tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45370045643943285202024-03-13T06:36:34.301-04:00See Cailey ColorCaileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13711604310619411181noreply@blogger.comBlogger134125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537004564394328520.post-39029735912277787582022-04-07T18:11:00.005-04:002022-04-07T18:11:53.315-04:00Red Flags: How I (Almost) Got Scammed<div><span style="font-size: medium;">Recently something happened which briefly resulted in a huge blow to my confidence as an artist. </span></div><div><br /></div><div>A couple months ago a stranger contacted me on Instagram, saying they came across my artwork and loved it. Would I be willing to do a commission for them? Budget was several hundred dollars. </div><div><br /></div><div>I rarely take commissions and never advertise anything of the sort, but obviously that offer piqued my interest! Of course, it seemed too good to be true. I talked with my dad and my husband and thought it over for a few hours, and decided it wouldn't hurt to at least find out what they were looking for. </div><div><br /></div><div>A pen and pencil portrait of their son? Easy peasy! I haven't done a lot of portraiture lately but I enjoy the challenge. We quickly reach an agreement on size and price. They told me they needed it in two weeks, so I set to work and in a few days I had a completed portrait.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Then it was time to discuss payment. I told them my preferred payment methods, popular services I'm familiar with and trust to be secure. Paypal, Venmo, Cash App.</div><div><br /></div><div>The buyer replied stating they have a "standard business account which can't be linked to any third party apps," and asked to send me a scanned check.</div><div><br /></div><div>"That's odd," I thought, and called my bank. As I suspected, the bank said no, the only way to deposit a check is to have the original check in my hands, either for deposit at the bank or mobile deposit. A scanned check would be unacceptable. This made perfect sense to me. </div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6sIh491PdIWMz88pfU8XBppfwRt0I1OkiYZiZSWJPUpjzEh-l_JN0EK4Xi4tXO5IcbiR0lJwgXYoR5eeJwF61zxNrjbjZ5-sfna5sGSgCgw2pQ_i1Q-Zz_DRgmfq1D2vz72ZPjsxyHe7lrlTZAgLQGiL6sJkhAOWp5zZMmsNxit5eJW_TBCQXGEpb/s4032/IMG_2567.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6sIh491PdIWMz88pfU8XBppfwRt0I1OkiYZiZSWJPUpjzEh-l_JN0EK4Xi4tXO5IcbiR0lJwgXYoR5eeJwF61zxNrjbjZ5-sfna5sGSgCgw2pQ_i1Q-Zz_DRgmfq1D2vz72ZPjsxyHe7lrlTZAgLQGiL6sJkhAOWp5zZMmsNxit5eJW_TBCQXGEpb/w300-h400/IMG_2567.HEIC" width="300" /></a></div>I let the buyer know that if they wanted to pay by check they'd have to mail it to me, and I'd send the artwork once the check cleared. I felt a bit weird about accepting a check from a total stranger, but... $400 for my artwork... </div><div><br /></div><div>A few hours later they messaged me saying there was a mistake and their checking service issued a check for $3,000, not $300. They cancelled it but it would take quite a while to resolve and issue a new check. Lots of mumbo jumbo about business days and cancellation and reissuance. "I'm working on another solution," they said. </div><div><br /></div><div>That instantly fills me with doubt. All along I'd been cautious, trying not to get my hopes up too much, knowing it might not be legit or the deal might simply fall through. An error like that really sounded sketchy to me. </div><div><br /></div><div>I replied with a simple oops, and to be courteous and helpful I reminded them my preferred payment methods. At this point, I was only holding onto a tattered shred of hope that this was on the up-and-up. </div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The person replied with the red flag of all red flags, which I've copied word-for-word:</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">"If I can trust you enough to deposit it and have your $400 out then we'll figure out how you can get the rest back to me. I'm sure I can trust you right?"</span></div><div><br /></div><div>Missing punctuation aside, this is <i>bad</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div>I vaguely remembered hearing about this type of scam, an overpayment scam, and a quick Google search confirmed my fears. There are several variations of this, sometimes involving stolen credit cards, but the check is a classic. How it works is that I would deposit the check and once it cleared I'd ship the artwork and arrange a refund (often wire transfer or refunding to a card). A few weeks later, my bank would discover the check was bad after all. I would be out $3,000 with no way to get it back, plus the loss of my artwork and shipping costs. </div><div><br /></div><div>I told the buyer I wasn't comfortable issuing a refund and I would only accept the exact payment. </div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">At this point I knew it was over but I really, really didn't want to believe it. </span></div><div><br /></div><div>They said they'd figure something out and get back with me. An hour later they asked again about doing the check & refund thing, with more mumbo-jumbo about business days and reissuance fees and such. I refused again, told them the deal was off, and finally blocked the account and reported it to Instagram. </div><div><br /></div><div>Like I said, I'd felt off about this since the beginning. Not quite seeing red flags, but maybe pink or orange flags. But the overpayment was as big and red as a matador's cape, and I'm not falling for that bull!</div><div><br /></div><div>Going into this, I thought there wasn't much to lose. A few sheets of Bristol paper that I already owned, some brush-pen portrait practice and time that would otherwise have been spent in front of the TV, for possibly a great payout! I was wrong. </div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">I didn't fall for the scam, but I still lost a lot.</span></div><div><br /></div><div>This was my third major art commission, and also the third one to fall through. I really hoped this was legit and that a stranger appreciated my work enough to pay substantial money for original, custom, art. It also hurts because money was pretty tight and that would have been a nice bonus to help cover some unexpected bills. </div><div><br /></div><div>Over the course of the day, I felt myself crumpling like tissue paper. </div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">To this person, I was not an artist. I was nothing more than a target. </span></div><div><br /></div><div>A soft, squishy, trusting target. This person saw a few art posts in my feed, deduced I would jump at a high-paying commission, and that was that. But in the days following this scam attempt, I had to wade through so many thoughts of inadequacy, guilt, embarrassment, and defeat. I still don't even want to look at that portrait again. Was it even that person's kid, or just a random picture pulled from Google Images? I'll never know. I felt stupid and embarrassed for going along with it for so long. I felt guilty for getting mine and my husband's hopes up that we might have some extra cash. I felt like a failed artist. I felt like my work would never be appreciated by anyone who doesn't know me personally.</div><div><br /></div><div>I know none of these things are true. I know a lot of people actually do fall victim to scams much worse than this, and that falling for a scam does <i>not</i> make someone stupid. There are very nasty, very clever scams out there and I'm just lucky this one was so darn easy to sniff out.</div><div><br /></div><div>This person appealed to my good nature ("I can trust you, right?") and my family values ("it's for my son's birthday"). The fact I'm not as naïve as they thought is just a credit to my parents for teaching me the internet is not a safe space. You cannot trust people on the internet, and to the same point, they really should not trust you. In fact, if an internet stranger says they <i>can</i> trust you like that, beware. </div><div><br /></div><div>I share all this as a caution, because I know a lot of people are selling things online, running small businesses, or doing side gigs. If an offer seems too good to be true, watch out: </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Be extremely cautious with your personal information</li><li>Stick with the payment methods you know and trust</li><li>Never, <i>never </i>accept an overpayment</li><li>Talk about it with someone you personally know and trust. A second pair of eyes and ears can help you spot problems!</li></ul></div><div>There are lots of scams out there. This particular kind of overpayment scam has been around for a long time, and people have lost big money. So if you see a few pink or orange flags, pay attention! There might be a giant red flag coming next. </div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">At this point, it's been a couple months and </span><span style="font-size: large;">I am feeling better now.</span></div><div><br /></div><div>The sting of this scam has faded. Not to sound conceited, but I know myself and trust my own skill and value too much to let one slimeball destroy my confidence! Still, I don't plan to consider any commissions for a long time. I didn't like doing them before, I've never advertised or sought them out, but after this... suffice to say no one's gonna get a commission from me except maybe my mom! </div><div><br /></div><div>But only if she asks me really, really nicely. </div><div><br /></div><div>In person. </div><div><br /></div><div>And pays with cold hard cash and a plate of hot fresh cookies!</div><div><br /></div><div>-Cailey</div>Caileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04841173975870749409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537004564394328520.post-78681406856798335332021-09-25T10:38:00.003-04:002021-09-25T10:40:34.082-04:00Silhouette Girl: Sheltering Rabbits<div class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4Cf6h7OSxX4/YL1D4U2-pGI/AAAAAAAAM94/j7GMl-jOmHM7euqYPpZBRQiSltqw1sUHACPcBGAsYHg/s3913/IMG_9467.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2585" data-original-width="3913" height="422" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4Cf6h7OSxX4/YL1D4U2-pGI/AAAAAAAAM94/j7GMl-jOmHM7euqYPpZBRQiSltqw1sUHACPcBGAsYHg/w640-h422/IMG_9467.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Sheltering Girl," 2020. Acrylic, tissue paper, mulberry paper, sheet music, modeling paste, ink, and glue on canvas, 24"x36". Inspired by "Field of Sunflowers" by Christine Sarjan Cohen, 1996. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Today I'm sharing one of the pieces I made last year that, after beginning with a slow burn, very quickly burst into a fire of
inspiration. In March 2020 I shared a bunch of progress photos of this piece, with my thoughts on <a href="https://www.seecaileycolor.com/2020/03/fear-unfinished-art-and-covid-19.html">fear and Covid-19</a>. I promised an update on this piece and this post has been chilling in my blog drafts for waaaay too long. Wait no more, my friends!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">For a long time, every time I chatted
with my work friend, LT, I found myself studying this old art print hanging in
her office. </span>It was probably hanging there for at least a decade, long before that office became hers. It didn’t belong to her and she didn’t care for it, she just never
bothered to take it down. </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SxNR9l9IYMk/YL1D4Q0YTFI/AAAAAAAAM94/OmtOrBhD1q4F5T9QAHvLMBYyjW0CrcJiQCPcBGAsYHg/s3884/IMG_9007.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2451" data-original-width="3884" height="405" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SxNR9l9IYMk/YL1D4Q0YTFI/AAAAAAAAM94/OmtOrBhD1q4F5T9QAHvLMBYyjW0CrcJiQCPcBGAsYHg/w640-h405/IMG_9007.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div>It was this innocuous print of a 1996 painting called <i>Field of Sunflowers</i> by Christine Sarjan Cohen. Unfortunately I couldn't find her or the painting online, so I don't have anything more to share about her, but she deserves loads of credit for the collage I'm about to share with you. If you know anything about her or this painting, please comment and share what you know!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">The more I
looked at that faded old print, the more I felt it—the dreamlike intertwining of flowers
and rabbits, the feeling of a windy spring day, the watercolor-softness...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">One day another coworker brought in some
colorful abstract paintings to brighten things up in the office. As we talked about the art,
I glanced over at the flowers and bunnies on Lt’s wall and asked if I could
take it for a collage. She was all for it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I lifted the 24”x36” poster frame from
the wall and felt a rushing spring wind in my hands—this would finally
become the collage I’d had slowly building in my mind for months.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Less than a week later, on the Monday after the Super Bowl, I was at
work again and the full image came to
me—the sunflowers and bunnies, the rushing wind, and my personal favorite
