30 Paintings in 30 Days - Day Twenty-Eight

"Golden Slumbers" - acrylic on canvas paper, 16" x 20"

Day 28!  Today's piece was inspired by the suggestion I paint a "sleep fairy"...and of course, being who I am, the first thought that came to my mind was a pink elephant.  What better way to fall asleep than to be gently rocked by a pastel pachyderm?  All while gazing at (of course) a golden moon. The title comes from a Beatles song, which was itself inspired by prose written in the 1600s.  This piece met my goal of 90% without paintbrushes.  I am become more confident with the palette knife every day.

Sleep has been a topic in our home for years.  I am the lightest of sleepers.  My husband can sleep through a herd of pink elephants trumpeting Beethoven's 5th Symphony.  My dad is an intermittent sleeper, sometimes accumulating 8 hours a night for weeks, then running a deficit after several 2-4 hour nights.  I need 8-9 hours to feel human.  My husband thrives on 5 or 6  (yes, I have sleep envy).

The science of sleep is extensive.  There are sleep doctors and sleep clinics.  Sleep aids and sleep hygiene.  And one thing I know for sure - sleep is an elusive mistress.  The more we pursue her, the faster she runs away.  And I used to panic when I couldn't sleep all night.  Which made sleep run off to Katmandu for the next few nights and leave me stranded.  

I know now that my body will sleep when it wants to, even if it doesn't agree with my brain's assessment of the situation.  And those sleepless nights sometimes shake up my routine enough to create new thought patterns in my brain, new ways of looking at old stuff, and sometimes even epiphanies at 3 am.  Of course, there is no one to share my aha moments with at that time of morning...

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THIS PIECE ON ETSY

​Today's Adoption Event:

"Hummingly" - pen and ink on watercolor paper, 13" x 13" (framed behind glass)

This little love has been a tremendous success in prints!  And yet the sweet original is still waiting to perch in his forever home.   Maybe he was just waiting for you?  It makes my heart sing  when someone connects personally with one of my little creations.  Iit is just like Harry Potter - "the wand chooses the wizard", and art chooses its collector.  Hummingly will never leave droppings on your head when you pass underneath him...and he is a quiet little thing, the perfect companion when you're curled up on the sofa with your tea and a book.

Adoption fee: $35 (includes shipping).  Contact Jen at mailto:imajenation@gmail.com to make adoption arrangements.