SKETCHBOOK CIRCLE 1.11 DREAMS

BRAINSTORMING:

Throughout my life, I have always had a lot of nightmares when I sleep. I have a good imagination, but unfortunately it doesn’t rest while I’m sleeping, and sometimes I wake up quite exhausted as my dreams can feel very real.

At first I thought of possibly illustrating the most common dreams that people have in general, for example: teeth falling out; being naked in public; being chased; falling; etc. And the meanings of them. But then I don’t think I would’ve enjoyed making collages of my nightmares.

So for this prompt, I decided to focus more on what I would like my dreams to be like.

We lived in the same house for 20 years and it often features in my dreams. I loved that house: the big front door; the green ivy covering all the walls closing off the garden; the windows in the living room that stretched from floor to ceiling, making you feel like you’re sitting in the garden; the view of the ocean from my bedroom window; being able to hear the sound of the waves crashing at times; coming down the stairs, hearing all the voices in the living room… They were happy memories of when all my siblings and I were all still together.

Although our old house is not featuring in these collages, thinking about it helped to bring back happy memories of when I was younger, living by the seaside; having my own horse and going riding after school and on weekends; going out dancing with my siblings/ friends on a Saturday night.. Although at the time I didn’t realise it, now thinking back… we were so happy and free. Quite fortunate really. If only I knew back then that once it changes, we will never have that again.

I thought about songs that brought back memories from when I was younger, connecting them to things I loved in a dreamy way.

SONGS:

I decided on using the following songs as inspiration for my collages:

– Higher – Creed: I remember being a teenager and dancing to this song. Thinking back, it made me feel so free. I used to love dancing the night away, being twirled on the dance floor.. it felt like flying.. safe knowing your partner will “catch” you again.

– Wild Horses – Natasha Bedingfield: Although I didn’t listen to this song when I was a teenager, listening to it makes me remember the feeling of riding my horse by the seaside… feeling so happy and free, like I was flying.

– The Blower’s Daughter – Damien Rice: This song makes me think about: how things have changed; how I grew up by the seaside; how I used to be so free; how now as grown ups, I’m feeling like I’m just moving along; how time passes; chances missed; potential love side-stepped; still remembering the way a stranger looked at you like he’s never seen anything more beautiful; youth remembered, but not sustained…

I thought for this prompt I’d use photographs of the sky/ moon/ stars, to create a more dreamy effect.

https://www.diyphotography.net/nasa-makes-entire-media-library-publicly-accessible-copyright-free/

COMPLETED COLLAGES:

Inspired by the song: Wild Horses – Natasha Bedingfield

Inspired by the song: The Blower’s Daughter – Damien Rice

Inspired by the song: Higher – Creed

REFLECTION:

I loved this week’s sketchbook prompt. It felt like art therapy. I loved the combination of colours: different shades of blue & purple 🙂 If only my dreams were really as magical and dreamy as in my collages. Oh well…

NAME: Juanita du Toit

STUDENT NUMBER: 522438

COURSE: Illustration 1: Illustration Sketchbooks

The Open College of the Arts (University for the Creative Arts)