Art Title: Looking Out The Window © Linda OlafsdottirVisit her website to see additional artwork.
The artist is from Iceland, but currently lives in San Francisco,
California, and specializes in children´s book illustrations in pencils,
ink, watercolors, oils and acrylics.
ink, watercolors, oils and acrylics.
Artwork used with permission from Linda Olafsdottir.
19 comments:
Nancy:
I believe what you said to be true. Strong mothers will make strong daughters and sons.
What a fabulous picture. Is it of a strong little girl who wants to grow up and be as strong as the parents that love her and she loves in return?
Love Renee
yes i know i am young
but i have worries too
i have
manners to learn
lessons to read
i have to
control the anger
mind the tongue
learn a dance
sing a song
respect the teaching elders
love those teasing friends
forgive the younger brother
offer respects to the older
and when there is so much to do
i can not leave my worries aside
but atleast in these learning times
this couch and the window are here by my side...
And Linda, saw your site, the sketches were so beautiful, particularly liked the simplicity of each of your pieces, marvellous!!
Keep the great work going!!
looking out the window
I ponder as I gaze
and wonder what the world will be like
when my children are my age
will we have made a change
will we be at peace
or will we just keep doing wrong
will the war never cease
looking out my window
upon the world I gaze
i hope that there will be peace
i hope that there will be change
by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
What a fabulous picture. I have to ask, "what is she looking at or what is she pondering?" The color and line are just delightful. Wonderful illustration.
THE EYES OF A CHILD
Gazing out through the window,
She looks lost, so it seems,
Imagination set loose,
Swept away in her dreams
In the eyes of a child,
There's a different view.
Of the old world around us,
To them, it's brand new
Our adult world now founders,
In despair, shame and greed
A visit to our childhood,
Might be just what we need.
A child is a treasure,
And from them we might learn
How to give and to care,
And get love in return
A shield of our prayers.
We must place over them
We must guard and protect,
Or our future looks dim
No thoughts should deceive them
In life they must trust
It's our duty to guide them,
Our most sacred trust
Hi Vanessa,
The poem is really nice..enjoyed reading. Thanks for sharing!!
That is such a compelling picture. I think we've all been that little girl at one time or another. Maybe we still are?
Lilly is a dreamy child. She baffles her parents when they notice her staring into space. Where is she?
Lilly is where tragic things happen, but the endings are always happy. Dragons breathe fire, but little girls tame them into toasting marshmallows. Girls fly in crazy swooping loops over spiky treetops, but manage to land safely on flowering fields.
Parents die in tragic, noble ways and little girls sniff bravely. You see, that would make the yelling and hitting stop.
That would sort of be a happy ending, wouldn’t it?
Sudharm, Vanessa...absolutely beautiful and well-expressed writing. My hat is off to you.
Dedicated to all children dealing with epilepsy.
(The squiggles are supposed to represent an
EEG. I wince every time I see a spike on the EEG when my daughter has her appointments...)
~~~~~~~^^^^Colours and lightening^^^^^~~~
And feelings of~~~~~^^^^^
^^^^^^^^^~~~~~~frightening~~~~~~^^~~^~~
~~^^^~~^^^~~^~^^^~^^^^~~And noises and static~~~^^^~^~^~^~^~^~~^~^~^~~~
- My focus erratic -
~^^^^^Quickening^^^^^~~~
^^^/\/\/\/\Deafening/\/\/\^^^^~~~~~
~/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ Storming/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
/\/\/\/\/\/\/ Advancing/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
Blazes of white\/\/\/\/\^^^^^/\/\/\/^^~~
~~~^^^/\/\/\/Undesired\/\/\/\\/\/\/\^^^^^^^^
/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\^^^/\/\^/\/\/\/\/\/^^^^^/\/\\^
/\/\/\/^^^^\/^\/\^~~~But entrancing~/\/\/\/^^
^^^/\/\/\/\~~\/\^/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/^^^^^^^/\/\/\^^/\/\/\/^^^/\/\/\/\\/\/^^^^^^^\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Closing the window, it's trapped in my brain/\/\/\/
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
\/\/\^^And I am trapped, too/\/\/\/\/\/^^\/\/\/
\/\//\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
\/^^^^^^^'Till the storm starts to wane^^^^^^^^^^~~
~^^^~~~When the colours and lights^^~~^~^~^~^^^~~~
^^~~~Fade away~~^^~~
^~~~Fade away~~~^~
~~~Then the window will open~~~
~~~And I can go play~~~~~~~~~~~
To me she looks like a little girl, a very intense little girl making plans on how she is going to play outside and with who.It's a great painting.
(poem by Therese L. Broderick of Albany, NY, USA)
THE LICENSE
Through his windshield, the driver sees only
a blue car ahead of him moving under
forty, far too slow for a man who's late for
three quick beers at McGreavey's Tavern.
He probably swears as he hits the horn,
startling the sophomore girl who is
learning the feel of her parents's Toyota.
She breaks, so he swerves like a wasp
around her, zags through the intersection
beyond a stop sign. Sitting beside her,
I see how my daughter lets go of
the wheel, pulls back from the sting
of learning, yet again, one month after
her boyfriend moved on to someone faster,
that innocence is the way to finish last.
