Here is an illustration I did for 'Illustration Friday' theme of 'burst.'
While wondering along a riverbank with her cat Billy, Wendy saw something interesting bobbing on the water. She grabbed a long stick and used it to pull the item closer to her. It was a jar full of bubbles! Wendy loves blowing bubbles and watching them bob merrily through the sky. She loves watching the different colors swirl in the bubbles. Billy also loves bubbles because he delights in scampering after them as they float in the air. But this particular jar of bubbles was like no other. When Wendy blew these bubbles, magical creatures emerged. At first the creatures just looked like a cluster of bubbles. But as Wendy watched, she realized the bubbles clusters were actually alive. All the bubble monsters she created had different personalities. Some were merry and danced and swirled through the air. Some were grouchy and sullen and quickly floated away behind densely leaved trees. Some of the bubble monsters were very playful. They floated down toward the ground so Billy and the bubble monsters could take turns chasing each other. Wendy adored each creature that appeared from the bubble jar, but she also felt great melancholy as she watched them drift. Bubbles were delicate things that could pop so easily. The heat of the sun, the poke of a branch, or a mighty gust of wind could easily turn the bubble monsters into nothing more than soap splatters. When she saw the outer rim of the bubble monsters begin to pop, she knew they did not have much time left. Wendy knew it was cowardly, but she closed her eyes. She couldn't bare to watch the bubble monsters completely burst into nothingness. When Wendy opened her eyes again, she liked to imagine that the bubble monsters had floated away to the clouds. In her imaginings, the clouds were full of bubble monster herds that spent their days bouncing between fluffy clouds or floating on gusts of wind. Billy was braver and watched as the bubble monsters disappeared. What Billy knew that Wendy did not was that the bubble monsters were never afraid or upset as they burst. Each bubble monster was happy to have had the opportunity to float through the sky. Billy could tell by the content look in their glossy eyes. If the bubble monsters had remained in the bubble jar- just a swirl of soapy water- they would have never known that there even was a world at all.