They Caught the Wild Children

They Caught the Wild Children

​"They Caught the Wild Children" - oil on paper, 24 x 22.  Available here and at Artfinder.

They caught the wild children and put them in zoos,
They made them do sums and wear sensible shoes.

They put them to bed at the wrong time of day, And made them sit still when they wanted to play.

They scrubbed them with soap and they made them eat peas. They made them behave and say pardon and please.
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They took all their wisdom and wildness away.
That’s why there are none in the forests today.

 - Wild Child, by Jeanne Willis

It is April and this morning it snowed.

In the studio, the wild god continues to nudge and prod - there are directions I'm heading in which are mighty peculiar.   The inspirational can of worms has been opened and the horse is out of the barn.  I fall asleep visualizing brush strokes and color.  I awaken thinking of  composition and subjects, stories and themes.  Oh!

The A.I. bot and I are heading down the rabbit hole of fairytale and fantasy.  If only I could paint faster!  And yet, the whole point is to paint more slowly.  

Perhaps the morning snow is a message - slow down, Lola.  It's too soon to put away mittens and boots.  

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About the art:  beginning with an A.I. prompt "little red riding hood" and about three dozen resulting images, veering away from the prompt to capture just the wild child within the tale.  A rough sketch in colored pencil on toned Arches oil paper, then slowly capturing faces with layers of oil paint thinned with Liquin.  Drawing into the paint with a small brush laden with paint thinner and color, using broad arm gestures to avoid prissiness.

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Stay tuned for April's Reader Giveaway!  Wonder Mike and Lilly are busy selecting the prize - reader comments and entries begin next week!