The Dream
Dedicated to my friend, Jordan
Self -portrait
I tried to capture the color of dreaming and softness of sleep that’s found in this poem. I was experimenting with mixing different mediums in order to get a certain soft effect.
Mixed media on drawing paper. (watercolor and pencil)
evening ascends the throne
and wraps the world
in violet silk,
indigo sleep falls upon me as
i sail the skies of silver
and periwinkle dust
and glide on soft waves of wishes
that gently rock me
as my saffron thoughts
glimmer in the half-light
under a bronze sky of dreams
then Golden Sleep envelopes me
with its silken threads of pearl
and in the evening silence
whispers gently once again
the name of the one
who hopes I dream of him:
and I smile like a child
for my dream is in you
Featured in Inspired By Poetry, Image Writing, and First Things
The Dream belongs to the following groups:
1 on 1: The Fine Art of Portraiture , ! Inspired Art !, All Around the Styles, All Things Poetic, Artistic, Philosophical, Art For The World, Artrageous RB Artists - Self Portrait Gallery, Bubbler Portraits, Core [C.O.R.E], Creative, Talented, and Unknown, Featured Features - For Featured Art, Photography, T-Shirts, Writing, Fine Art approaches to Figure and Face, First Things, Freedom In Words & Art, ImageWriting (2/24), Imaginative Realism, in-between, Inspired By Life, Live, Love, Dream: , Mixed Media, Rising Star, Self Portrait, Shameless Self-Promotion, Solo Exhibition, Something To Say, Strictly Human Faces , The beauty of poetry, The true beauty, Unconventional Artistry - 3 per day, Vibration in Art and Verse - VAVoom!, Works On Paper and Young enthusiasts Available for sale asGreeting Cards, Matted Prints, Laminated Prints, Mounted Prints, Canvas Prints and Framed Prints

mimi yoon
very beautifully done erika…. this hopelessly dreamy art illustrates your beautiful poem so perfectly… : ) xxx
Erika . replied
aw Thanks Mimi, I was really hesitant about uploading this one. Not really my best, but it’s different. But I’m so glad I was able to illustrate my poem, it’s actually one of my favorites. :) So, thank you, Mimi. Your words mean a lot. xxx
GittiArt
Great soft portrait ..for me looks like the hair are in flames ! Great work !!! Bravo Erika !!!
Erika . replied
haha! yes, I also thought my hair looked like it was on fire when I finished. I wanted a golden glow, but it turned out more fiery-looking than warm. Oh well, at least I tried. :) Thanks so much for visiting GrittiArt. I really admire your work.
Anthea Slade
Oh this is a beautiful self portrait Erika fits perfectly with your dreamy poem my friend.
with its silken threads of pearl
and in the evening silence
whispers gently once again
the name of the one
who hopes I dream of him:
and I smile like a child
for my dream is in you
Words and portrait are pure magic Erika. Together perfect.
Erika . replied
aw Anthea! So glad both go well together! I was really hoping I illustrated my words well. Your words are always so encouraging my friend. Thank you xx
Anne Hale
Wonderful, Erika! You have captured the serenity of sleep and dreams. She looks like she is smiling and, therefore, having pleasant dreams. :)
Erika . replied
oh she is indeed having pleasant dreams ;) And so glad she looks like she’s smiling, that’s the expression I wanted to capture. I am very happy this looks serene. Thank you so much Anne. I enjoy your visits. xx
Tracey Mac
Such a beautiful poem and gorgeous artwork Erika! You certainly achieved everything with both, so peaceful and serene….........
Erika . replied
Your words make me smile! So glad this works! Thank you so much my friend! x
Lisa Jewell
Absolutely stunning…..you are an Angel…xxx
Erika . replied
oh Lisa. Reading your comments is like floating through the clouds. They’re always so beautiful, heartfelt and dreamy. xx
annamora
Erika … I remember this poem well … and this drawing/painting is gorgeous … another one to cherish for ever …. I love what you have done with the composition … as the colourful hair takes a main stage … but because the facial features are shaded in pencil in such lovely detail – our eyes are drawn to them, therefore the balance happens here … beautiful
Erika . replied
oh wow Anna. You have described this beautifully and noticed so much more than I expected. You are a true artist. Thank you so much for your words, my friend. xx
Reynaldo
you are one talented little girl dear, wow…love this painting very well done x
Erika . replied
Thank you Reynaldo! what a beautiful comment, my friend. x
catherine walker
well done ..she’s wonderful !
