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Some inspiring videos for post-turkey, lazy weekend watching...
First, artist Shea Hembrey's hilarious, fantastic TED talk:
The Sartorialist's Scott Schuman shooting pictures in Tokyo:
And this incredibly beautiful video of a Lubinje bride in Kosovo being prepared for her wedding day:
Nusja Jone-Our Bride from Kosovo 2.0 on Vimeo.
Hope you enjoy as much as I did!
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When I was seventeen years old and a senior in high school, I took my school's Drawing and Painting class. I had to switch out of Physics at the last minute that August in order to free up my schedule to take it, against the advice of my parents. At the time it felt like a big step into independence to do that. Actually, looking back it still seems that way. It was a choice for myself.
I loved that class and got a fair amount out of it artistically, but the two biggest things that have stuck with me from the experience are that initial choice just to take it, and making the canvas above. Not painting the canvas above, but making it. We chose our size, stretched the fabric and stapled it, primed and gessoed the surface... it took about three days worth of class time, and the whole time I was in heaven. So despite not being happy with the resulting portrait of another senior girl (who I am still friends with, actually), a disappointment which I let really mess with my head at the time, I nevertheless saved it because of the canvas. It has lived in various parents' attics and garages over the past 15 years. Yesterday, I resurrected it to use for the painting course I'm taking now. It was dusty and stained, and after I cleaned it I took a good long look at the picture I had put on it. I remembered how hard I had struggled to paint the shadows on the white sweatshirt, and the shape of her mouth. I remembered how, even at the time, I could see that more than my friend, I had painted myself - my face shape, my jawline, my neck. How I had been comforted, looking around the room at all the other kids' paintings, to see that everyone's portrait of her looked like themselves, but then how this realization had made me feel a complicated blend of pity and hopelessness. How, when it was finished and dry and I was about to graduate, I took it home and put it away where I wouldn't have to see it.
I've always planned on painting over it someday to use for a new piece, but when it came time yesterday to sit there and actually do it, it was surprisingly tough. "It's a memory!" some part of my shrieked, "You shouldn't get rid of it!" Funny, the inclination to save things that you don't even like because of what they represent. I took some photos to assuage the freaked-out voice, and forged ahead with paintbrush and white acrylic. I probably should have used gesso but I don't have any, and waiting for some other day when I have the right supplies is usually, for me, just a procrastination tool. Better just to jump in with what you got.
After that, it was still a strangely emotional process, but instead of freaked out I was ELATED. Talk about reclaiming! This was some serious psychic demon-slaying. Claiming possibility for my present-day self from the jaws of past hurts and disappointments. Reviving an old dream. It felt really great - I was giddy.
My old signature was the last to go. I paused at that point, and thought about my teenage self, and was overcome with compassion for her worries and insecurities. "I feel for you," I said to her in my head, "but I don't want to take care of you anymore."
And, just like that, it was a blank canvas. Still one that I lovingly made myself a long time ago, but also brand new and waiting for me to paint something I love onto it. I can't wait.
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Sorry it's been so long. Wonderfully, at least I can say that I haven't been posting here because I've been so busy creatively, not because I haven't been doing enough!
Got to just jump back in, and hope the momentum carries. Lots to share about!
For now: a playground mural update. I haven't been able to work on it much, which has been incredibly frustrating. But I did manage to get some frogs up there recently, and just generally trying to be very zen about the whole thing. It's a big job, I'm still for all intents/purposes a stay-at-home mom with constant childcare difficulties, and I'm doing what I can. And as a friend pointed out recently, it's kind of cool for the kids to see it grow and change a little bit at a time, rather than having it just be there all at once. Hopefully some of them are thinking they might like to be artists when they grow up, and knowing that an artist is working on their playground makes something real in their heads...
So, frogs. I had so much fun with these two little guys:
And some other views of the progress: {front of pond column}
{sunfish, a bit out of focus, unfortunately}
{mister catfish}
{corner of garden column}
Good to be back! More tomorrow.
xo, Alison
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