touch—Silhouette Girl. The rest of that morning I brainstormed poses for
Silhouette Girl, envisioned the size of the canvas, and made mental
lists of the media I’d use in this collage… paint, pen and ink, different kinds
of paper, maybe even oil pastels… I’d been looking for the right piece to bring Silhouette
Girl into a collage, but it never quite felt right… This one felt <i>exactly</i>
right. During my lunch break I rushed off to buy a big ol' canvas.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b39P6hLUQPQ/YL1D4VdxYrI/AAAAAAAAM94/7yYNscXfmcM0ZKN81LTxZll3XvIaj_YtwCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_9419.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b39P6hLUQPQ/YL1D4VdxYrI/AAAAAAAAM94/7yYNscXfmcM0ZKN81LTxZll3XvIaj_YtwCPcBGAsYHg/s320/IMG_9419.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail from my collage, showing my tiny rabbits<br />at the bottom of the painting. On a collage this<br />big, these little guys are just an inch or so tall!</td></tr></tbody></table>Recently a friend and I had gone to an art
gallery and were interested by a wall covered in a series of multicolored
abstract 8x10 rabbit paintings. (Spoiler alert: that "friend" became my husband! That visit to the gallery was our first date!). The gallery director came over and told us more
about Hunt Slonem, a super-successful contemporary artist, and his many bunny
paintings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Between Slonem’s colorful rabbits and the
dreamy rabbits racing through the Cohen print, I guess I had
rabbits on my mind. I don’t have any strong feelings for rabbits; I don’t love
them and I don’t hate them. I had a couple of pet rabbits as a child, but I’ve
always preferred horses and dogs. However, I do love what rabbits commonly
represent: peace and innocence. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I had been working on a writing project
(more on that later!) focusing on the value and delicacy of innocence. I've long felt like the media and internet are constantly inundating me with calls to
fight, to clapback, to rant and rage, to post snarky comments and retweet angry
woke threads. I feel as if society wants me to be prickly and harsh and
cleverly destructive. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I don't like that. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">In <i>Beyond Good and Evil</i>, Friedrich Nietzsche writes, "Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster." That quote often comes to my mind. It's impossible to make the world a better place through nastiness, rage, and destruction. You'll just become a part of the very thing you were against. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jrFqnU1gfXE/YL1DEROnsrI/AAAAAAAAM9s/fKzxzSdvB3w5hrnBfDZPlfov9eTg7bxuACPcBGAsYHg/s680/IMG_1756.PNG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="262" data-original-width="680" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jrFqnU1gfXE/YL1DEROnsrI/AAAAAAAAM9s/fKzxzSdvB3w5hrnBfDZPlfov9eTg7bxuACPcBGAsYHg/s320/IMG_1756.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Don’t get me wrong—I have a temper! I get
angry, I rant and rage. Just ask my parents! But after a childhood of fighting tooth and nail when I
didn’t like something, I eventually learned that outward-facing anger isn’t all
it’s cracked up to be. Sometimes quiet anger is better. Sometimes—maybe most
times—it’s better to channel anger into kindness.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dBSfTjvp6r4/YL1D4a_DSHI/AAAAAAAAM94/sJgb0GaY_Qkk07fhLOgEpZJirmjg5nnUACPcBGAsYHg/s3481/IMG_4453.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2482" data-original-width="3481" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dBSfTjvp6r4/YL1D4a_DSHI/AAAAAAAAM94/sJgb0GaY_Qkk07fhLOgEpZJirmjg5nnUACPcBGAsYHg/s320/IMG_4453.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">My friend Hannah sent me this screengrab of a tumblr post a
while back which said being kind is an act of rebellion, of subverting the
prevailing culture… being kind is punk. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">As a fan of punk-rock and emo
music, I loved this idea a lot. I loved it so much I still think about it several years later. I loved it so much I made a cross-stitch that reads
“kindness is punk,” in fierce red and white thread on black cloth.<br /><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I think the most important lesson I’ve
learned in my 26 years of life is that you can be both strong and gentle, angry
and kind, powerful and peaceful, furious and hopeful. This is the message I’m
trying to shape myself around, and the theme I’ve tried to cultivate throughout
my work, especially with Silhouette Girl. Which brings me back to the Cohen print and the collage...</span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Of course, I couldn’t help thinking of
innocence when I looked at Slonem’s colorful bunnies in that gallery. They're cute little colorful rabbits, after all. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">]It felt so natural to take these thoughts of peace and kindness, embrace the rabbits in the Cohen print and the Slonem bunnies I'd so enjoyed at the gallery, and then place my Silhouette Girl in the middle of everything. Silhouette Girl is
our reigning champion of innocence and peace, after all!</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YMpcQpomnDY/YL1D4bMx4jI/AAAAAAAAM94/l_oISaZjjm8Re2sLIRAJF6pcVJtPsCDmgCPcBGAsYHg/s3605/IMG_9021.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2392" data-original-width="3605" height="265" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YMpcQpomnDY/YL1D4bMx4jI/AAAAAAAAM94/l_oISaZjjm8Re2sLIRAJF6pcVJtPsCDmgCPcBGAsYHg/w400-h265/IMG_9021.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was taken after gluing down the first few couple layers<br />of paper. Recognize the pieces I cut from the art print?</td></tr></tbody></table>
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I started my work by examining the soft
watercolor shapes in <i>Field of Sunflowers</i> and finding some of the natural lines
along which I could cut. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">When I had a basic plan, I set to work with my
scissors! For the main flowers and rabbits I followed the existing lines of
petals and stems and bodies, but I went a little more loosely with the abstract
bits, cutting along changes in color or vague lines to create irregular pieces. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4o1fKkdYke0/YL1D4eFnhlI/AAAAAAAAM94/ojb-8Wom9IQssu63qRj-SSmSQttQZvpSwCPcBGAsYHg/s3936/IMG_9064.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2559" data-original-width="3936" height="260" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4o1fKkdYke0/YL1D4eFnhlI/AAAAAAAAM94/ojb-8Wom9IQssu63qRj-SSmSQttQZvpSwCPcBGAsYHg/w400-h260/IMG_9064.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Continuing to build up layers of paint and paper... </td></tr></tbody></table><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Once done, I rearranged the flowers and rabbits where I wanted them and placed the irregular bits like puzzle pieces to hold everything together. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">As a kid I used to be obsessed with jigsaw
puzzles. Not to brag, but I’m still really good at them, I just don’t have the time anymore.
Instead of piecing together the edges first, I’ve always liked to work in
sections by color and pattern. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Arranging a collage is a lot like piecing
together a puzzle, but instead of a box lid with the picture, I figure out in my
mind what I hope to end up with. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Hope is the key word there—there’s no guarantee
that the final artwork will look how I planned! The way the materials interact
with one another and with the glue, the varying opaqueness of different
materials, and how the precise arrangements come together always affect the
result.</div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">By the end, what I’ve made is usually pretty different from what I’d envisioned, but I’m almost always happier with
the actual result. If I’m not, it just means the piece isn’t finished. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">In this collage, I definitely wanted to
broaden the values found in <i>Field of Sunflowers</i>. I’m a fan of high-contrast
images; scenes with dark shadows and bright lights. <i>Field of Sunflowers </i>is soft
and contains mostly light and medium values. I want my work to better reflect
life, with its deep shadows accentuating wonderful highlights.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R0cGMVHXyAU/YL1D4Z5kZ1I/AAAAAAAAM94/OpGQ2eE6g1w7ulH2LMknQ_iX5D8sk40CwCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/57B3E856-B492-49AD-87F7-0BE9B7655D58.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2683" data-original-width="4032" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R0cGMVHXyAU/YL1D4Z5kZ1I/AAAAAAAAM94/OpGQ2eE6g1w7ulH2LMknQ_iX5D8sk40CwCPcBGAsYHg/w400-h266/57B3E856-B492-49AD-87F7-0BE9B7655D58.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost done... </td></tr></tbody></table>With all the cut-paper in place, I went
in with my additions—lots of dark red and navy blue, and some pastel pink,
blue, and yellow. To these I added torn sheet music in white and off-white. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">The result after my first session of work
was a rather chaotic and disjointed beginning. I was eager to bring in more
paper, some paint, and other materials to start turning this into a cohesive
image that looked like it all belonged together! I love that about collage—the
process of taking all these separate pieces and combining them into one
beautiful image. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZGO91gnQ83A/YL1D4dSL-5I/AAAAAAAAM94/m-CPe1ywmNc1wyGT2r20Rd9Pao_-c325gCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/06E94561-A8F8-4BCB-AD48-F67BF7D9DF00.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZGO91gnQ83A/YL1D4dSL-5I/AAAAAAAAM94/m-CPe1ywmNc1wyGT2r20Rd9Pao_-c325gCPcBGAsYHg/w400-h300/06E94561-A8F8-4BCB-AD48-F67BF7D9DF00.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Check out that modeling paste in action!</td></tr></tbody></table></div>I had been learning a lot about accessibility in art and design, especially tactile art, and wanted to make something super-textural, so I bought a big tube of modeling paste, a painting material that's sort of paint-meets-clay. It's thick and holds whatever shape or texture give it, so it was perfect for painting over the flower petals and stalks so that the flowers were literally stand out from the canvas. It was my goal that if a blind person were to touch the collage, they could identify the flower shapes. <div><br /></div><div>My final challenge was figuring out what Silhouette Girl would be doing.</div><div><br /></div><div>In keeping with the accessibility of the tactile flowers, I also wanted a nod to my beloved Deaf community. I considered different signs she could be making... protect, peace, hope, kindness...</div><div><br /></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PcSJYl8TDJA/YL1D4f_fgKI/AAAAAAAAM94/jR6dkoXi8wkc59yZ2jHbkP7rM8fP99MlgCPcBGAsYHg/s3024/ABDA8E0B-62C2-4D4F-B614-F6C87D2799B5.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PcSJYl8TDJA/YL1D4f_fgKI/AAAAAAAAM94/jR6dkoXi8wkc59yZ2jHbkP7rM8fP99MlgCPcBGAsYHg/w320-h320/ABDA8E0B-62C2-4D4F-B614-F6C87D2799B5.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The brainstorm Post-its I made while at work...</td></tr></tbody></table>Of course, it's impossible to capture most signs in a single image. Sign language is about movement! But there are a few signs that can be captured in a still. The well-known "I love you" handshape is one of them. "Shelter" is another. The sign is made by holding one hand flat and moving your other hand downward from your mouth to "take shelter" under the flat hand. </div><div></div><div><br /></div><div>So I painted Silhouette Girl signing "shelter" above her head, loud and proud, defending the innocent bunnies at her feet from the big, turbulent, bad world around them. </div><div><br /></div><div>Maybe I was also a bit inspired by the shelter-in-place orders beginning to take effect around the world, as Covid-19 swept through and totally altered life as we know it. We all wished for some sort of shelter safe from the virus, the chaos, and the uncertainty. A shelter fully stocked with toilet paper, of course. A shelter from the social and political unrest, the police brutality, the misinformation and selfishness.