Posts on art

I didn't have to work yesterday, which was great for several reasons. First, I'd been working since Sunday, so I was more than ready for a break. Second, I didn't have to come up with a Halloween costume. I'm still recovering from the Halloween I wore blue jeans, a Western shirt, and a cowboy hat to work. All day, people of all ages asked me, "Oh, you're a cowgirl! Or are you a cowboy?" Um... let's not make this harder than it needs to be, folks!

Anyway, third: the weather was absolutely gorgeous, so I went down to the beach and sketched for a couple of hours. I do love to draw and wish I did it more often. I wish I played music more, too. Actually, there's a lot of things I wish I did more. But the way I look at it, I've only got time for one obsession right now. And writing has won.

Here's the least embarrassing of my sketches. I'm still learning how to use colored pencils. Seriously, it's harder than it sounds! I've got more experience with acrylics and pastels, where you layer from dark to light. Colored pencils and watercolors, you have to go light to dark. Conclusion: Prismacolors on black paper cannot look anything but awesome.

One last thing before I pedal off to work: no National Novel Writing Month for me this year. After a lot of thought, I decided I need to focus on my newish project so I don't lose all momentum. I'm still in that rocky transition period between projects, where my mind is still half on the last one. I need to concentrate my focus.

But I know quite a few of you are tackling Nano, and I wish you the best of luck! In the words of César Chávez, "Sí, se puede!" Yes, it can be done.

(Speaking of which, has anyone else noticed the similarity between Chávez's slogan and Obama's "Yes, we can"? No wonder the rich bosses are worried!

"Sí, se puede!" was also the motto of the Chicago elementary school I spent the most days subbing, back in my crazy subbing days. What a great motto, huh? They said it every day, right after the Pledge of Allegiance. Made me smile every time.)

There are many things I love about my job. One is the great variety of tasks I face from day to day. Another is the opportunity for creativity. I mean, when I worked as a law office assistant, did I ever once have the chance to paint a signboard with cartoon anthropomorphized insects? No!

If I had to do it over, I would make the caterpillar orange or purple for the sake of contrast. C'est la vie.

The ladybug's my favorite. It reminds me of a puppy.

I keep telling myself I'm going to start drawing again more. It keeps not happening. At least I'm doing the writing thing, right?

The other day, I looked at my library's New Junior High Books shelf for poetry books and noticed everything on-shelf was based on historical figures or events! An interesting trend. The younger set gets kitties, doggies, and dragons. The older kids get Birmingham, 1963, The Brothers' War: Civil War Voices in Verse, and Frida: ¡Viva la Vida! = Long Live Life!

Which is, it turns out, a really lovely book. Carmen T. Bernier-Grand draws on Frida Kahlo's life story and highly autobiographical paintings to give a personal, poetic voice to Kahlo's timultuous life. Kahlo told her story through her art, over and over, but the symbolism is lost on the average spectator. Bernier-Grand selects details from the paintings--which are printed along-side the poems--to elucidate, putting them in the context of Kahlo's strained family life, life-altering bus accident, rocky marriage with muralist, Diego Rivera, and burgeoning career as a painter.

In my college Intro to Psychology class, I wrote a term paper about artists Frida Kahlo's, Vincent Van Gogh's, and Egon Schiele's concentration on self-portraiture. I'm sure it was terrible. As I recall, the literature I found had very Freudian explanations for this. In Kahlo's case, Bernier-Grand puts forth a much simpler explanation: because Kahlo was so-often bed-ridden, her self was a natural subject for painting. All she needed was a mirror.

I'm not a huge reader of poetry to judge, but to me the verse by itself seems competent but not stick-in-your-brain-and-heart. However, between the poems, the paintings, and the biographical sketch and timeline in the end notes, Frida: ¡Viva la Vida! = Long Live Life! could nearly stand on its own as a "biography book" for junior high readers. As it is, it's a handsome, well-researched introduction to a fascinating and sympathetic figure from 20th century art history.

Meanwhile, in the online world, PBS has a spectacular online exhibit on Kahlo's life and work, including interviews and educational guides. The site was put together in conjuction with the airing of Amy Stechler's film The Life and Times of Frida Kahlo. Definitely worth checking out!

This week's Poetry Friday round-up is hosted by Sarah Reinhard at Just Another Day of Catholic Pondering. Go take a gander!

Bringing a smile to my face this morning was this clip from Creature Comforts USA. I love Aardman Animations, and this "man on the street" montage of animals/people discussing the meaning of art is especially funny and clever. I'd start listing highlights, but the list would be far too long; better just to watch it! (Via ShelfTalker.)