Priscilla Hernandez: In my Mind's Eye (Original song and artworks): The power of imagination
![inmymindscover.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmQceK5AeZGQNG4QeTFXctJRb8D5Zhd1RUFmytNj6j6nRd/inmymindscover.jpg)
Please, first listen to my song on Dsound so you can understand the rest of the post, which includes also artworks and background story.
► Listen on DSound
► Listen from source (IPFS)
An original song about the power of our imagination and also the making of the artworks I made for my own song, including works in progress.
those things that are real in your mind's eye
Do not fight against a reason to believe all is real...!
Everything you can imagine can become real... All is real in your mind´s eye.
Its power is so big, so uncanny, so undeniable...
The song speaks about
We free our will from its fraying bonds, we let our ability to imagine take over
to wonder, to create, to dream
to make it real even if only on our mind's eye
where everything is possible
Credits
Music, Lyrics, vocals and arrangements by Priscilla Hernandez @yidneth. I also played piano, hammered dulcimer, winds, and several folk instruments layered on production.
Mixing, mastering, percussion, additional arrangements by Héctor Corcín @hedac
Rabel (medieval violin) by Maria Montes. Cello by Biel Fiol
Still haven't listened... feel free to play it here too while you keep on reading
Poem and meaning of the song
![In my mind's eye - by Priscilla Hernandez (yidneth.com).jpg](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://steemitimages.com/DQmULw18odnjZukYxB21L4m16vwK5dMEkyWDeRKjJ68sMrv/In%20my%20mind's%20eye%20-%20by%20Priscilla%20Hernandez%20(yidneth.com).jpg)
Above: one of the illustrations I did for the song... It's inspired by the lines My will has been suspended by these fraying bonds but now I'll untie them all
In my mind's eye Lyrics
Come back my thrill
looming out the stirring
feelings you ignite
Wake up my will
get rid of the ropes
that grabbed you so tight
Been suspended
by these fraying bonds
but now I'll untie them all
Lost veiled memory
You´re feeding the seeds
of those words I never said
now joining into poetry
Dreams that won't come true
are deepening roots that break
through my core
Oh they grow, they shape
entwined in my mind´s eye
Buried deep
in my minds eye
Do not waste your time
struggling to deny
those things that are clear
in your mind's eye
Do not fight against
the reason to believe
all is real...
The shivering truth
a verse my sore lips
can´t help to recite
and in my solitude
it´s odd melody
sways over my heart
pulsing wild, untamed
beset by this curse again...!
Doubts I never hold
are conquering me by fright
with thoughts I once forgot
like ether gathering it all
The last remnant of my plan
to set free the echoes
haunting my head
Oh they grow, they shape
entwined
in my mind´s eye
And they tear, they scratch, they yearn...
Such uncanny gift
cannot be denied
so it's safely hidden
in my mind´s eye
Treasured in a place
that I can only find
buried deep
in my mind´s eye
From my album The Underliving
Drawing the artworks for "In my mind's eye"
The main character that appears in The Underliving is this little teenager girl in a nightgown that we obviously find very reminiscent of "Yidneth" (main female character in my own novel). She is depicted in several ages in different drawing but in many of them as young woman. Wether she is "Yidneth" herself, or in part, or just a host for "Yidneth" spirit is unknown... And I'm not going to reveal it because I'm not spoiling the story :) but during all her life she experience an Otherworld in which she see "ghosts" from the TRANSIT and other kind of creatures (from THE UNDERLIVING) or perceive the "spirits" of Nature, so in our "Yidneth" timeline, this is taking place before the final part of the comic ends. And yes, it's all about ghosts, fairies and Underlivings... my own realm of fantasy that I love to convey through my music and art... and hopefully share with you.
From concept idea to final drawing
So sharing here how I made the illustration for the cover of "In my mind's eye" from the very early doodle to the final result. I recently was asked if I use photography. I do believe that photo manipulation is also a way of creating art, but though I do it for some promotional pictures of myself, I don't use that technique when I paint my traditional illustrations. In fact many of my drawings carry mistakes because of not using photography reference, most of them are born with quick sketches on paper napkins. I often like the unclean built up of the rough sketch and I try very much not to lose the "freshness" of a quick doodle. It's very much like automatic writing.
