Taking Off!

Posted bySarahPosted in#doodlewashMay2018, #WorldWatercolorGroup, Art, water colorTags:, , , , , , , , , , , ,

 

cranes
A pair of Eurasian cranes taking off (water color on paper; May 2018)

 

Today´s prompt for the May 2018 Art Challenge: Smile Makers! is “Birds” which fits my latest bird painting frenzy just perfectly. 😉

So today I painted this pair of Eurasian cranes just about to take off. I always find it quite  amusing to watch particularly those birds that need to take a long run-up because they look rather funny doing it and aren’t at all as elegant as when they finally are flying.

 

cranes detail 1
Cranes detail (water color on paper; May 2018)

 

The wild flapping of wings, the splashing of water – all these sounds that accompany their take off remind me of a bit of the warm up phase of an orchestra.

Sometimes in my dreams I can actually fly. Most of the times in those dreams the take off is always a huge effort and involves a lot of flapping with my arms (yep, no wings in my dreams which come to think of it is kind of weird), as does the whole flight.

But every so often my flying is more like swimming and much more effortless and elegant in that case.

I have to admit I quite like being able to fly in my dreams. Do you fly in your dreams? And if so, how does it look or feel to you?

 

cranes detail 2
Cranes detail (water color on paper; May 2018)

 

 

Published by Sarah

Artist & Illustrator

56 thoughts on “Taking Off!”

  1. I used to fly in my dreams when I was a kid. It was the only way for me to escape the monsters. I don’t fly no more unfortunately, but that’s probably because the monsters are long gone, which is a good thing. Beautiful artwork, really beautiful.

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    1. That´s definitely a good thing that there´s no need for you anymore to fly away from monsters. I occasionally do it still, but less often than when I was a kid.
      And thanks so much for your lovely words about my painting, dear friend! xoxo ❤

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  2. A painting full of energy and fluster of the cranes as they strain to take off … it’s almost as if watching a film of them! Happy Observing and Painting, my friend! Hugs ❤️🌺 xx

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    1. Thanks very much, Annika! I´ve actually watched a documentary about cranes a week or so before I did the painting! LOL! Happy writing, my friend! xx ❤ 🙂

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  4. These drawings are absolutely gorgeous. If I was an artist like you, I’d have them framed and on the walls of my home! (And on a gallery, of course). :-0 I LOVE to fly in my dreams, but haven’t done so in quite a while. I’ve flown standing straight up in the air (rather awkward, but I did get from place to place) and once I flew in a bath tub. Nothing as elegant as your gawky but gorgeous cranes.

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    1. Thanks so much, Pam! I actually do frame some of my paintings, it´s like a little gallery at my home with alternating exhibitions – lol! 😉
      I´ve just had another dream in which I was flying and it was this time like you´ve described it: standing upright in the air and more like gliding of floating, but it was awesome anyway (and much less strenuous than usual!).
      Have a beautiful weekend! ❤

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  5. That’s brilliant Sarah! I don’t remember flying in my dreams but I’d love to fly. In fact, i’ve always wanted a magic carpet that would transport me anywhere in a flash!! Now that would be something! LOL 🙂 xx

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    1. Thanks so much, Gill! I just had another flying dream last night and it wasn’t even difficult this time, more like gliding through the air! Much too short though. 😉 The carpet thing would be awesome too!! Happy Friday and a lovely weekend! xx

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    1. It’s an amazing sight, right? And whenever I look at my painting I hear the roadrunner “meep meep”-ing! 😂 Thanks so much for your lovely visit and comment! Happy Friday! 💕

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  7. I used to dream I flew when I was a child but not anymore. Gosh I wish I could watch you make your beautiful watercolor pictures! It is so fascinating to people that can’t create anything when it comes to art!

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  8. Beautiful drawings and so realistic! I don’t dream as my sleep is not deep enough most nights. Still working on that. Never flown in a dream if I had one. That could be fun. Have a wonderfilled day.

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    1. Thanks so much, Marlene! Most of my dreams I don’t even remember but flying is something special. Hope you’ll have one of these dreams one night, it’s wonderful. Have a beautiful day!