</div><div><br /></div><div>The final collage is hanging on the wall by my dining table. It was the first piece I hung in my apartment. I want this collage, with its themes of kindness, innocence, and shelter from the world's brutality, accessible and welcoming to all, to set the tone for my daily life. Of course I mess up... I'm often unkind, brusque, or unwelcoming. I yell at other drivers and get annoyed with my siblings and get impatient with my husband. But this collage has become my prayer and my goal. I hope it becomes your goal, as well. </div><div><br /></div><div>-Cailey</div>Caileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04841173975870749409noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537004564394328520.post-18348505242683626682021-09-18T13:10:00.001-04:002021-09-18T13:10:40.119-04:00Hope is the Thing With Feathers (and Glitter)When you know someone really well or for a long time, sometimes your communication starts looking a bit like a secret code. Inside jokes, shared memories and references, concocted signals, and old secrets weave their way in. My husband and I have our secret codes. I have secret codes with my family and my best friends. God and I have secret codes, too. <div><br /></div><div>God knows if I want him to make something abundantly obvious (because I'm a dummy and I don't pick up on his hints very well), I'll ask him to "hit me with a 2x4." Obviously that's not literal. </div><div><br /></div><div>We also understand that when I see a dragonfly, I know he's with me and taking care of me.</div><div><br /></div><div>My husband and I have had our share of struggles over the past months, adjusting to marriage, figuring out finances and whatnot... finally it felt like things were getting a bit better over the past month or so. Until the past two weeks, culminating in a really, really bad day on Thursday. </div><div><br /></div><div>Not like, "I overslept, stubbed my toe, the milk was spoiled, and my favorite team lost" kind of rough time. Well, my favorite team <i>did</i> lose... but I'm talking tragic car wrecks, lost jobs, terrible illnesses, and several deaths among my family and friends. A really, really rough, emotional time. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H5PQ4I4cp8c/YUYM64Y41hI/AAAAAAAANmE/UOUBsxAdp7sgVlYK1SifPtdPCSQlWKSKQCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_2140.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H5PQ4I4cp8c/YUYM64Y41hI/AAAAAAAANmE/UOUBsxAdp7sgVlYK1SifPtdPCSQlWKSKQCPcBGAsYHg/s320/IMG_2140.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div>However, God arranged for me to be off work Thursday, thanks to a randomly-scheduled doctor appointment, so I could spend the day with my husband. And God sent a couple dragonflies my way, flitting around my car as I parked outside our home after a late lunch out.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now it's Saturday, and I was just sitting on the balcony with a cup of coffee, talking with God about everything that's been going on. I asked him for a more tangible sign of hope because I feel like hope keeps slipping through my fingers, or flitting away on the breeze. </div><div><br /></div><div>God immediately pointed out that I am an artist. I can <i>make</i> that tangible reminder. He's given me all the materials I need! As I was praying and writing in my journal, I even saw these feathers on the balcony floor, perfect for little dragonfly wings. </div><div><br /></div><div>Emily Dickinson, a favorite poet of mine, wrote the famous poem beginning "Hope is the thing with feathers." Her metaphor was a little songbird... obviously dragonflies don't typically have feathers! Their wings are more like sparkly tissue paper or something. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-evUwHW8akP4/YUYJmg38LpI/AAAAAAAANhk/id_Kk3eYoOwURhHcGOI_W4SRhC9An75RwCPcBGAsYHg/s1056/IMG_2138.PNG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1056" data-original-width="750" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-evUwHW8akP4/YUYJmg38LpI/AAAAAAAANhk/id_Kk3eYoOwURhHcGOI_W4SRhC9An75RwCPcBGAsYHg/w284-h400/IMG_2138.PNG" width="284" /></a></div>But if you're talking with God, asking for hope, and you two have a secret code involving dragonflies, and he points out two feathers on the ground and quotes Emily Dickinson to you, the whole birds vs dragonflies thing becomes unimportant. You don't question it. You just pick up the feathers and wash them and get on with things. </div><div><br /></div><div>Like ok God, I get it, you're right. Enough with the 2x4, geez, don't give me a concussion!</div><div><br /></div><div>I always have random, unplanned works-in-progress waiting around for a real purpose; paint slathered on canvas in a fit of restless emotion. </div><div><br /></div><div>One of these random canvases is a little 8x10 piece I'd begun on a restless evening back in April, something randomly collaged together with scraps of paper, colored thread, and little sun decals, with no plan or purpose in mind. It would be the perfect background for a funky little dragonfly!</div><div><br /></div><div>I rummaged about in my collage materials for dragonfly parts, finally landing on a bit of crocheted ribbon, an amber button and a little wooden bead, some translucent vellum paper, the feathers I'd just found, and... glitter. </div><div><br /></div><div>I know... I know. Glitter. Yikes. What is glitter, known as the herpes of the craft world, doing in my art studio? </div><div><br /></div><div>I don't know. I never bought it, so someone must have given it to me. I haven't worked with glitter since I was a kid! But dragonfly wings are sparkly, and God <i>told</i> me I had all the materials, so somehow I had glitter. God works in mysterious, sometimes glittery, ways.</div><div><br /></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kHz0lpytAyQ/YUYPvusPnXI/AAAAAAAANmU/mRfd500kFyIaZO-bG7WyxCEhCJPh9G2jwCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_2143.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kHz0lpytAyQ/YUYPvusPnXI/AAAAAAAANmU/mRfd500kFyIaZO-bG7WyxCEhCJPh9G2jwCPcBGAsYHg/w400-h300/IMG_2143.HEIC" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Check out this bad boy and his funny, glittery wings!</td></tr></tbody></table>The finished piece came together like magic, no hesitation or waffling or getting stuck. Not even a glitter mess. And it is exactly the tangible thing I needed. Light, color, seeming serendipity, all coming together in a tangled-up, perfectly imperfect, unplanned image of hope. </div><div><br /></div><div>God often works in seeming serendipities, the things we couldn't have planned if we tried. Like this collage that I started months ago with no plan. </div><div><br /></div><div>Is everything from the past couple weeks magically fixed? No. Everything is just as rough and emotional and difficult as ever. Thursday still happened. I'm still crying at the drop of a hat. But God reminded me that hope doesn't have to dissolve or flit away. </div><div><br /></div><div>Hope can be tangible, because God made me an artist and artists can capture all those things that flit and dissolve and slip through the cracks. </div><div><br /></div><div>"Hope is the thing with feathers," and hope can be a thing with feathers and glitter, glued on a canvas covered in string.</div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6lnTB0lp5P0/YUYceCyAXvI/AAAAAAAANnY/jAapwtSZ0wAe4w-rw3cmtddb8lFB-ckrQCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_2145.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6lnTB0lp5P0/YUYceCyAXvI/AAAAAAAANnY/jAapwtSZ0wAe4w-rw3cmtddb8lFB-ckrQCPcBGAsYHg/w640-h480/IMG_2145.HEIC" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Hope is the thing with Feathers and Glitter</i>, September 2021. Paper, feathers, string, a button, a <br />bead, and glitter on canvas, 8"x10". Sorry about the bits of white glue. I tried to wait for it dry <br />clear but I was too impatient... </td></tr></tbody></table><br />-Cailey</div>Caileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04841173975870749409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537004564394328520.post-41418745125930195312021-05-22T14:12:00.001-04:002021-05-22T14:12:18.560-04:00Cailey's Back: Wheat and Sunflowers, Changes and Mistakes<p>After about a year off blogging, ya girl is back! Last year was probably the craziest year ever. I know, I don't even need to go into all that, it was a crazy year for everyone. But seriously. I'll share more later but let me just give you the cliff notes:<span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-skOu0SGtGqc/YKk459fErjI/AAAAAAAAMx0/w7r_DnBHdYUMTXpcx9sAf7rFqz_LpoziwCPcBGAsYHg/s2048/IMG_1375.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-skOu0SGtGqc/YKk459fErjI/AAAAAAAAMx0/w7r_DnBHdYUMTXpcx9sAf7rFqz_LpoziwCPcBGAsYHg/w266-h400/IMG_1375.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nick and me dancing at our<br />wedding!</td></tr></tbody></table>In January 2020 I was happily single, living in my parent’s house, working full-time, planning a visit to Kherson, Ukraine, and enjoying my best mental health in years. </p><p>Things were looking good, I was a few months away from paying off student loans, hoping to move into my own place by the end of the year, and working on an October deadline to publish a poetry novel.</p><p>By December I was engaged, had a new sister and a new nephew, had spent April and most of May off work for quarantine, I was finally getting ready to move into an apartment, I'd paid off my loans and completed my book, and was still enjoying my best mental health (aside from the stress of planning a wedding during a deadly pandemic!). </p><p>With everything going on last year, adopting a sister and dating during a pandemic and whatnot, something had to give... so this site drew the short straw.</p><p>Now I'm happily married, happily vaccinated, and ready to come back to See Cailey Color!</p><p>It seems right to begin with a painting that, like this blog, also sat dormant for a year:</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3okCiIwN5IM/YKkzm5a5lXI/AAAAAAAAMuU/Lej2A9z1-8Ys19omoogYKc9wWr30CGPaACPcBGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_1626.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3okCiIwN5IM/YKkzm5a5lXI/AAAAAAAAMuU/Lej2A9z1-8Ys19omoogYKc9wWr30CGPaACPcBGAsYHg/w640-h480/IMG_1626.HEIC" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Wheat and Sunflowers</i>, May 2021. Acrylic and gold ink on canvas, 14"x18". </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z8MZjZPlbmQ/YKkzm6FuMHI/AAAAAAAAMuU/_tygLyIRypodq85iQ_Gc1K0zYcW2-yJvACPcBGAsYHg/s4032/7A8CF90C-F8EF-4836-89DD-C78FDCF3F30B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z8MZjZPlbmQ/YKkzm6FuMHI/AAAAAAAAMuU/_tygLyIRypodq85iQ_Gc1K0zYcW2-yJvACPcBGAsYHg/w400-h300/7A8CF90C-F8EF-4836-89DD-C78FDCF3F30B.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early in the process...</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;">Like I said, I planned to go to Ukraine for a week at the end of June last year. </p><p style="text-align: left;">I got my passport, our group purchased plane tickets and started learning about the culture, everything was on track for us to travel... </p><p style="text-align: left;">Of course you already know that didn’t happen. Covid-19 threw a major wrench in everyone's plans. </p><p style="text-align: left;">When I began making arrangements for the trip, I did some research on the country, planning to make a painting inspired by what I learned. Wheat and sunflower oil are two of Ukraine's largest exports, and the area we were going to is very agricultural. </p><p style="text-align: left;">I've always loved sunflowers and the color yellow... Toss in a shameless obsession with Vincent Van Gogh, and this painting just <i>had</i> to happen!</p><p style="text-align: left;">So I spent hours googling images of sunflower fields and wheat fields, considering my composition and colors, and thinking about techniques. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R9zJifHCUS8/YKkzm_-hDFI/AAAAAAAAMuU/B9RhCq4d6M4YpY3ogXB7ncQkNx23gZANACPcBGAsYHg/s3885/IMG_9004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3019" data-original-width="3885" height="311" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R9zJifHCUS8/YKkzm_-hDFI/AAAAAAAAMuU/B9RhCq4d6M4YpY3ogXB7ncQkNx23gZANACPcBGAsYHg/w400-h311/IMG_9004.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Check out that empty foreground, waiting for inspiration!</td></tr></tbody></table></p><div style="text-align: left;">I wanted to use a paint brush as little as possible on this one, so I used a painting knife for the underpainting and and the sky, and a sponge to paint much of the sunflower field. I only used a brush on the sunflower details and the wheat!</div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">Anyway, coronavirus reared its ugly head, the trip was cancelled, plane tickets refunded, and my painting slipped to the sidelines. It was almost finished except for a strip of foreground that I just couldn’t get right.</p><p style="text-align: left;">The painting sat in a stack of unfinished work for a long time. I was seriously stuck on that foreground. I loved what I'd done with it thus far, especially with the sunflower field, but I just couldn't work it out.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Finally, just few weeks ago I decided I wanted to finish the painting. Feeling determined but still not exactly inspired, I made a big mistake by attempting to add a large pine tree to the foreground, with the trunk stretching up the right side and branches arching across the top, neatly framing the sunflower and wheat fields. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tSjYLrLh2vs/YKkzm9RSWiI/AAAAAAAAMuU/GbfoonHm9No06-KmqmzMHRQ84CW5d7k4gCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_1585.