- Written by: Susan
My children are actually 10 years apart (not evident in this painting) but to make it work, I brought them closer in age; the young girl is about 7 or 8, her brother 3 or 4. She is protective of him. He is spent, played hard, and has fallen off hard as children do when they rambunctiously race around the house, picking up a toy, discarding it, demanding another game, another mysterious question, seemingly endless in their quest for absorbing every detail of every moment, so perfectly able to live in the moment.
Flash forward. The Prequel.
I looked at the picture of my son and myself, obviously deep in sleep. Maybe one dreaming, maybe one not. Thinking back to a childhood without worries, there is just imagination, inquisitiveness and play. Adults lose this to a degree. We scramble around, often seeking something that is lost. We’re not sure how it got lost or where, or maybe even what it is, but children remind us of that need to dream.
"This may sound glib but it really bears repeating ~ hold fast to your dreams never let them go ~ we need every dreamer everywhere to let greatness flow."
from the lyrics "Where Dreams Take Us"
The brushwork is quite heavy in this painting. It is an early painting I did, trying to capture a perfect moment in time of familial love. I was trying to mold my children in real life. I was mirroring my emotion onto the canvas, trying to reinforce the premise that no matter the age, dreams are necessary; they propel us. We seek, we stumble, but in sleep there is respite, hopefully. With dreams that nurture and refresh our spirits, each day we can dream anew, ready for the next adventure, without cynicism, open to the possibilities that are hidden but ready to unfold and which will engage and delight us if we let our guard down. Children are the best teachers.
Where Dreams Take Us
- Written by: Susan
I want to live like the dove present in the moment, not worried about the future or past
Feathers unruffled all smooth and white, never afraid to perch... quickly take flight, take flight
CHORUS:
Holding my hand open would you come to me , give me the gift of your softness?
Just a morsel of food is all I have. It's all I have for you. Take it but stay...I need a friend
I want to be free like the dove able to soar at will ...watch you watch, as you hurry
Never envy you, no never. I'll just fly away... say goodbye
CHORUS:
I want to be pure like the dove, a symbol of peace; reach out my hand to you sincerely
Not see your imperfections, the need to change you to look like me... think like me... be like me
CHORUS:
i want to see another dove, be a family; not live alone always alone - birds stay together
So I'll stay by your side. We can still hunt for food or just...hang glide
REPEAT CHORUS:
Lyrics by: Susan Hanlon
The Dove