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  9. Those are beautiful. They have an Asian flair to them that I love. And yes to flying dreams! I used to have them a lot and then went about 10 years without one until about a month ago. It wasn’t easy. I had to hold a floating “disc” to get off the ground, but it was a wonderful feeling. 🙂

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    1. Thanks so much, Diana! Ooh! I like that sound of the flowing disc that helped you fly in your dream. I’m sure it would just fit perfectly in one of your stories. 😉

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    1. Thanks so much, Jacqui! Oil paintings are wonderful of course and I love how I can work with it – it’s much more forgiving, you can almost always repair any faults in the painting – but water color has its own beauty and I’m currently very happy to work with it. 😊

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  12. Lovely paint works! Taking off and landing are the difficult parts of flight. Taking off take a lot of energy to get air lift. If you like flying you can try flying a remote control drone or a remote control air plane. They are fun. Although you are not in them but I think you get the feel of excitement for the whole time – taking off and landing are breath taking.

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    1. Thank you! I think I really will have to try out these remote control air planes – they sound like much fun! I remeber thousands of paper planes built in my childhood and the effort it took to make them as sleek and powerful as possible.

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      1. Ah! You like paper planes too!. I loved making paper planes when I was young too. It was so cool to launch it when I was up high in a stadium watching games. The planes flew far a way than you would be able to do when you were on the ground.

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  13. I sometimes fly in my dream, it feels like being free and powerful but I don’t have wings and I don’t take off I just fly, and am able to go anywhere I want … Great painting, they remind me of swans, their legs are not pretty as the rest of their bodies

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    1. Thank you very much, Miriam! This makes me think that there’s got to be something in each our life’s we are good at even if the beginnings might have been funny too. 😉

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  15. You captured the dynamics of the take-off in your water colour very well. I used to fly in my dreams when I was a small child. Some how I lost this ability to fly without wings. Haha!

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  16. Beautiful water colors, Sarah. The cranes look exactly like the ones I see every day gliding across the lake behind our
    house. I don’t think I have ever dreamt I was flying, but how fun it would be if we could. We could visit in person whenever we felt like it. ❤️

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    1. Thanks so much, Jill! Being able to fly and visit each other in person would indeed be just awesome! Maybe one day with a little help of an aeroplane. 😉❤

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  17. You have captured the slightly ungainly take-off perfectly, Sarah. Most of Texas is on a migratory path and endangered Whooping Cranes visit in the winter. They look so perfect when standing still – beautiful birds as is your art.

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      2. Aww – thank you so much, Kerry! Now you’ve made me blush! 😄❤
        Just rewatched some GoT today and had to think of you when I saw Cercei! 😉🐲

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      4. I look forward to read about it!! 😊 Somehow I love reading about your hair adventures, probably because I never do anything to mine except wash it. Lol! 😂

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  19. Oh wow, fantastic painting, Sarah. I just love it. Yes, I have flying dreams too. I don’t have wings either. In my dreams, I often have trouble taking off. Frequently in these dreams I am being pursued or trapped, but I just fly away. I am much less stressed these days, so I have fewer of these type of dreams. In real life, if I need a break from my troubles, I usually stick to car trips now. 🙂

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    1. Thanks so much, Tracy!
      I think in those dreams the trigger is also being pursued but then I merely focus on the flying sensation and enjoy it – which is usually the point when I wake up because I realize that I´m dreaming. 😉 Wouldn’t it be lovely if we really could fly like though?

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  21. Amazing paintings, Sarah, and quite stunning with the details and colors. I know I’ve dreamed of flying before, but I don’t remember specifics of the dreams. Wouldn’t it be awesome if we could, though? 🙂 Lovely work, as always, my friend. Wishing you a terrific Tuesday! 💗🦅🦆😀

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    1. Thank you very much, Lauren! It would be super awesome if we could fly for real!! I´m always the tiniest bit envious when I watch birds fly. 😉 Maybe that´s the Peter Pan syndrome (though I think that´s actually something else and I will look it up now! – Okay, just did, and it´s definitely something entirely else! LOL! 😀 )
      Have a beautiful Tuesday too, dear friend! xoxo ❤

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