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tSjYLrLh2vs/YKkzm9RSWiI/AAAAAAAAMuU/GbfoonHm9No06-KmqmzMHRQ84CW5d7k4gCPcBGAsYHg/w400-h300/IMG_1585.HEIC" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I didn't even want to show you this picture but I felt <br />obligated to share my shame...</td></tr></tbody></table></p><div style="text-align: left;">My gut told me not to, but I was stubborn and added that darn tree.</div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">I hated it with the first brushstrokes, but I just kept painting and painting, like a mad woman. </p><p style="text-align: left;">By the time I finally put down my brush, I was stuck with this very ugly tree marring the whole right side of the canvas. It was awful. I hated it.</p><p style="text-align: left;">I mean, look at it! That's like.... the worst thing I've ever painted. I hate it. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Finally I put down my brush, but the damage was done and I wanted to cry. I felt like it was ruined. I was so mad at myself. </p><p style="text-align: left;">I hated the thought of trying to go back over it and fix everything. The sunflowers would never be the same. The big puffy clouds and deep blue sky could never be fixed. I even considered cutting the unmarred rectangle from the middle of the canvas to use in a collage. </p><p style="text-align: left;">But I didn't do anything drastic (the first thing I did right that night!). The next day, I painted back over the tree. Everything would be fine. </p><p style="text-align: left;">It strikes me that this painting is a lot like life. Sometimes, you ignore your conscience and do the wrong thing. You know it’s wrong and stupid, you know it’s ruining everything, but you do it anyway, all the while your gut is screaming at you for being so stupid and stubborn. </p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I’m thankful for a God who forgives mistakes and works things out for the best! </span></div><p style="text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PWwgTU2Ez9U/YKkzmxnwf7I/AAAAAAAAMuU/-McT_eTzdlIZfN7RT4eApUZ15phcBBV-wCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/29CF3302-ABE1-4ACC-A2CD-FDF23B793EB3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PWwgTU2Ez9U/YKkzmxnwf7I/AAAAAAAAMuU/-McT_eTzdlIZfN7RT4eApUZ15phcBBV-wCPcBGAsYHg/w400-h300/29CF3302-ABE1-4ACC-A2CD-FDF23B793EB3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost done!</td></tr></tbody></table></p><div style="text-align: left;">That doesn’t mean the mistake never happened; there are always consequences. </div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">It's true that the sky and the sunflower field will never be the same. And I’ll always know that underneath the yellow and blue paint, there’s an ugly tree that should never have happened. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Overall, however, the painting is actually more beautiful because it's finally finished!</p><p style="text-align: left;">June 2020 came and went and I still haven’t been to Ukraine. I have no idea if there’s a landscape like this anywhere in the country. There probably isn’t! I just know two of their main industries and enjoy using a paint knife. It’s hardly even about Ukraine anymore, but about mistakes and a hope for redemption.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NRZsBFIV_bY/YKlBK5LlWMI/AAAAAAAAMzA/_iP5SfLyC9AJC-ZYNNS9RoJFy-BAzFPGgCLcBGAsYHQ/s800/800px-Vincent_Van_Gogh_-_Wheatfield_with_Crows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="800" height="309" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NRZsBFIV_bY/YKlBK5LlWMI/AAAAAAAAMzA/_iP5SfLyC9AJC-ZYNNS9RoJFy-BAzFPGgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h309/800px-Vincent_Van_Gogh_-_Wheatfield_with_Crows.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vincent van Gogh, <i>Wheatfield with Crows,</i> oil on canvas, 1890. <br />I've always loved this one. Can you tell it was big inspiration for my painting?</td></tr></tbody></table></p></div><p>I still want to go to Ukraine someday and see what it actually looks like. But I’ll need to change the last name on my passport!</p><p>-Cailey Lazarus</p><div><br /></div>Caileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04841173975870749409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537004564394328520.post-71830371545555556472020-06-11T11:28:00.000-04:002020-06-11T11:28:00.191-04:00Dear Bus Artist: An Open Letter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aA-AfY-OrKA/WGxTQuTcY4I/AAAAAAAABb8/sJ1ilYMG_JwBLGFrbo27K6Br0cXt-E2dACLcB/s1600/229710_1099002713225_4904577_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aA-AfY-OrKA/WGxTQuTcY4I/AAAAAAAABb8/sJ1ilYMG_JwBLGFrbo27K6Br0cXt-E2dACLcB/s1600/229710_1099002713225_4904577_n.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">An Open Letter to an Artist I Met on a Bus in 2009</span><br />
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Dear Bus Artist,<br />
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The summer before I started ninth grade, my youth group did a "stay-cation"-style mission trip.<br />
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In other words, we camped out in the back yard of one of our youth leaders and did various service projects around the city. <br />
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We did things like painting and playing with kids at the Salvation Army youth center, working at an urban garden, and working with other local ministries. Each day, we took the city bus to a different work site.<br />
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For me, this was an eye-opening experience on many levels. <br />
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I had no idea the need, or the important work being done, in my own city!<br />
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Here I was, a timid, awkward freshman girl, hopping aboard a bus each morning and evening with a group of 20 other high school students. Have I mentioned I'd never ridden a bus before?<br />
<br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GYYn3mbfZxo/WGxTQim-wyI/AAAAAAAABcE/Cl0IH7e8YyY_4j_dWcnlvyiKPbnkqFsbACEw/s1600/224775_1099002913230_8276302_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GYYn3mbfZxo/WGxTQim-wyI/AAAAAAAABcE/Cl0IH7e8YyY_4j_dWcnlvyiKPbnkqFsbACEw/s320/224775_1099002913230_8276302_n.jpg" width="243" /></a>I was terrified of sitting next to a stranger, terrified of getting lost or missing my stop (yes, I was in a group; no, that did little to calm my fears), terrified that I'd make the wrong move and be mugged in the street.<br />
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At the time, I didn't realize these fears had a name: anxiety. As an adult, very aware of myself and my mental state, I can look back and point out all sorts of symptoms I had. As a young teen, I had no idea. I thought I was just a typical, if shy, person.<br />
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Of course I also had the normal teen girl fears, like not wanting to look stupid in front of my crush... Anyway, moving on.<br />
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By the end of the week, I was exhausted, probably stank from not showering enough, and was only slightly less terrified of the bus.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yt44s3p4M9s/WGxTQVxEXSI/AAAAAAAABbg/FnpT7YcYDTMq5-Qo1ekDtWoQlymVh40-gCEw/s1600/222775_1099002993232_2858613_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>That Friday afternoon, we all piled on the bus and to my dismay, I was the odd one out. I was forced to sit beside a stranger (horror of horrors!).<br />
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This is where you come in, Bus Artist. The strange I sat beside was you.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yt44s3p4M9s/WGxTQVxEXSI/AAAAAAAABbg/FnpT7YcYDTMq5-Qo1ekDtWoQlymVh40-gCEw/s1600/222775_1099002993232_2858613_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yt44s3p4M9s/WGxTQVxEXSI/AAAAAAAABbg/FnpT7YcYDTMq5-Qo1ekDtWoQlymVh40-gCEw/s320/222775_1099002993232_2858613_n.jpg" width="244" /></a>As a child I had an unexplained fear of men, particularly old men. Well, all old people. And strangers. And sick people, and people who smoked, and people with facial hair (my dad was clean-shaven). Or people who were loud and rambunctious. I had a long list of fears!<br />
<br />
In light of all that, I hope you weren't offended by my silence or my unwillingness to even let our clothing brush, though we shared a seat on a bus. I was a dumb kid, and you were an older man with a 5 o'clock shadow and the lingering scent of cigarettes.<br />
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But from the first moment, I noticed your clipboard and thick stack of paper. As we rode along on our jerky, stop-and-go way, I was intrigued to find that you were drawing on this makeshift sketchbook. I didn't want to pry, but I couldn't resist watching.<br />
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You sketched our fellow bus-passengers without a word. One, two, three pages, filled and flipped over the clipboard. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W2H_5cDgvRA/WGxTQgbNazI/AAAAAAAABbw/egoNyULCDJoDJ85K1hyZskUYov1eSCRegCEw/s1600/226795_1099002953231_3582250_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W2H_5cDgvRA/WGxTQgbNazI/AAAAAAAABbw/egoNyULCDJoDJ85K1hyZskUYov1eSCRegCEw/s320/226795_1099002953231_3582250_n.jpg" width="244" /></a>I would have never said spoken if you hadn't spoken first. I would have sat in silence the entire way, sneaking peeks at your sketches.<br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;">I'm so glad you spoke up!</span><br />
<br />
You asked if I liked art. My response, still nervous, was less than enthusiastic. I admitted I liked to draw sometimes.<br />
<br />
I wish I'd had the guts to speak freely, to tell you I'd been wondering about pursuing a career as an artist. I'd always loved art, poring over drawing books trying to absorb every word of instruction. I'd moved on from Crayola markers and crayons to "fancy pencils," charcoal, and ink-washes. I specialized in horses, copying all my favorite pictures in my horse books. Yes, I liked art!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xWz1pdGt7SU/WGxTQeCUVdI/AAAAAAAABbk/GUz0jFnCjaMo22zwDuxNuqVB62ZWkr-RgCEw/s1600/223450_1099002793227_1042123_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xWz1pdGt7SU/WGxTQeCUVdI/AAAAAAAABbk/GUz0jFnCjaMo22zwDuxNuqVB62ZWkr-RgCEw/s320/223450_1099002793227_1042123_n.jpg" width="243" /></a>You spent the rest of our bus ride showing me how you did gesture drawings. We talked about shading, and the direction of the light. Several times, you told me to get the book <em>Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain</em> by Betty Edwards. I tucked that title away in my mind.<br />
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You asked if I drank or smoked, which I, being a sheltered homeschool kid, was somewhat shocked by. I answered "no" truthfully. You smiled and said that was good, and not to try those things. You said drinking and smoking could ruin someone's life. I wondered, but I didn't ask whose life they'd ruined--yours or that of someone you loved. I've wondered ever since... and I've prayed. Whatever your story, I wish life had been a little kinder to you.<br />
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As soon as I got home, I borrowed <em>Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain</em> at the library. You were right, it's a pretty insightful book!<br />
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I'll admit, I largely forgot about our little encounter until a few years later when I stumbled upon that book in a used book sale. <br />
<br />
I opened the book, a hardcover, unlike the paperback library copy I'd borrowed years earlier. The spine was stiff from sitting unopened on someone's shelf.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hk5p0dFG3Q4/WGxTQ55mI_I/AAAAAAAABb4/KC15TUMDBOwL3x_KmXdAf3kjnwDscNOkQCEw/s1600/230265_1099002753226_3164296_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hk5p0dFG3Q4/WGxTQ55mI_I/AAAAAAAABb4/KC15TUMDBOwL3x_KmXdAf3kjnwDscNOkQCEw/s400/230265_1099002753226_3164296_n.jpg" width="305" /></a>Turning the pages, it all came tumbling back to me.<br />
<br />
Your gruff but kind words, you rough clothing, calloused hands cradling your scrap-paper sketchpad. Your sketches, so expressive and full of movement. The way you explained drawing perspective, shadows, and keeping in mind the direction of a light source.<br />
<br />
I was wildly glad that long-forgotten drawing book popped back into my life so unexpectedly, at a time when I happened to be feeling pretty frustrated and uninspired in the creative department.<br />
<br />
I don't know if I thanked you for talking about drawing with me. I don't remember our exact conversation, if I said anything when we reached my bus stop. You removed the sketches you'd made during our ride from your clipboard and handed them to me. They are the drawings in this letter.<br />
<br />
We parted knowing almost nothing about each other, except that we shared a love of art.<br />
<br />
