The Dream of the King Fisher

Ida Andersen Lang 2023

Watercolor and Mixed Media Painting on Watercolor Paper

Learn to paint this painting in a video lesson in Art Soul Living – Creative Academy

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I so enjoyed painting this sweet and ephemeral vision of one of my favorite birds, the King Fisher. As I was painting it, I was taken down a memory lane of a stream of ephemeral memories, mysteriously tied to this vision.

I imagine King Fisher sitting there on his lotus throne, in perfect silence and concentration, dreaming and manifesting his “catching the big fish”. I deeply believe we all have the birthright to fulfill our innermost dreams, our soul destiny. Unfold our creative wings and shine. I´ve been on this lifelong quest myself for many years. A long and winding journey, and as Bilbo Baggins says, “You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to”. That´s the wonder and adventure of following your dreams.

As I painted this painting, I was also inspired from another of my creative heroes, David Lynch, and his wonderous book, “Catching the Big Fish“. I read this book many years ago and love the dreamy stream of consciousness narrative in it. Just like his art and movies. Growing up in the 90ies, as so many others I was glued to the screen when Twin Peaks swept over the country, in those days where we had to show up live to view our favorite TV show. I was young back then, so in many ways, I didn´t really understand Twin Peaks at all, but I think it laid some foundation stones of my love of the mystery, the inexplicable in art.

Another fond memory that emerged as I was painting King Fisher on his dreamy lotus throne, was my childhood love for a fable about how King Fisher got his short tail and shiny feathers. I am not able to retrieve the story anywhere, not even on google, but maybe it was a Fontaine Fable or possibly Aesop, long lost in dusty books.

Sometimes our art is like a dream. A wonderfully layered process of the past, of the present and maybe even of the future. All merged and brought to life in a blink in time. A painting of mine.

What is your catching the big fish? Tell me in a comment below.

xoxo

Ida