So basic idea, an eye within an eye...
![mind0.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmV3CmNjzqox8mVh6u5ZMo8wpow5U2JNTVatsw8Qsviuda/mind0.jpg)
Basic idea and sketch... rough pencil on a piece of paper... they all start this way. Good excuse to watch TV or movies and sketch in pieces of paper while doing it so you don't feel guilty of wasting time.
![mind3.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://steemitimages.com/DQmYnhiwtdbLGk4XU4QNgkHf7WCNW1L6WM4DfHBcBJivMkT/mind3.jpg)
Initial attempt was a bit too dark, though I kept the vignette effect for the final result but started to place to add detail to the iris.
I decided to opt for showing the girl inside the eye, both as reflection or maybe trapped inside it...
First sketch for her nightgown
![girl_nightgowndesignsketch.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmNVYpqVtSEB7zUYJTPjcrmsTbNxo5qWyhNH8WtZx55WJK/girl_nightgowndesignsketch.jpg)
Then I develop this idea of "containing her" as if trapped in he reflection, but I decide to go for a less cartoon cute style and show her more mature and older. I do a quick watercolor wash and scan all materials to composite digitally. I love to do paintings all in traditional but as I was unsure what option would I chose I opted for scanning and compositing ideas using my tablet to paint digitally.
![mind1basiccoloring2.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://steemitimages.com/DQmNQXisyCjzcoUA34yasS2LwGm1YjUYoTbK7LxTPTYpQYr/mind1basiccoloring2.jpg)
So then It was time to make it "shine" and to composite a few corrected details, rough, but from far away the impression of the color and highlight is already there.
I place the girl, the hands needed several steps of corrections. I admit that as many artists I struggle with the complexity of hands.
![mind4.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmP3vy2DTCjDqb9ANomWnn9NpkhW7WJR6dqy4f3xxaHT83/mind4.jpg)
Then I spent a "few hours" adding details to the iris to make it look more alive. I know the detailing is not perfect but it doesn't intend to be realistic but still have a distinct illustration and not just look like a photography. Then I polished the details of the girl face and other small things like the lace on her nightgown, the highlighted fingertips. I don't want the drawing to be very colourful... it has to match that silvery quality of the boundaries between awareness and reality.
When I finished I felt sort of proud with it and stared it back with my own "red blurred eyes" after another painting sleepless night...
I gazed at it... and looked through it
This was the final result:
![In my mind's eye - by Priscilla Hernandez (yidneth.com)-2.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://steemitimages.com/DQmdC5dzkobB2TqKZMP2WVT78mikAbFKmTNK4BLab18AkBR/In%20my%20mind's%20eye%20-%20by%20Priscilla%20Hernandez%20(yidneth.com)-2.jpg)
Another illustration made for this song can be seen above along with the lyrics.
The Underliving
![the_underliving_-__digipack_6.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmZcfotqYMNxUmFsFxSmSXLzarbf6Ua3r5f43CeBx4AyTS/the_underliving_-__digipack_6.jpg)
The UNDERLIVING is one of the four realms in Yidneth Universe, a world of things living but not alive. A world close to the LIVING casting their influence, weaving the fabric of our dreams and thoughts. The inhabitants of this realm never lived but have a presence that sometimes is perceive it when we shape it with our imagination. And thus there is an ambiguous second reading of the song... are our thoughts and musings really ours... or are they cast upon us by them. Let´s live it up to the mystery of it.*
The Underliving was my seconds illustrated music project Fear no More which I'm trying to get funded and that would be the third of my my illustrated music projects inspired in Yidneth Universe (which is not my name but the name of my project)
You can read a bit more about YIDNETH in this previous post on Steemit.