Erika . replied
Thank you Catherine! x
Emma Wertheim
stunning x
Erika . replied
Thank you so much dear Em. xx
Abhishek2
It would make anybody want to go and start dreaming! I think its some brilliant work:) absolutely beautiful!
Erika . replied
It would make anybody want to go and start dreaming...then I managed to capture the mood I wanted! Thank you so much Abhishnek! :)
Plum
This is beautiful >:
Erika . replied
aw thank you very much Plum! x
JonoCarrick
Gorgeous! I love the hair that looks as if it is aflame.
Erika . replied
haha! I know! It does look like it’s on fire! I tried to make it softer, but I think it’s the colors that make it look fiery :)
Thank you so much for visiting Jono.
Claudia Alves
wonderful work Erika!!!
well done
Erika . replied
thank you so much Claudia, my friend. xx
JonoCarrick
Erika . replied
Thank you Jono! This makes my day! :D
JonoCarrick
That fire give it an ethereal quality!
Erika . replied
Oh I see now. :) Interesting! Thanks my friend.
RebeccaWeston
Congratulations Erika – a very well deserved feature XX
Becca
Erika . replied
aw thank you my dear Becca XX
Solomon Walker
beautiful work of art!
Erika . replied
Thank you Solomon! It’s an honor to have such a talented painter as yourself say this. :)
Nancy Stafford
Very Beautiful artwork.

Erika . replied
oh WoW!!! :D (big smile) This makes my day! Thank you so much!
valzart
wooOOT! wonderful sweetheART great painting ..;} happy hippy huggglez
Erika . replied
Thank you so much Valzart! I truly appreciate it!
Mikyle
Oh Erika. The expression that you have captured here is one of such peace, satisfaction and contentment… It feels as though you have wrung the very ink out of the words of my brother’s beautiful poem, and then perfectly reconstructed this piece into a gorgeous artwork.
I absolutely love this drawing… You are exceptionally talented. x
Erika . replied
Oh wow Mikyle….you have described the very essence of this work. I can only say thank you, my friend. It pleases me you like this. It means so much, xx
(oh and I wrote the poem :) Perhaps I should say I wrote it in the description box, what do you think?)
Tara Turner
beautiful!
Erika . replied
Thank you so much Tara!
Shoaib .
wow … you are getting really good at faces… the proportions are really spot on and the hair is bright like flames… i think this perfectly depicts the sereneness of a fream :) awesome work erika !!
Erika . replied
hahaha! this perfectly depicts the sereneness of a fream....haha! you mispelt dream! it sounds so funny when you read it out loud! :D
But I’m happy I was able to capture a serene expression! And I’m glad I’m showing improvement in drawing faces, definitely not easy when you start out, but you get the hang of it. And yeah, the hair does look like it’s in flames, you’re the third person to mention that. But even though it’s “flamey” I’m glad I still captured a peaceful mood.
Thanks so much for commenting, Shoaib, and for the favorite! :)
Erika . replied
oh yeah and you also mispelt “serene”.....you wrote, serennene...hahaha! It’s just so funny when you read it out loud! try it! haha! :D
Erika . replied
no, i’m wrong…you wrote… sereneneness.....that’s even funnier! :D
Shoaib .
lmaoooo haha sorry ! i cant type :((((( you know i meant DREAMMMM lol
fream does sound funny
FREAM – A FUNNY DREAM !!! LMAOOO
you know whats sooo funny – i was gunna say her hair is “FLAMEY” and i was like .. i dunno if that is a word !!!!! hahahahhaa
Erika . replied
oh, I see! You meant to say “a funny dream” but the words just ran into each other, right?! :DD
No, I’m just kidding I now you meant dream
hahaha! “flamey”.....actually I don’t know either! I’m pretty sure it is…
Mikyle
Oh,I’m so sorry!!! I thought that my brother wrote this one… He wrote one similar I think. So sorry… Feel like an idiot… Beautiful words Erika. I remember reading this now. It’s in my favorites. x
Erika . replied
hahaha! Don’t worry! It’s totally fine :D But I see why you got the poem’s mixed up, they are pretty similiar. Thank you so much though, for favoriting and for everything... xx
Shoaib .