Hi all,
I am so enjoying reading your thoughts about my illustration. Usually I draw and paint after I´m given the text, so it is really nice to see it the other way around, the text to my image. It is very inspiring to say the least!
I made this illustration last summer, using my 6 year old son as a reference. I often change him into a girl in my drawings, he always forgives me,...still. I started the illustration for a project I´m working on where there is a girl looking out an airplane window. She´s on an airplane for the first time and is amazed how the world looks so different from above. I was happy with my reference photo so I wanted to play with it and make a different kind of illustration without thinking too much about it, and this was the result.
Thank you all for writing about my image.
Hi Nancy:)
Love the picture today. I have no poem at the moment -- But wanted to say I really enjoy the "Music For the Soul" at the side -- nice addition:)
Now I can read poetry, feed the fish and listen to a beautiful song:)
And Meandering Michael -- if you come back to read the comments -- I really, really love your poem here. It is so moving and works so well in putting the reader in those shoes. Thank you for sharing.
Linda, I'm so glad you were able to read all the various comments, poems, and thoughts that were inspired by your artwork. And, your son is a great model:)
And, thanks to all of you for stopping by to share your thoughts and writing. (Michael: yours was very touching since I'm aware of your daughter's battle with epilepsy.)It is my personal belief that my visitors are the most creative and talented bunch of people in this blogosphere:)
And, Faith, I'm glad you enjoyed the music:) I thought it would be a nice addition (an idea I got from you and Sarah-Paige.) And, you changed your profile picture, again! I really liked your smiling face!
Vanessa, James and particularly Michael great effort!!
Nancy, thanks a lot again for providing an opportunity to get our brains ticking by your beautiful selection of pictures..
Faith, I come back to read what others have written every once in a while. Thanks for your comment (and for yours, Nancy!).
i love this image...!
I've been waiting by the window
Listening to the house purr
Feeling its warmth wrapped around me.
I'm watching the sun shine through the rain drops
on the glass
as they race down to the bottom and puddle.
Amazing concept.
Am new to the use of photos but it has sure sparked me up.
Gr8 wrk buddy
There is a window in my head
Yes,there is one deep down within
Coz i have made walls that are strong indeed
Coz i have my views powerful within
that voice my thoughts and say yes every time
Saw A man yesterday
wen gave a visitin to a temple as any other day
Have never believed god,never loved religion
Only thought that humanity is wat is needed
friendship is sumthin that keeps me serenaded
had a bunch of thoughts like the arrows in my queer
aimed relentlessly ,commented sarcastically
with anyone who even slightly tried to steer'
Fool I thought those who dint agree
with the views I had and the ideas that waded
Thought I was always right with my thinkin bright
Was encumbered by my view of world
Talked of helping talked of lending
Criticised politicians but never practised voting
Talked of helping old but never did any serving
Talked of uplifting children but never did any teaching
Talked a lot and talked a lot
and the only thing that i ever did was TALKING
And as i said before saw a man the other day
looked rich not even slightest sign of the scintillia poor
had got off from a car that boasted of a wide camradiere
Came to the steps and did something damn peculiar
Sat there with arms folded and opened shoes of people who serenaded
Found this strange found this stupid coz i was but stuck in my walls
looked at people through the only window that I had constructed
Coz was drowned in the views that I had myself enunciated
Came up laughed at his foolishness
Thought about the World's inadequacy
Felt that he was wasting his services
HE was wasting his time
for something that wud never do good to himself
nor to the worldpeace and nor any community
Coz I was but conditioned by my superrich ideology
Coz I was blinded by my perfect ideality
And then she told me
asked me the reason of my laugh
asked me the point of sarcasm
And then she told me to look
And peek I did
Peeked out of my walls
peeked through the window
which was dust ridden and dormant
And then I learnt to respect
Respect other people
the practises they did
the god they followed
although it seemed baseless
although it seemed useless but yes for someone it was the only thing
I was questioned by her
and for every question
the only answere that i uterred was but a silent drop of tear
Did I ever help anyone???
I said yes whenever i got a chance
Did I ever went out of the way to do so???
I said yes I have paid cash
Did I ever stand up for blind men???
I said yes I made them cross roads
Did I ever help old men???
I said yes I gave them place to sit in the bus
Were these the only things that I ever did
And then she said me
That my dear
The things you do any normal being would do
But when you talk so high
do you really rally the thoughts so high
and then i got the point
The point taht was blocked by my 4 walls
Looked through the window and looked back at the man
And then I thought yes
he too would be doing all that I was doing
he too wud be practising all
But he was oing one thing more
and that he was cleanin his self
and that he was cleaning his self
I still dont know whwther its right or wrong
I still dont know whether its useful enough
But there is 1 thing that I now know for sure
And that its his thing and I am no1 to jeer
Coz he aint harmin any one just doin plain things dear
Now i know thar all have a window and all have 4 walls
I have found my window and replastered my walls
Coz there is a big truth that still needs to be learnt
Coz there is a big truth that still needs to be learnt
Come peek thru the windows and respect other's walls
Widen your window and narrow your walls
HARSHA
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