What is Yidneth?
https://steemit.com/steemitnamechallenge/@yidneth/steemit-name-challenge-what-is-yidneth-a-graphic-novel-nourishing-all-my-music-projects
Thanks for supporting my music
You can buy THE UNDERLIVING illustrated music album here http://theunderliving.com
You can also find this song in ITUNES or stream from SPOTIFY looking for my artist name "Priscilla Hernandez. It is only one out of the many songs in my second full EP The Underliving that you can buy both physical or digital from my official site
If you like it also please leave your feedbak, consider to follow, share, resteem :) all encouragement is welcome :)
I hope my third EP "Fear no More" will become real soon. But It is already real in my mind's eye
Priscilla Hernandez
singer-songwriter & illustrator
http://yidneth.com
Congrats! Your "work" is awesome! I will resteem it - so the german part of steemit has a chance to see and hear you!
Aww thank you, really appreciated ☘️
You truly are a GIFT to this platform 💚
Aww thank you so much, I am so glad it reaches your spirit
As always, your music, artwork, and words are inspiring. You touch the heart, sweet faerie sister. 💖
Thank you so much you are so sweet, your galactic highness ❤️
Super beautiful art and compilation! I am so happy to be snuggling in to experience you Priscilla 🌹💛🌹 Such a pleasure to connect!! Love what you offer. Shear Brilliance through & through!!
Thanks for making the effort to check it, as I told you I love layering things though I enjoy the humbler more intimate open mic format too.
You're welcome! There is unexplainable raw beauty in simplicity! But, polishing and sharing a well done professional compilation is sweet too. Oh the joy of being an artist 🌹❤🌹 Blessings new Steemian Friend! I look forward to connecting with your upcoming projects. I am curious, do you celebrate Mother's Day in Spain? Will you celebrate that today?
Loved the song and the artwork! Wow! It sounds like a lot of work went into developing your artwork for this one but the end result is stunning! You are definitely very talented. Thanks so much for sharing your gifts with Steem.
Ivy
Thanks for stopping by, for me music and illustration combines in one single thing, though I'm usually known either as one thing or the other I keep on insisting to merging them :) Thanks for the compliment too!
Well you are the artist so it is your right to creative license so if you choose to merge them then you should! The end result is quite good so what you are doing is working, at least in my opinion. And you are most welcome :)
Ivy
Thank you. I love fantasy and storytelling in all its formats, it is also a subtle way to infuse your own life philosophy into the mix. Thx 💚🎵
Damn, this sounds so beautiful, throws me in some fantasy realm of music.
Really nice ^^
Brings me back to countless hours I spent on TES games and WoW and other RPG's
Cheers!
Aww thank you, I am not sure if you listened from dsound directly but there are also the artworks and illsutrations I have made as post on steem :) Thank you so much for the listen :). And for the lovely feedback!
Ooh def gonna check them out.
And np, it's quality content, it deserves lovely feedbacks ^^
This kind of post I looove to see, read and hear! Great stuff, great talent, imagination and artistic sensitivity. Well done @yidneth !
Thank you so much, that's super encouraging... I try to convey my love for nature and art through music, you do through photography, I totally admire your visions too.
Beautiful song, voice, and artwork as always. Upvoted and "Fuzzy'd" for support.
Thank you so much, and for the encouragement 🍀
Thank you so much. I need to catch up with the second half of the program. My battery died halfway. ☘️
I just listened to the song and I feel like I am floating in the water!
And that drawing is just WOW, yidneth! That is the one thing I can not do properly. Draw. So, obviously, you are impressing me. As always :D
Aww thanks for stopping by and listen, for me songwriting is my way to write "poetry" too and this song is very much about the meaning of it, even if it chooses some odd words :). I love painting, and painting is something you can train, I get cobwebs in my fingers when I don't do it often, and I need to retrain, but I'm encouraging myself with steemit to share more of my art works in progress that I have like in my folders... :) I don't tend to show the works behind and it was fun to put them in sequence.
I am not really patient with drawing. I can write but not really draw. That said, I do find painting relaxing. With watercolors or the other ones. Don;'t know the English word.
I think it was a great Idea. The process is the most interesting thing. How you got there. Was it hard. Was the journey bumpy. All of that.
Beautiful harmonies and instrumentals. The artwork is lovely too. You are multi-talented!
Thank you very much... I love creating artworks as much as creating music. Thanks for the feedback 🎵💚