Klearly i cant spellzzz :)
Erika . replied
haha! no, I just think your fingers can’t catch up to your train of thought :D
MistressZombie
Tender.
Erika . replied
Thank you Ms. Zombie! Nice to see you again! ;)
Cassidy JK (Ra...
Everything about this is perfection.
Erika . replied
aw Cassey. Thank you always.
linaji
your talent is quite amazing dear one.. this is the feeling of your poem.. exquisite!
Erika . replied
Linaji, your words are always so heartwarming. Thank you my friend. xx
Janis Zroback
Congratulations..you have been featured in the First Things Group
Erika . replied
Thank you so much! This really makes my day! x
annamora
congratulations Erika :)
Erika . replied
Thank you always, dear Anna x
Scott d'Almeida
brilliant art
Erika . replied
Thank you so much Scott. Your visits are always appreciated. :)
Songwriter
Everything has been said that could be. I am an echo to it all. You deserve all the features. :0) Song
Erika . replied
And I can’t thank you enough for such a kind and generous comment Songwriter. Thank you. xx
Sally Omar
This is so VERY OUTSTANDING…SHE IS GORGEOUS…I CAN PICTURE
THE BEAUTY OF HER DREAMS!!!!!!!!!!! xoxoxoxo
Erika . replied
aw Thanks Sally! I’m glad I was able to capture the beauty of dreaming. It means so much, my friend. Thank you. xxx
JUSTART
wonderful work
Erika . replied
Thank you so much JustArt!
Jordan Busson
You say this is not your best but, my friend, I beg to differ.
You are incredible.
I don’t know how often you are told this, or whether it’s yet become blasé. Perhaps it’s lost some of its meaning, but, it has lost none of its truth. The serene beauty of your face seems to extend beyond the simple page.
Erika . replied
Jordan, what you have said, your words, mean more to me than I could ever express in words…..really, a simple thank you is just not enough and doesn’t capture how grateful I am.
I am just overjoyed you liked this, mon ami....xx
doreen01
I missed your delicacy when I was gone! :)
Eloquent expression, romantic and delicate work Erika!
Erika . replied
aww thank you Dorina! This really means so much for me coming from a very talented painters as yourself. I’m so pleased you liked this. xx
elenaoleniuc
Very expressive !
Erika . replied
Thank you so much Elena!
secretagentman7
Erica ,
YOU ARE A GIRL . A BEAUTIFUL , FASCINATING GIRL , I MIGHT ADD .
Erika . replied
oh you are too kind! But thank you so much for your beautiful compliment. I truly appreciate your words. :)
kevinmawson
This is Beautiful work Erica,you are so very talented,congratulations on your very well deserved Features!
km.
Erika . replied
aw, thank you so much Kevin! I was really surprised when this piece got featured….I was so unsure about it. In fact, I still think I can fix it up even more. But this is how it turned out.
Thanks again Kevin. I appreciate your comment. :)
Cee Neuner
Wonderful work of art!!! A fav in my book.
Erika . replied
aw so nice of you to say Cee. Thank you! x
corinna wagner
lovely …
Erika . replied
Thank you so much Corinna!
RajeevKashyap
Absolutely wonderful work
Erika . replied
Thank you Rajeev! Glad you liked this. :)
Alessandro Pinto
wonderful… really a dreamy image !
Erika . replied
Thank you Alessandro! So glad it’s dreamy! It’s what I was going for. :)
secretagentman7
YOU ARE QUITE WELCOME, ERICA !
