Saturday 16 March 2013

Hare and the tortoise


Collage obsession




There is a lot to be said for perseverance, the ability to keep going even if things don't look too rosy was drummed into me from a very early age. I remember sitting at the kitchen table, maths homework in front of me with a sulky look on my face and being told by my father ' No one likes a quitter'. That's always stayed with me, and perseverance and determination are qualities which I greatly admire, not the standing on top of people to get where you want to be, but the quiet determination of the tortoise.
Collage obsessions challenge was to portray our favourite piece of children's literature and I have many!. The lion, witch and wardrobe, Anne of green gables, all of the Enid Blyton books ( I LOVed the famous five) although she seems to be unpolitical correct these days, but decided to illustrate the Hare and Tortoise in my Journal. It is mixed media and I experimented  using metal polish on some of the paper I collaged with to give it a distressed look. I'll write a post on my metal polish experiments soon, I'm still trying out different products and papers.

11 comments:

  1. I do believe I had the same sully face as a child regarding math homework!!!

    Your HARE and TORTOISE are just great....love the touch depth you created! Just adorable!

    Happy weekend.......

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    1. Thanks Jan, nice to know i wasn't the only one struggling with my maths homework :) hope you have a good weekend too.

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  2. I loved Enid Blyton books, too! What skill you display in your art. Lovely, lovely job! Metal polish? Oooh!xx

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    1. Than you Lizbethem, Did you prefer the secret seven or the famous five? I liked them all... Happy days :)

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  3. Your early guidance on sticking to it mirrors my own, and it's a good lesson to have imprinted on us. Your collage really brings the fable to life - i used to read all the Aesop fables time and again. Lovely collage ..... And can't wait to read what you do with the metal polish!

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  4. Morag, what a beautiful piece! There's so much color & texture. I enjoyed your post. I relate to the tortoise, too! (It's an excellent story with an excellent message)

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  5. It's funny revisiting things from when you were a kids, they're almost never quite as I remembered!! I love the tortoise and the hare as a lesson to push through when things might be difficult, but my kids weren't buying that the rabbit would take a nap. (I think I probably should have steered away from cartoon portrayals!!) I really like your collage, the way the tortoise seems to be minding the hare, but the hare is daydreaming.

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    1. I agree Cat, revisiting childhood is strange as our perspective is so different.

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  6. I can't wait to get back to the States and be able to buy things like metal polish...which I know nothing about. The Hare and the Tortoise...I do know and love. I'll have to ask my library science masters daughter about the Blyton books though! I love your collage.

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    1. Thanks Annie, I'm not sure Enid Blyton was that well known outside the UK. She wrote adventure books for Children. Usually they involved some sort of mystery. They were probably the 1930s equivalent to Scooby-doo now I think on it!! :) Glad it looks like you are finally moving Home.

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  7. This is lovely! I love the bright colours, the distressed texture and the way you let white areas show. The expressions of hare and tortoise are perfect! :)

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