 Responses

OOOh, I love this! Very nice, sweet, and yes, wonderfully textured. It has an innocence I love and would be a great illo for a children’s book.

Love the piece and love hearing your recollection of those childhood events. Our minds truly are amazing !
Bzzzzz-pic as my two year old niece Katie would say !
Happy Tuesday !

I thought the same thing as Mary..this looks like a children’s book illustration. Maybe it will develop into a whole storybook?

This is so sweet. You captured that sense of wonder and innocence, just before it all goes bad!

Yesterday I was smelling sweet clover. That always takes me immediately back to when I was a wee child and my father would take us fishing. Somehow I’ve connected the smell of the clover with the smell of this fish bate he used to make with Wheaties cereal and corn syrup!

I love how your feet dangle above the ground. ADORABLE!

This is so cute and has such personality.

The strongest sensory memories I cherish are of holding my daughters and grandchildren in my arms, most of all when napping sweetly. The innocence and sweetness of their adorable little personalities are always with me. To hear them breathing softly, to feel the softness of their tender bodies, to see before my eyes their pure beauty and their little “sleep smiles” – all are the sweetest of sensory memories. I have a 3 1/2 yr. old grandson who will still let me hold him gently for a short while and all those memories come flooding back as I look at him. Oh, the absolute beauty of little babies, angels sent to us from God!

What a wonderful picture of your memory Leah! I love that you take these fun moments in life and turn them into art. A real inspiration to me!

Quite a while ago I discovered an incredibly strong sensory memory. I was grown up and walked into a print shop for something for work and was completely overcome with emotion and memory of my childhood. The smell of inks and solvents of offset printing took me back to the hours and hours we spent as kids in my Dad’s print shop while my parents worked to get the business off the ground. While I was waiting for help I just stood there and breathed in the scent of my childhood and smiled. :) Incredible.

What a great picture…. it brings back memeories of playing with my friends Barbies, kick the can, hide-n-seek… fun times!

This turned out great! I’m surprised, I never thought back on the moments when I was little. . . I’ve got some thinking back to do! Thanks for sharing your memories with us.

Today I had a doctor’s appointment. As I was waiting in the lobby to be called back to a room, a young woman checked in. She had a guy with her who I assume was her boyfriend. They sat to my left and as I watched her fill out forms, I noticed the way he looked at her and leaned over to be closer to her. Something new was happening for the two of them, and it vibrated in the air between them.
I realized that it has been a LONG time since any of my senses have been stirred by another person like that. It made me sad, and I had to stop myself from crying right there in the middle of the medical office building.
I miss that feeling, how all of your senses get revved up by being close to someone you love. I want it back again.

Luv it!

Cute little painting :) Awesome work, thanks for the share!

Best,
Browneyed

oh how I love how you put all things together in one frame. I used to play with my mom’s cosmetics too, find out how does it feels wearing lipstick. In contrary now I rarely use it. hahahaha. Nice piece you got there :)

I love this piece of art and especially the story that goes with it. I really wish I had your talent. I can make pretty things but I seem incapable of drawing anything recognisable. Oh, no wait, that’s not true – I draw a pretty mean square. LOL. Guess I’ll just have to concentrate on my ability to tell stories. And continue to have fun with paint & doodles!

Kat :-)

What a wonderful story about friendship, bees and all. The painting is so precious.

Nice story and Art.

Today was a total sensory experience – we had a picnic with a very dear friend we haven’t seen in over a year, right next to Sydney Harbour: the light and shade under the towering Port Jackson Fig trees, the arch of the Harbour Bridge, the autumn leaves, the fluttering breeze, the aromas, flavours and textures of the picnic, the feeling of a really deep laugh. The scale of the trees arching over us reminded me of the sense of scale that nature gives you – amongst the towering city buildings as we drove into the City and up to the Observatory I felt diminished, but under the trees, even though they towered above and literally over us… they provided shelter and a more proper sense of dimension.
See http://www.flickr.com/photos/gramarye/132160948/ not my picture but “our” tree today.

I love this Leah! I especially enjoying watching your process and really noticing the collage poking through because of the experience of watching your video. I’m inspired to create my own videos. Great tip about using plastic wrap before closing the lid of the gel medium! I’m going to use that.

I remember as a child at bible school,the smell of kool-aid and the taste of the cookie.I don’t remember too much of my childhood but this is something I have on my mind often,we used to have little projects to color and create.I don’t know why I remember this but I do.I have never been stung by a bee,but if I did I might remember it.Ouch.

Cool story, Leah and I like how the painting turned out. Have you ever wanted to illustrate children’s books? You have a great style that would work well for that.

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