Phase 1

Okay ...so here is the low down on how this will work. My project , as you have probably read, is a painting of "The tree of life".

[Tree of life]

-This is a painting that was created in Egypt , about the time when the Greeks and Romans were beginning to heavily influence the Egyptian culture.

- The tree is a symbol of life. It stands tall , just as we do in life. On the tree, among branches birds and leaves there are 5 birds. each bird has a different time frame for the life of a person , or creature.

{Grey bird} This is the first bird on the tree. It is the lowest bird in the tree as well. This bird stands for infancy. It is generally small in size and grayish blueish in color.

{red bird} The second bird on the tree. It is placed right above the gray bird. The red bird is slightly bigger than the gray bird. Something else about the red bird , it's head is slightly angled up, to symbolize the beginning of thought, seeing as this bird stands for childhood.

{ Green bird} The green bird is the bird that stands for adolescence. A note about it , it is the highest bird on the entire tree. Countless discussions have been held on whether the significance is for the height of a persons life, or whether it deals with the state of the mind during that time. In other words teens with their heads in the clouds.

Side note : This is lengthy ... but I'm trying to mix it up so it is not that monotonous.


{Blue bird} Here the blue bird stands for the adult stage of life. It creates a triangle between the red and green birds. This is also the only bird with its wings spread out.

and finally...

{ Orange bird} The last bird on the tree. In height it is between the red and gray birds, although it is on the other side of the tree. A note about it though, it is the only bird facing the left side of the canvas. This is a symbol of death. As grotesque as it may seem , in most Egyptian paintings, carvings , pottery , etc. death or the elderly, were always facing the west. They did this because of the belief that when you died you spirit followed the sun god to the west .... which is the way the sun sets.( cool huh?)


Any how here are a few pictures of the beginning of the process.

All I have here is the back ground of what will be my wondermus ( not really a word , but here I find it to be fitting.) painting.

The middle of the beginning....


Soooo close.....
a close up of ...soooo close

Finished! ...with the beginning .