BF 2013 These Walls I Built Up

These Walls I Built Up, Mixed Media on Watercolour Paper, 38cm x 56cm

Sometimes you hear a new song and you connect to it and it changes things for you. I recently bought the new album by Australian artist Tina Arena called Reset and I love the second track called Still Running.  This song has got me out walking this week, made me happier and helped me create this new girlie painting. The lyrics are not available on the internet but I will post them below and to hear the song you will have to visit iTunes as there is no YouTube video clip for it yet.

One reason I connected to this song was in relation to the Brave Girls Club Soul Comfort e-course I'm doing - we've been discussing how we use our time and how we need to set boundaries with people esp those who take our emotional energy and use our time. With some people I need to build up a wall and only let them in when I have time and emotional energy for them. Be more assertive with some people and not so much of a people pleaser.

My BFF told me to put up an invisible wall when people speak hurtful words to me - let the words hit the wall and drop to the ground, if I pick them up and let them hurt me then that's my choice.

The song quote reminds me of this quote by Socrates, which is probably the opposite in meaning to the above song - Sometimes you put walls up not to keep people out, but to see who cares enough to break them down.

I haven't created any girlie paintings for about a year now so I was a little rusty.  And when I do created them they are usually just for me, to let some emotions out and they are always a challenge.

Here are the evolution pics:

After using the brayer to roll on some paint (fig 3), I glued on some paper napkins (fig 4). Then I stencilled on the wall (fig 5) and added more hair and wall (fig 6). Then I glued on some poppy paper napkins for the clothes (fig 7) then touched her hair and the background colour (fig 8).  I used pixlr.com to write the words on!!!

Still Running - Tina Arena

Looking back at the life I've been given

Has got me puzzled how I lost control

When your hearts screaming words like just leave it

But I was broken with nowhere to go

Setting fire to the hurt and the reasons

I played a part and my role was a fool

Didn't know I was trapped in believing 

to know this game was just all about you

You took my freedom but I'm still running

You tore my heart out but it's still beating

You stole my beauty but I'm still glowing

These walls I built up you can climb no more

As I reflect on the things that have happened

Here are the scars that I'm left to erase

If it's your story then run with the millions

And never give up on this mindless pace

Setting fire to the hurt and the reason

I played a part and my role was a fool

Didn't know I was trapped in believing 

to know this game was just all about you

You took my freedom but I'm still running

You tore my heart out but it's still beating

You stole my beauty but I'm still glowing

These walls I built up you can climb no more

This is the first song released from the album - You Set Fire to My Life - which I love and makes me think of my husband...

 Have you connected to any songs lately?