Erika . replied
:D XX
secretagentman7
I mean Erika (sorry about the accidental misspelling) .
Erika . replied
aww thanks for taking the time to correct it. :) I appreciate it.
misfit1965
Wow! You are so talented Erika. I love your art as well as your poems.
Erika . replied
aww thank you. So nice of you to say so. I truly appreciate it. x
secretagentman7
YOU ARE QUITE WELCOME. YOU ARE CERTAINLY WORTH TAKING THE TIME TO CORRECT IT !
Erika . replied
haha! Why thank you, I’m quite flattered ;D
secretagentman7
Your welcome , amazing girl !
Erika . replied
Thank you again :)
secretagentman7
Glad to oblige, beautiful , idyllic Erika !
Erika . replied
:)
secretagentman7
PEACE BE UNTO THEE .
Scott d'Almeida
amazing
Erika . replied
Thank you Scott! I really appreciate it! x
TaniaLosada
beautiful!
Erika . replied
Thank you dear Tania! xx
James Watson
It is a very good day to DREAM
Erika . replied
Everyday’s a good day to dream for me! ;D
Thank you James for visiting :)
Del Millar
It’s a long time since I saw anything so fabulous Erika.. facial
expression spot on, a beautiful work altogether,
your poem a gem.
Love to you oxo
Erika . replied
oh thank you so much Del Millar! What a beautiful comment to read. It means so much. Love to you too, xox
Julialala
WOW WOW WOW!!!! This is incredible, Erika! Your artistic ability is amazing, so expressive, so emotive, it really captures the viewer! Have I sent you Feels Like Sleep by The Dykeenies?? This picture makes me think of that song =]
xxxxxxx
Erika . replied
Julia, dear friend! Thank you so so much! I’m so happy I captured what I wanted in this drawing…..and I kept your advice in mind as I drew this: just keep drawing even if you make mistakes, don’t erase them, just keep going....That just helped a lot! So thank you Julia.
And no, I don’t think I have that song! Send it PLEASE! :D
xxxxxxxx
Antanas
so lovely work
Erika . replied
Thank you very much Antanas…this piece is one of my personal favorites :)
Fiona Christensen
WHAT is this monstrosity! I havent sen or commented on this specatcular piece! that is disgusting! (of me of course…) ;)
Erika . replied
haha! aww Fiona…you shouldn’t beat up on yourself like that ;D You’re too kind of a friend, how could I hold this “monstrosity” against you?! haha! never! ;D Love you. xxxx
Fiona Christensen
arg!!!! hahaha, thanks! ok now i can finally comment, benefits of a third/second world country is our internet, it chooses when to work when its convenient for it and not for me!!! hahahaha! ok… focus… this is really stunning my dear, i love the colours, especially the yellow as that is my current favourite colour, is so expressively happy and free don’t you think! :D and by golly you can draw, the face and all its proportions are briljante, you are truly beautiful my friend!!! and the poem is…ahhh..dreamy, i love it!!! it takes me away then Golden Sleep envelopes me
with its silken threads of pearl ... and of course i love that you use saffron, its my future name for one of my children, i love its texture and earthiness… and you have certainly captured all that earthiness and dreaminess in your portrait… you are certainly a talented young woman Erika, do continue creating this amazingness that you conjure up, its awesome!!! Lots of love! :) xxxx
Erika . replied
Well look at you throwing out all these beautiful encouraging compliments at me…I’m quite speechless and very thankful to have you say such wonderful things my friend. It means so much.
So thank you for everything Fiona, and your insight. Love reading your comments. Oh and saffron! Now that’s an amazingly unique name for a child! Awesome..the child should also be quite extraordinarly unique then…just like the mom ;D haha!
Love you Fiona. :) xxxx
Peter Searle (...
Beautiful work Erika. You are certainly multi-talented.
Erika . replied
ah Peter thank you! What a beautiful compliment, I truly appreciate it! And thank you for scrolling down all the way to the bottom of the page to comment.. :)
Stephen Thomas
Wonderful selfportrait!