Canvas Project Finished

Hi Friends -  You may remember the poem I posted for a canvas project I began working on. click here.

Well, I got around to finishing it and wanted to share the end product with you!  I took a few more pictures than I usually do, just to show you more of the details on this one.  I brought the stick back with me from Washington DC (yes, really) and that was the finishing touch!

First I Mod Podged a sheet of the 12x12 paper to a canvas.  Then I fussy cut out of  a second sheet the three bird houses, the roses in the corner, and the hexagon shapes on the paper.  I pop-dotted them onto the sheet on the canvas and added some pearl accents and some Prima flowers.  I then printed off the poem on velum and adhered it to the sheet.  I used Tim Holtz's bird cage die and bird, hung some crystals from the bird house, and glued my stick down. 

I die cut the birds out of an old hymnal book and colored them with a Tim Holtz broken china colored ink pad.  A small black pearl gives the bird an eye.

I had a lot of fun making this canvas, and because it is for me, I didn't stress like I usually do when giving it for a gift.  I really love this poem and am glad I will have this for myself.

I am pretty happy with it - and am glad it is finally completed.  Hope you feel it was worth the wait.  (I'm sure many of you forgot about it...come on...you can be honest!)

Thanks for letting me share my canvas and taking an interest in my creations - it really means a lot to me. 

I hope you had a great 4th of July and celebrated in a way that made you happy :)

Until next Tuesday -

Fondly,

Sharon



 

A Poem From A Forthcoming Project

Happy Tuesday!  So, I have found a bit of my creativity.  It has decided to make its reappearance in very limited doses, but I am not complaining.  It is coming back in a very interesting way.

I was walking around my favorite, local scrapbooking store and came across a sheet of paper I had always liked and never bought.  The paper made me think of some wood embellishments I had that would go perfectly.  My mind then went to a favorite poem, that when posted on the paper, and the paper mounted on a canvas, would make for a project that I could keep for myself and love.

So today I am going to share with you that poem, as it might not be readable when the project is completed.

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings
By Maya Angelou

The free bird leaps
on the back of the wind
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wings
in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks
down his narrow cage
can seldom see through
his bars of rage
his winds are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings
with fearful trill
of the things unknown
bur longed for still
and is tune is heard
on the distant hillfor the caged bird
sings of freedom

The free bird thinks of another breeze
an the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn
and he names the sky his own.

But a cages bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing

The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.


I know that poems are interpreted differently by each person, and I know parts of this sound quite dark.  I am hoping you see and feel the hope I feel when I read this and how sometimes it takes things being not quite perfect in life to help one realize their gifts and talents. (that uplifting thought brought to you courtesy of my wonderful therapist whom I spent one and one half hours with this morning....)

I'll keep working on the canvas and share next Tuesday.

Fondly,

Sharon