Looking back, I wish I'd asked your story! I wish I'd asked you what you did for a living, what lead you to sketch your fellow bus-riders, or when you first started drawing. I wish I'd asked you if you knew Jesus.<br />
<br />
When I got off the bus with my friends, clutching the stack of pencil gesture drawings, I started crying. Weeping. I felt as if I had seen a glimpse of God, and in the most unexpected place: a 50-year-old artist riding a bus. I cried because I could suddenly see how much God loved you, and how much God loved me.<br />
<br />
That was in 2009. <br />
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-37U-2DTdHg4/WGxTQld1J_I/AAAAAAAABcE/DhFcphC8N5QwMS9cSZ1dAf7VH195_K6ZwCEw/s1600/226230_1099002873229_948895_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-37U-2DTdHg4/WGxTQld1J_I/AAAAAAAABcE/DhFcphC8N5QwMS9cSZ1dAf7VH195_K6ZwCEw/s640/226230_1099002873229_948895_n.jpg" width="488" /></a><br />
Today, eleven years after that bus ride, I wonder where you've ended up.<br />
<br />
What's happened in your life since that Friday afternoon? Do you still ride that bus route? Do you still carry your makeshift sketchpad of scrap paper?<br />
<br />
Thank you, sir, for speaking first. Thank you for the book recommendation, it's a great book! <br />
<br />
Thank you for reminding me that every person is a story, a poem, a sketch of dreams, mistakes, and memories. <br />
<br />
Thank you for reminding me that art exists to bring people together. I pray that I may grow to become the one who speaks first, myself, and touches the heart of a young person.<br />
<br />
Sincerely,<br />
<br />
The Teenage Girl on the BusCaileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04841173975870749409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537004564394328520.post-50076433809881280332020-03-29T14:48:00.000-04:002020-03-29T14:56:53.175-04:00Fear, Unfinished Art, and COVID-19<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kiazC2BZdQo/XoDa0IkNqCI/AAAAAAAAJsk/hpUUXyWtySMWDJOi0csgYrj7qCgdq0zxwCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/IMG_9021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1062" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kiazC2BZdQo/XoDa0IkNqCI/AAAAAAAAJsk/hpUUXyWtySMWDJOi0csgYrj7qCgdq0zxwCKgBGAsYHg/s640/IMG_9021.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Work-in-progress collage (untitled)</td></tr>
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Hey all! I hope you're staying healthy, safe, and sane during these strange times...<br />
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For well over a month I've been working on a large, colorful collage of sunflowers and bunnies. A few weeks ago I wrote up a basic first draft of the blog post I planned to share when it's finished... It's mostly about my mental health and how good this year has been so far, the symbolism of sunflowers and bunnies, good stuff like that.<br />
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The problem is, everything changed in the past three weeks. </div>
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A few weeks ago, COVID-19 was a distant concern for much of the world. For those like me, living a quiet life in the midwestern US, it was barely even a headline in the world news. </div>
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For the first two months of this year, my mental health was the best it has been in years!<br />
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I was happy, my depression was creeping steadily backward, my anxiety was the lowest since I don't even know when. My few anxious days each had specific causes, easy to address and move on. I refocused my relationship with God, I was spending more time with people I care about, I had a lot of new and exciting things happening, I was happy and healthy and doing so, so well. The happiest I've been in a long time.</div>
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Since COVID-19 developed into a full-blown pandemic, anxiety and depression began rearing their ugly heads once again.<br />
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I'm not all that concerned about getting sick (although maybe I should be? We can debate that later). My feelings about the illness itself are more of resignation than fear. I'm washing my hands, taking care of myself and my family, staying home. If I get sick, I get sick, there's nothing more I can do about it. All I can do is pray it would be a mild case. If any of my loved ones get sick, my prayer remains the same. My prayer remains the same for everyone across the world.<br />
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What's really caused me anxiety is the social upheaval and uncertainty over the future.<br />
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In a matter of days and weeks, businesses closed, restaurants closed their dining rooms, people became afraid, and most days social media seems to be more guilt-trips than anything else.<br />
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I felt guilty when I wasn't able to work from home, I feel guilty when I go to the grocery store, I feel guilty for cracking coronavirus jokes<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">—</span>but I need to make money, I need to eat, and I need to laugh in order to cope.<br />
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Now I'm off work until April 6th at the earliest, so at least I don't have to feel guilty about going to the office. Instead I just get to think about how long my paid time off will last, compared to how long this pandemic could run... fun thoughts, amiright? And as someone whose mental health thrives on routine, these ever-changing, uncertain times are <i>rough</i>. </div>
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On top of everything else, I've had a mild cough lingering for the past month, slowly and steadily improving. I feel guilty every time I have to cough or clear my throat in public, worried that my innocent cough is spreading fear and panic. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2UprU3CYRK0/XoDertRoo6I/AAAAAAAAJzs/3xNm2XhKohsOUBqfyW1INRofZrvxWmwcACKgBGAsYHg/s1600/57B3E856-B492-49AD-87F7-0BE9B7655D58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2UprU3CYRK0/XoDertRoo6I/AAAAAAAAJzs/3xNm2XhKohsOUBqfyW1INRofZrvxWmwcACKgBGAsYHg/s640/57B3E856-B492-49AD-87F7-0BE9B7655D58.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Work-in-progress collage (untitled)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Everything feels strange and surreal. On one hand, we're in the middle of a worldwide emergency, a deadly pandemic. People are sick, dying, or losing their jobs, suffering from deep depression exacerbated by loneliness and fear. Businesses are struggling. My heart breaks for those suffering, and I fear the long-term effects this will have on the economy and society. </div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FIv9JQfBauU/XoDg5zP8hPI/AAAAAAAAJ48/2sifO7JVXCU7qIw3WkI5uPph-I7dkVnQwCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/IMG_9399.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FIv9JQfBauU/XoDg5zP8hPI/AAAAAAAAJ48/2sifO7JVXCU7qIw3WkI5uPph-I7dkVnQwCKgBGAsYHg/s400/IMG_9399.JPG" width="400" /></a>On the other hand, the sun is shining and spring has arrived. My 25th birthday is in ten days! I'm making art, writing, baking cookies, exercising. Life goes on, strange as it may be right now.</div>
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However, I'm beyond thankful to say that my mental health is holding strong. The week of the 15th I was filled with anxiety and dread. I couldn't paint most of that week because I was too anxious.<br />
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This past week has been a different story! I'm still anxious and I dread the turmoil and loss in the coming weeks and months, but I've felt enough peace to paint, and that is truly a precious gift to me.<br />
<br />
I've continued working on this collage I started long before COVID-19 was a pandemic. Today I'm doing something I wouldn't normally do on this site... Today I've shared only work-in-progress photos, because the collage isn't finished yet.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bm9n3RY8Crc/XoDsM02bl5I/AAAAAAAAJ5s/qJP6vZS7CM075r1p-4BXmJyVitjyks4hgCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/IMG_9401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="298" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bm9n3RY8Crc/XoDsM02bl5I/AAAAAAAAJ5s/qJP6vZS7CM075r1p-4BXmJyVitjyks4hgCKgBGAsYHg/s400/IMG_9401.JPG" width="400" /></a>I'm hoping to complete it sometime this week, and then I'll edit and publish my other blog post draft sharing the inspiration behind the piece. That is also when I will reveal the title of this piece. I've chosen a title I think we all will be able to connect with...<br />
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For now, I hope you enjoy these progress shots. Just as this bunnies and flowers collage is unfinished, remember that this pandemic is not the new normal, this is not the end. This is temporary, and in time the term "social distancing" will become a memory.<br />
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Until then, this collage has become my prayer. I pray you remain healthy, safe, and happy. I pray illness, stress, financial struggle, loneliness, and boredom stay far away from you. I pray these bright sunflowers and blue bunnies can brighten your day a little. I pray you enjoy baking sourdough bread, sewing masks for hospitals, binge-watching Netflix, or whatever you're doing while quarantined. I pray you learn new things about the world, yourself, and your loved ones during this time. I pray that we all learn to value our relationships more, and learn to treat others with an extra dose of kindness... especially those workers who are so often mistreated, but are truly essential to keeping our society going.<br />
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I pray you remain healthy and safe.</div>
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-Cailey</div>
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Caileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04841173975870749409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537004564394328520.post-28768832945262933202020-02-01T09:22:00.000-05:002020-02-01T09:22:14.478-05:00Franz Marc, Laurel Burch, and Me<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N22r0rgEA6Y/VGJA3xQn1CI/AAAAAAAAAzU/RD-j0xtJ55g/s1600/Marc%2C_Franz_-_Blue_Horse_I_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N22r0rgEA6Y/VGJA3xQn1CI/AAAAAAAAAzU/RD-j0xtJ55g/s400/Marc%2C_Franz_-_Blue_Horse_I_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Franz Marc, Blaues Pferd I (<i>Blue Horse I</i> ), 1911</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Another blog post, another note about forgetting to publish this when I drafted it, almost a year ago... I know, my blunder is old news.<br />
<br />
Don't worry, we're almost through this old batch about last year's <i>Silhouette Girl and the Moonhorse</i> <a href="https://www.seecaileycolor.com/2019/03/the-sketchbook-project-part-1-creative.html" target="_blank">project</a>. I just couldn't allow myself to trash all this content, even if it's old. I really love sharing my inspiration with you. Please stay with me just a little longer?<br />
<br />
I'm still embarrassed, but I take great comfort in the fact that you're still here, reading all this. I appreciate the support, more than you know!<br />
<br />
I promise, new content will come soon. I've got some really exciting things headed your way... more art, more poetry, more everything. In the meantime...<br />
<br />
Franz Marc rocks.<br />
<br />
Not sure who he is? No worries! I'm going to talking about him today so if you're curious, keep reading. If you're not curious, well... I really hope you keep reading anyway?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ej9o9Sg17bg/XIfFUfQ1SMI/AAAAAAAAGcg/LR6bCujW9f8hB7_XOfv-XNjCyuviW1KMgCLcBGAs/s1600/26010_300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="528" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ej9o9Sg17bg/XIfFUfQ1SMI/AAAAAAAAGcg/LR6bCujW9f8hB7_XOfv-XNjCyuviW1KMgCLcBGAs/s400/26010_300.jpg" width="301" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laurel Burch, "Indigo Mares"</td></tr>
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Okay, back to Franz Marc. Franz Marc painted lots of subjects, but he was especially fond of animals, and of all the animals, he painted horses the most. As one who has grown up with a love for horses, I can't help thinking of Franz Marc as "the blue horse guy". <br />
<br />
Growing up, I tended to prefer realism. As my appreciation for expressionism has grown, so has my enjoyment of Marc and his colorful cubist critters.<br />
<br />
Nevertheless, there's a connection which didn't occur to me until I opened this old blog draft. I was preparing a basic piece on Marc and his animals, but I realized that Marc and I seem to have something in common... And we're not alone.<br />
<br />
Enter Laurel Burch! <br />
<br />
In one fell 16-page swoop starring a blue horse, I managed to accidentally echo both Franz Marc and Laurel Burch. <br />
