ARTFUL JOURNEYS - Week #23 "Song Lyrics"

This week at Artful Journeys, our prompt for you is "song lyrics".  Working with song lyrics can be challenging, but I knew exactly where I wanted to go with this prompt...for once.

We have had a very wet spring in north Texas with a lot of flooding all over the state.  I don't know anyone who was complaining about the rain since we have not had any appreciable amount of water in the last 4-1/2 years.  I live on a beautiful lake about 65 miles east of Dallas, and sadly, everyone was mowing the coves. There were no boat ramps open, save for one over by the dam, which is about a 27 mile drive one way from my house.  All the prayers, rain dances and rain chanting must have paid off, because our lake is now full and the hottest part of the summer is on its way, and quite rapidly.  The City of Dallas owns the water rights to this lake, as it was impounded in 1961 as a primary watersource for the city.  They pump it out of our lake to a constant level lake in Rockwall, Texas, so as the rain subsides, and the heat comes on, we see the effects of supplying water to a major metropolitan area.  And it isn't just our lake.  Several in north Texas have the same issues we do, but for now, all the lakes are full, or over-full (some still at advanced flood stages), so we're not complaining. Fishermen are flocking to area lakes to finally get their boats in the water and try and catch some fish.  I too, am hopeful to add some nice bags of fish to my freezer again.  So wish me luck!

So back to song lyrics.  After my story above, we are very happy to see the sunshine.  Now in about a month when it is 105 degrees in the shade, we will be begging for a rain shower or a breeze or something to cool us off.  But for now, we're all happy campers!  And the theme of my song lyrics spread ... is, of course sunshine!

The background was created with Derwent Inktense blocks and baby wipes.  I used an old hymnal page to create the sun, colored also with Derwent Inktense in a dark yellow and then fussy cut out and adhered to the page with gel medium.  Outlines and "rays" with Inktense blocks and watercolor pencil. Lettering with a bold Signo Uniball pen.

The final result makes me happy.  I love working with yellow and orange shades.  And John Denver's song was just perfect.  He was a great songwriter who could make lyrics speak to your soul.

I hope there is a song out there that speaks to you this week.  Thanks for stopping by for a visit.  I can't wait to see all your creations!

Have a great week!

Betty aka Arty Auntie