Illustration Friday - Play

I bet with every Wind that blew
Till Nature in chagrin
Employed a Fact to visit me
And scuttle my Balloon --

- Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886)

These are the pages I did for Beth Berst's Journeys Book, The Story of the Cadmium Yellow Balloon. The theme of her book is playful; there is a yellow balloon, and where it goes and what it does it up to each artist who continues its journey each month. Although this topic seems lighthearted, it's also metaphorical. Our own lives, like the "life" of a balloon, are subject to so many variables. Beth puts it so well in her description of the book: "A balloon can be fragile, just like people. A balloon floating in the sky can easily change its path, just like our own lives. One minute you are simply floating along, and suddenly stormy weather can disrupt your life. Or the winds change and you find yourself in a whole new direction. Life is uncertain. Just like the trip of a balloon."

I wanted my balloon to soar freely over beautiful open land, and as the wind played with its path, it would attract the attention of a goldfinch who was building her nest. She'd see the string as a perfect piece to weave in among the twigs and bits of feather and leaves, and the balloon itself would mark the nest and stand guard over her chicks. I'm hoping that when the baby birds leave their nest, my balloon will be once again be released into the air to continue its marvelous journey...

(micron pen/watercolor)