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I would be mad if they both weren't so great!<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LPeAgJhoA5w/XIeo-og9yXI/AAAAAAAAGcU/iFJzKLWB7F8A13ijYReDstMLUB3X2qVTQCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_6554.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LPeAgJhoA5w/XIeo-og9yXI/AAAAAAAAGcU/iFJzKLWB7F8A13ijYReDstMLUB3X2qVTQCKgBGAs/s400/IMG_6554.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail, "Meeting," Silhouette Girl and the Moonhorse.<br />
Watercolor, gouache, ink, and mulberry paper on paper<br />
cloth. March 2019.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Oops, did I say that? Yes, I'm also a Laurel Burch fan! Not the cats; I'm not a cat person, but I'm all over her horses. Her use of colors and shapes is gorgeous.<br />
<br />
Between the two of them, Marc and Burch managed to capture animals in entirely new ways, using vibrant colors, shapes, and patterns. They both favored cats and horses and created dynamic compositions with them. <br />
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They also both felt strongly about the meaning of art and the feelings they could evoke with their paintings.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"Today we are searching for things in nature that are hidden behind the veil of appearance... We look for and paint this inner, spiritual side of nature." </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- Franz Marc</span><br />
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Franz Marc, Wassily Kandinsky, and some of their avant-garde friends formed an organization called Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider) in 1911.<br />
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This group was deeply interested in spiritual meaning within art. Their mission was to get away from the long-standing art traditions and returning to a raw, primal, spiritually meaningful art. They were deeply invested in symbolism and spiritual representation in art. Kind of a kooky bunch in my opinion, but we all have different beliefs. I won't fault them for being a little kooky.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FiW36FptoG0/XIkKfMya13I/AAAAAAAAGdM/P0DygBb61s0vXy_EhOkBOSvwjB6ut4lWgCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/BlaueReiter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="268" data-original-width="205" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FiW36FptoG0/XIkKfMya13I/AAAAAAAAGdM/P0DygBb61s0vXy_EhOkBOSvwjB6ut4lWgCPcBGAYYCw/s320/BlaueReiter.jpg" width="244" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Cover of <em>Der Blaue Reiter</em>. Design by </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Wassily </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Kandinsky, 1912.</span></td></tr>
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In 1912 Der Blaue Reiter published a journal of essays by the artists and almost 150 reproductions of primitive, children's, and folk art.<br />
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Marc, like many influential artists, had some traditional art training early on. He fell in love with the work of Vincent van Gogh, and left art school in favor of developing his skills alongside other avant-garde artists. <br />
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As Der Blaue Reiter focused more and more on the spiritual meanings of color and form, their work continued to drift more and more toward cubism and the abstract, leaving their traditional art education behind.<br />
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The start of WWI brought an end to The Blue Rider organization and publication. Franz Marc was drafted into the German cavalry and killed in battle in 1916. <br />
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However, Marc and Kandinsky sparked something that lasted far longer. Der Blaue Reiter led the way for the Abstract Expressionists, 20th century "modern artists" like Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, and Mark Rothko.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">"My paintings are the most intimate portrayals of all that is precious to me, my greatest joy is to offer them in forms that enhance and brighten the lives of kindred spirits all around the globe." </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- Laurel Burch</span> <br />
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Like Franz Marc, Laurel Burch felt strongly about the meaning in her art. She used color and form as tools for spreading joy, building her career on that mission. Whereas Marc and Kandinsky were focused on the spiritual and mystical, Burch's focus was on the mythical and fantastical, creating images of cats, butterflies, horses, and other animals in sparkling jewel tones and geometric designs, ignoring fashion trends and instead drawing influences from folk art and her imagination. <br />
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Laurel Burch started out as a young single mother making jewelry to sell in shops in San Francisco, but quickly outgrew her humble beginning. She made jewelry, painted, and experimented with many art and craft techniques. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ve4u73XgJjY/XIkRpgpu1cI/AAAAAAAAGdU/kxvjIRC1etkNd6qXqY4pyGzvUR7jKxxYQCLcBGAs/s1600/Laurel-Burch-cats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="558" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ve4u73XgJjY/XIkRpgpu1cI/AAAAAAAAGdU/kxvjIRC1etkNd6qXqY4pyGzvUR7jKxxYQCLcBGAs/s320/Laurel-Burch-cats.jpg" width="296" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laurel Burch with one her numerous cat paintings</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Burch had a bone disease, osteopetrosis ("stone bone") and passed away in 2007 due to complications from that. Her bones were very hard and brittle, and she broke over 100 bones in her life. She knew pain, and strove to outweigh her pain with vibrant, joyful art.<br />
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Like Marc and the artists of Der Blaue Reiter, Laurel Burch's influence went beyond simply painting. Burch was something of a pioneer— she was one of the first Americans to partner with Chinese manufacturers, in the early 70s when China was generally considered a closed market. Burch stood up for the integrity of her work, politely but firmly insisting that every product reproduce her images exactly, with no change or interpretation.<br />
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Burch's colorful, fun-loving art and her mind for business led to a worldwide market, expanding to license numerous companies to create products using her original artwork. She made her art accessible to all, with everyday products like jewelry, accessories, and clothing, sold at inexpensive prices. <a href="https://laurelburchstudios.com/" target="_blank">Laurel Burch, Inc.</a> virtually exploded in the 80s and 90s, and is still known and loved today, especially among cat-lovers.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Am I breaking some rule by comparing Franz Marc and Laurel Burch?</span> <br />
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Did an art critic somewhere in New York, London, or Paris just start inexplicably crying?<br />
<br />
I really don't know, and that's the thing about the art world. I've barely dipped my toe in with a few art shows and that awesome RAW: Columbus experience, but from the outside I see so many unspoken, unwritten rules. So many "shoulds."<br />
<br />
As a child I fell in love with Norman Rockwell's paintings, and as a teen I discovered that many artists and critics claim he was "only an illustrator" or "only a cover designer." Apparently he didn't count as a a "real artist"...whatever that means.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2X2UlsExK_Y/XIky-RJCJDI/AAAAAAAAGdg/lzuoWB57MWsSW-PkobEmn3VcHURIslXnQCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_6569.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2X2UlsExK_Y/XIky-RJCJDI/AAAAAAAAGdg/lzuoWB57MWsSW-PkobEmn3VcHURIslXnQCKgBGAs/s400/IMG_6569.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail, "The Dance," from Silhouette Girl and the <br />
Moonhorse. Watercolor, gouache, ink, and mulberry <br />
paper on paper cloth. March 2019.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As if being an illustrator or a designer is somehow not being an artist? Somehow, I don't see the logic there...<br />
<br />
For a long time I grudgingly believed that pretentious, long-held, harmful idea that if an artist is not devoted to making it in the fine art world of galleries and agents, cocktail dresses and auctions, they don't belong. Grudgingly, because I don't like the idea of being boxed into that role. <br />
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Finally I found my mistake, and suddenly I felt free to have an Etsy shop and design on Redbubble, and still call myself a serious artist. <br />
<br />
I had spent so long wanting to "be an artist" as if that were a dream job to work toward, not realizing that I was an artist simply because I made art!<br />
<br />
I now believe the purpose of art is to build bridges and bring people together, not divide them. Art is meant to open the eyes of those who cause hurt, and to heal those who are hurting. <br />
<br />
Whether the artist is Franz Marc, Laurel Burch, Norman Rockwell, Leonard da Vinci, whoever - our art exists to try to bridge the gaps between all of us. <br />
<br />
I believe that when two people who are otherwise opposite—upbringing, nationality, age, religion, class, education, values—become lost in the same painting, feeling the same emotions, longing for the same things, utterly eclipsed by a single painting, song, book, or movie... <em>that</em> is why we make art.<br />
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-Cailey<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Some sources on Franz Marc, <em>Der Blaue Reiter</em>, and Laurel Burch:</span></div>
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Marc"><span style="font-size: x-small;">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Marc</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Der_Blaue_Reiter" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Der_Blaue_Reiter</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Der-Blaue-Reiter" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">https://www.britannica.com/topic/Der-Blaue-Reiter</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.theartstory.org/movement-der-blaue-reiter-history-and-concepts.htm" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">https://www.theartstory.org/movement-der-blaue-reiter-history-and-concepts.htm</span></a><br />
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/20/arts/20burch.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">https://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/20/arts/20burch.html</span></a></div>
<div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://colorfulcritters.com/whowaslaurelburch.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">https://colorfulcritters.com/whowaslaurelburch.aspx</span></a></div>
<a href="https://www.wikiart.org/en/laurel-burch" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">https://www.wikiart.org/en/laurel-burch</span></a>Caileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04841173975870749409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537004564394328520.post-21899866261520924302020-01-23T11:12:00.000-05:002020-01-27T17:28:27.097-05:00Arches National Park, Ohioans, and the Moon<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-806byd828GM/XIgpPt6jx6I/AAAAAAAAGcs/VMFz4LX8zCIgCH_Gt3tnb97Sgl4_kTIvACKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_8942.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-806byd828GM/XIgpPt6jx6I/AAAAAAAAGcs/VMFz4LX8zCIgCH_Gt3tnb97Sgl4_kTIvACKgBGAs/s400/IMG_8942.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Delicate Arch from the upper viewpoint. This is the closest we could get <br />
without a strenuous hike, and I don't have a telephoto lens!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
If you read my post before last, the one about <a href="https://www.seecaileycolor.com/2020/01/mars-bryce-canyon-and-sketchbook-project.html" target="_blank">Mars and Bryce Canyon</a>, you know I recently found a batch of unpublished stuff all about <a href="https://www.seecaileycolor.com/2019/03/silhouette-girl-and-moonhorse-part-2.html" target="_blank">Silhouette Girl and the Moonhorse</a>, and some of the creative inspiration behind that project. Well, today I'm coming at ya with another of those forgotten blog posts... the inspiration for my depiction of the moon. Good ol' Luna, Earth's beautiful moon...<br />
<br />
But before I get started, I want to share a quick note of thanks to the first person to look at Moonhorse in the Brooklyn Art Library! Last week I got an email notifying me that someone looked at it. Thank you, Audrey, wherever you are! I hope you liked my fanciful little story!<br />
<br />
Okay, back to business... One of the highlights of my family vacation in 2018 (yes, you'll be hearing about that trip as long as I live; no, I don't feel bad about bringing it up all the time) was seeing Arches National Park. Arches is located in Moab, Utah, one of the "Big 5" national parks in Utah, and a must-see if you're visiting the area.<br />
<br />
The entrance to Arches is dramatic. The visitor center is at the foot of huge cliffs rising up around it.<br />
<br />
To enter the park, you have to drive up and around the sides of the cliffs as if the road is gradually curving and switch-backing up the sides of a funnel. The visitor's center is 4,085 feet above sea level, the lowest elevation in the park. By the time you reach the top of the "funnel" and are truly inside the park, you've gained over 500 feet.<br />
<br />
At the top you're met with Arches' beautiful natural spires, walls, fins, columns, of course <em>arches</em>.<br />
Tall, narrow fins of rock, aptly named Park Avenue in a double-pun, rise above the entrance road like skyscrapers. Much of the rock in southern Utah is bright orange and golden-brown sandstone, and the colors only push the drama further.<br />
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Arches Entrance Road curves deep into the park, with numerous viewpoints and other roads breaking off from it. Most the sites are easy to see from the car, and there are lots of short trails up to and around the enormous stone features.<br />
<br />
Of course we were all eager to see the famous Delicate Arch, a beautiful, free-standing arch near the eastern edge of the park. Unfortunately, getting to the arch required a more serious hike than any of us were up to at that point. This was the last real day of our grand adventure, before driving halfway across Colorado and flying home. Between our exhaustion and the elevation, we settled for the sight above, from the upper Delicate Arch viewpoint.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eYrnHOB8ZUs/XIgpPprCKzI/AAAAAAAAGcs/i4PRB2qA6rweQm4ZMGs6B7R2_zr4kaeNgCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_5768.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eYrnHOB8ZUs/XIgpPprCKzI/AAAAAAAAGcs/i4PRB2qA6rweQm4ZMGs6B7R2_zr4kaeNgCKgBGAs/s640/IMG_5768.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Balanced Rock</em>, Arches Nat'l Park, Utah. November 2018.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vCp3ImkO9lg/XIgqcHpbwrI/AAAAAAAAGc4/WgQhBKSL5uoyB_LyGr_htc9oAtYeOeY6QCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_6555.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vCp3ImkO9lg/XIgqcHpbwrI/AAAAAAAAGc4/WgQhBKSL5uoyB_LyGr_htc9oAtYeOeY6QCKgBGAs/s400/IMG_6555.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail from Silhouette Girl and the Moonhorse.<br />
<em>Balanced Rock, Earth and Mars</em>. Watercolor, ink, <br />
gouache, and mulberry paper on paper cloth.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Nine miles in, Balanced Rock is easily recognizable from the main park road. Balanced Rock is what inspired my drawings of the moon in Silhouette Girl and the Moonhorse! I wanted to convey the near-weightlessness of the Moon, while echoing familiar terrestrial nature.<br />
<br />
I imagine rock formations which would be impossible on earth might in fact be plausible in lower gravity. I'm no physicist, but I like the idea that the moon could have a response to our Balanced Rock. Don't you?<br />
<br />
There's something almost surreal about finally seeing these things in person after admiring photos all my life. It's entirely changed my perspective. <br />
<br />
One amazing rock formation we got to see is the Parade of Elephants. This is a series of massive rocks that really do look like a heard of elephants.<br />
<br />
We climbed up to get a closer look at it, and it really was marvelous to stand up close and realize just how enormous these rocks were. They weren't just rocks or boulders. They were immense. <br />
<br />
They say everything's bigger in Texas, but if my whirlwind tour through New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado is any indication, I actually think everything's bigger west of the Mississippi. Photos can never show just how massive these things truly are. In photos, Balanced Rock looks like something I could reach out and tip over with one hand, but it's actually a 55-foot boulder naturally cemented onto a 73-foot base, reaching well over 100 feet into the air. Compared to many of the rock features in Arches, Delicate Arch stands relatively small at 52 feet.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8bm0LF4shks/XKaoc4AY5VI/AAAAAAAAGmY/vGE29KhIS3wsvcws6609BlGvR6YURY3xgCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_8881.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8bm0LF4shks/XKaoc4AY5VI/AAAAAAAAGmY/vGE29KhIS3wsvcws6609BlGvR6YURY3xgCKgBGAs/s400/IMG_8881.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arches National Park, November 2018. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Walking around these stone structures that absolutely overshadow Ohio's forests, plains, and foothills, I could hardly believe that the stone of Arches is actually wearing down, shrinking away over time, thanks to the constant (believe me, <i>constant</i>) wind on the high plains.<br />
<br />
Arches is composed mostly of mudstone and sandstone, which crumble and wear away easily. Delicate Arch is, in fact, becoming more delicate with each passing day. One day, Balanced Rock may fall. The Parade of Elephants is very gradually crumbling, tiny grain by grain of sandstone.<br />
<br />
We often believe stone is as close to eternal as anything can be, but the truth of the matter is that even rock wears away, falls, shatters, turns to sand and dust. This was a sobering thought, a faint shadow at the edges of our visit at Arches, and the buffeting wind served as a constant reminder.<br />
<br />
But Arches is also a reminder that you shouldn't dwell on that distant future. All you can do is enjoy what is here now, and do your best to conserve and not harm the environment. <br />
<br />
With that in mind, we had a lot of fun. We took goofy pictures, peered through ginormous openings like windows, enjoying every moment. We stuck to simple hikes, but had no regrets.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-egxTwN7apLg/XKao4UOWiKI/AAAAAAAAGmg/jD3KQtjXUs4Apk1MfkaAtGI-thSqOzjSwCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_8874.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="425" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-egxTwN7apLg/XKao4UOWiKI/AAAAAAAAGmg/jD3KQtjXUs4Apk1MfkaAtGI-thSqOzjSwCKgBGAs/s640/IMG_8874.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">O-H-I-O pose!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GyZDee5632w/XK3mT04r38I/AAAAAAAAGnI/PqSOM8fCDEQB0CPvbW4lXisZAOitMNQxwCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_6147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1280" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GyZDee5632w/XK3mT04r38I/AAAAAAAAGnI/PqSOM8fCDEQB0CPvbW4lXisZAOitMNQxwCKgBGAs/s400/IMG_6147.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Buckeye Fans at Parade of Elephants</em>. Pen on paper, 2018.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As Ohioans will, we had to take plenty of pictures posing with our arms spelling out O-H-I-O.<br />
<br />
My brother-in-law, who hails from Florida, was thoroughly unimpressed by our repeated shows of state pride, but that didn't stop us from doing the O-H-I-O pose every chance we got. His scoffing wasn't going to stop these devoted Buckeyes.<br />
<br />
There were so many reasons to be excited for vacation, and one of them was my hope to get reconnected with art after a long time of feeling unable to draw, paint, or even look at art. I was burnt-out and dealing with heightened anxiety after some major life-events.<br />
<br />
Indeed, this trip out west was the reset I needed! I came back physically worn out but creatively refreshed. It's like the art centers had my brain had been numbed for months on end, but this trip woke them and got me back on track.<br />
<br />
It felt amazing to come home and finally paint again.<br />
<br />
Sometimes a major change of scenery and break in routine is all that's needed to cut the burnout and creative frustration. This trip was such a big deal for my family and me, and such a big creative boost, that you'll just have to deal with continuing to hear about it more than a year later. I hope you'll forgive me...<br />
<br />
-CaileyCaileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04841173975870749409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537004564394328520.post-69362975790530502982020-01-11T10:42:00.001-05:002020-01-11T10:47:05.217-05:00Calm, Comfort, CourageI know, I just posted a few days ago! I'm trying to get back on track posting regularly. Yay for starting the year with good intentions!<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IhcLbmZbPG4/XhlWYqZyOpI/AAAAAAAAJMc/8ChNfHsy_TokY-Ziv1a_o-dSslaR0OY8QCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/IMG_8778.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1278" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IhcLbmZbPG4/XhlWYqZyOpI/AAAAAAAAJMc/8ChNfHsy_TokY-Ziv1a_o-dSslaR0OY8QCKgBGAsYHg/s400/IMG_8778.JPG" width="318" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Calm (Still)</i>. January 2020. Collage on canvas, 8"x10". </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">On Monday I went home from work
planning to spend the evening tidying up, crocheting, and catching the latest
episode of Saturday Night Live on Hulu. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Instead, the evening became a mad rush to
create. I haven’t had a strong collage urge lately; I started a couple of very
small pieces a few months ago, but nothing large or elaborate. But by the time
I got home Monday evening, I felt it. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I <i>needed</i> to make a collage!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Then "a collage" turned into three collages. Why hold back?</div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I started by looking through some photos
and pulling out three that I wanted to use. I can’t describe why I picked them
over any others, they just had the right <i>feeling</i>. </span>Then I dug through my
extensive collection of painted and textured paper, old maps, feathers, bits of
lace, and odds and ends I’ve saved on the off chance they’ll come in handy for
a collage. </div>
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Eventually I pulled out several different-colored sheets of mulberry paper, some scraps of a Chinese newspaper, and some pieces of an old world map, and set to work.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oiGX6YgwSaw/XhlWh0c_4BI/AAAAAAAAJNY/-TwFcA01rvc4D-infsqboiQgR9CtuBi2ACKgBGAsYHg/s1600/IMG_8773.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1300" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oiGX6YgwSaw/XhlWh0c_4BI/AAAAAAAAJNY/-TwFcA01rvc4D-infsqboiQgR9CtuBi2ACKgBGAsYHg/s400/IMG_8773.JPG" width="323" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Comfort (Small)</i>. January 2020. Collage on canvas, 8"x10". </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">After organizing all the materials into three
stacks, one per photo, I got out three 8x10 canvas boards. I might have done
larger if I had any, but that was the only size that I had three of. We look
for a lot of meaning in a piece of art, analyzing everything—subject, color,
symbolism, composition, size, media—and I generally think carefully about
everything, even the canvas size I want to work with… but sometimes an artist’s
choice is as simple as what she happens to have on hand! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I lined up my three small canvases so I
could arrange the collages simultaneously. I started by determining and laying
out the key elements: the photos, three squares of paper that felt meaningful
to me, and three rectangles of paper to coordinate the colors within each
piece. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">The first, <i>Calm (Still)</i>, features a
photo of the beach on Tybee Island, Georgia. In this collage I used a lot of
silver, soft blue and bronze-y grey.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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The second<i>, Comfort (Small)</i>, has a
photo of a quilt that was handmade by my great-grandmother, then finished and given to me by
my mom. For this one I focused on the colors in the quilt, like soft blue, warm tan,
and golden red-orange. In the corner I used a piece of paper inscribed with a
definition of peace written by a dear teacher of mine... </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Contentment. Calmness. Assurance of "it will be okay."</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UV-SBvZ8pqU/XhlR5l1uYqI/AAAAAAAAI9M/dLMf_Q76VM0CtqVQ5YIbI0B9p17BPzHSACKgBGAsYHg/s1600/IMG_8772.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1281" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UV-SBvZ8pqU/XhlR5l1uYqI/AAAAAAAAI9M/dLMf_Q76VM0CtqVQ5YIbI0B9p17BPzHSACKgBGAsYHg/s400/IMG_8772.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Courage (Voice).</i> January 2020. Collage on canvas, 8"x10".</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Finally, <i>Courage (Voice)</i> features
a photo of myself—that is, myself a few years ago, when I had very long hair. You can’t see my face, only my hair tumbled down around my heart, with a few
feathers woven in. For this one, I used mostly black and gold. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">The paper square
in the lower corner is cut from the table of contents for an old book entitled <i>The Emblems of The Holy
Spirit.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Even though each individual piece contains some different
colors and motifs, I wanted the series to be easily recognized as one image. A triptych, technically. Arranging them all at once and
placing certain parts so they lined up perfectly with one another helped to
create this feeling of oneness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">If you were paying attention to the
parenthetical titles and the symbolism of three in one, you’ve probably picked
up on the fact that this was a very spiritual project.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I’ve always struggled
with what it means to make “Christian” art. I’ve written about this before. It’s an ongoing point of tension in my work. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Over the years I’ve drawn Bible scenes, made collages of
what the Church or Christian community means and does, and made pieces inspired
by certain Bible verses. This one doesn't contain a single piece of scripture or Bible story, but for me, this triptych is as deeply faith-based as
anything else I could make. </span></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kMW4BGjPAZ0/XhlYO9zYz_I/AAAAAAAAJOk/y_B6QN0P_tQYfW71XYCEJpCFsJSW3AP9QCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/IMG_8779.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kMW4BGjPAZ0/XhlYO9zYz_I/AAAAAAAAJOk/y_B6QN0P_tQYfW71XYCEJpCFsJSW3AP9QCKgBGAsYHg/s320/IMG_8779.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Comfort (Small)</i> detail.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">With each scrap of paper I glued down, I thought and prayed
about my relationship with God. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">My faith has been difficult
for me; I won't lie. It’s not that I struggle with belief—I can’t see any way for me to stop
believing! I absolutely believe that the Bible is true and that God
made us, loves us despite our flaws and mistakes, and defeated sin and death so
that we could be with him. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">The trouble for me has always been the challenge of spreading my faith from my mind to my
heart.</span>I can see his works, the things he’s done
that no coincidence can explain. I
know how to read the Bible, I know a lot about its history, about theology and
what some of the different Biblical concepts mean. </div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">The truth is, knowing about God is
different from <i>knowing</i> him, and knowing him is different from having a
relationship with him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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When I first started making collages, my art teacher had a rule: no matter what other materials I used, I always had to include something I drew or painted myself. I break plenty of art "rules", but that's one I <i>have</i> kept.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qHRSDElCevs/XhlVAovGpGI/AAAAAAAAJK4/T9RBftfH1poy_y-X2M-YILmNWcrZMf8xQCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/IMG_8780.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qHRSDElCevs/XhlVAovGpGI/AAAAAAAAJK4/T9RBftfH1poy_y-X2M-YILmNWcrZMf8xQCKgBGAsYHg/s320/IMG_8780.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Courage (Voice)</i> detail. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So I set these aside for a few days, not sure what to draw (and I was busy! It's hard to balance full-time work, some semblance of a social life, writing, <i>and</i> art!). But all the
time, that last, all-important element was needling at me. I needed one, single
image to draw across the three and make them really, truly one artwork in three
pieces.<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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The answer came when a friend shared a
few song lyrics on Instagram. </div>
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The song was from my long-time favorite band,
Relient K. I don’t remember which friend it was and I don't remember which song they shared, but it called to mind a different song. This is one of my favorite Relient K songs, "Prodigal." </div>
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"Prodigal" is
about returning to faith after periods of stagnation, or times when life seems
to take over and push God aside. One of the verses begins, “Sweet Jesus, I was
coming to pray, but Lord, I’ve been so busy and I kept you away.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p>Oof. If that line doesn't hit you in the gut, I don't know what will. I don't know why, but it's just so easy to let busyness get in the way of the more important things! Whether it's your relationship with God, your significant other, your best friend... I know I'm guilty of this on several accounts. </o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jgj2ySaZd-E/XhlRwlklgHI/AAAAAAAAI80/raJ170WwUz4GiHctzOPxIwyA9n8TuyexgCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/211964D4-B951-474C-B256-37D3392BBA0F.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jgj2ySaZd-E/XhlRwlklgHI/AAAAAAAAI80/raJ170WwUz4GiHctzOPxIwyA9n8TuyexgCKgBGAsYHg/s320/211964D4-B951-474C-B256-37D3392BBA0F.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...I seriously love good bread....</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The chorus of the song goes like this:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">“I am the champion of wine,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">you’re the bread on my tongue.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I am the last one in line,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">the prodigal.”</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It probably helped that the night before, I ate some delicious homemade sourdough bread... </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Regardless, there it was—the image I was looking for. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Bread and wine.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Of course, if your church is anything
like mine, bread and wine is translated to be wafers the size of your
pinky-fingernail and half a swallow of grape juice. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m not looking to bash my church—I love
my church! They are a group of people who worship and serve God with a passion,
love each other truly, and try to live according to the Bible. I love the
community, the preaching, the worship, the teaching... but I’ve never loved how we
do communion. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once in a while, I wish I could walk up
to the communion table and rip a hearty, wholesome chunk from a crusty loaf of
bread and dunk that bad boy into a nice glass of… well, I don’t like the taste
of wine. The daydream stops there. I guess I’m glad my church serves grape
juice, after all.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And due to food allergies and intolerances, I know those minuscule wafers are a better option.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My point is, communion is an act of
remembering, with all your senses, the sacrifice Jesus made to redeem us all. When I really take the time to fully experience it instead of going through the motions as I so often do, this rejuvenates
my faith like nothing else can. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-19TEbmTrbY4/XhlTA7jw2CI/AAAAAAAAJB4/-uWewfdONT49DAGyOrBk8bk03kpv_DwQwCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/IMG_8775.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="665" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-19TEbmTrbY4/XhlTA7jw2CI/AAAAAAAAJB4/-uWewfdONT49DAGyOrBk8bk03kpv_DwQwCKgBGAsYHg/s640/IMG_8775.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three in one: <i>Calm, Comfort, Courage (Still, Small Voice)</i>. January 2020. Collage on three 8"x10" canvases (24"x10"). </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sometimes keeping faith feels easy, and sometimes it’s really, really difficult and I revert to simply going through the motions.
But no matter what, I always come back to my core beliefs, like that song Prodigal. I always come back to communion... <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Soft, crusty bread, bread that’s hard on the outside but
nearly melts on the tongue, warm and oh-so-sweet, symbolizing Jesus' teaching: difficult at times, but oh-so-sweet. A glass of wine—Jesus blood, his life, his spirit—that
tastes like swallowing a sword, but is capable of easing the spirit and resting
the heart. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This year I've decided to make some changes and actively work to strengthen my faith, starting with this collage (and the little daily devotion book I received for Christmas). I hope you'll join me!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Cailey</div>
Caileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04841173975870749409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537004564394328520.post-8571141434990923612020-01-07T17:13:00.000-05:002020-01-27T17:29:15.303-05:00Mars, Bryce Canyon, and the Sketchbook Project<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-00UM8HI7GrE/XLnU24JExDI/AAAAAAAAG0Q/KfLO4NKOrcoqGtgVQ-Mm9KwC5WwbcF1NACKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_6561.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-00UM8HI7GrE/XLnU24JExDI/AAAAAAAAG0Q/KfLO4NKOrcoqGtgVQ-Mm9KwC5WwbcF1NACKgBGAs/s400/IMG_6561.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail, Mars Landing. Watercolor, ink, gouache, and<br />
mulberry paper on paper cloth. March 2019.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It's almost exactly a year later, and I just found a few drafts I wrote about Silhouette Girl and the Moonhorse last year! That's a little embarrassing, but I'm embracing it. It's not late and disorganized, it's time-travel. So, kick back with your device and get ready for a few throwback posts about the art project that kicked off my 2019. Ready, set, go...<br />
<br />
One of my favorite things about art is a little thing called "artistic license."<br />
<br />
Artistic license means I can change how something looks just for the sake of aesthetics I have the freedom to be realistic or abstract in my depictions. I especially love surrealism, art that recreates the impossible in a life-like style.<br />
<br />
I used a lot of artistic license in my paintings for the <a href="https://www.seecaileycolor.com/2019/03/the-sketchbook-project-part-1-creative.html" target="_blank">Sketchbook Project</a> last winter.<br />
<br />
For example, obviously we haven't found extraterrestrial life, especially not lunar life, but I invented a Moonhorse.<br />
<br />
Obviously you can't fly to Mars in a night, at least until they solve the problem of faster-than-light travel. When that day comes, you better believe I'll be vacationing on Mars!<br />
<br />
I've never seen or heard of a horse walking a tightrope, and even the deepest craters are more like gradually-sloping bowls than the straight-sided pit I painted Hellas Planitia to be. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Nothing in my story is possible, but I still drew inspiration from reality.</span> <br />
<br />
I modeled Silhouette Girl's steampunk shuttle after the NASA shuttles of the last few decades, changing the color to bronze and adding just a few "steampunk" details of my own. The terrain of Mars is based heavily on Bryce Canyon, Utah. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PJagWRvEdC8/XKjY7yRmrjI/AAAAAAAAGms/eagC1I1HJZMzFsQwPBNi7dQB_ykO02tJACKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_8364.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="425" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PJagWRvEdC8/XKjY7yRmrjI/AAAAAAAAGms/eagC1I1HJZMzFsQwPBNi7dQB_ykO02tJACKgBGAs/s640/IMG_8364.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, October 2018. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The Mars we see sometimes in the early morning, like a large, untwinkling star, is a planet humans have long been interested in. It's our second-closest neighbor and bears many similarities to us. <br />
<br />
We're tilted on similar axes, share similar seasonal patterns, and the geography of Mars has many of the topographical features we have - mountain ranges, valleys, deserts, canyons, plains, and polar ice caps of frozen CO<span style="font-size: x-small;">2 </span>(we're familiar with this as dry ice). Mars even has water, amounting roughly to that of Lake Superior, frozen underground. It also has many craters like our moon.<br />
<br />
Speaking of our moon, Mars has two lopsided moons, named Phobos and Deimos. <br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
Though it's smaller then Earth, a Mars day, called a sol, is about 40 minutes longer because it rotates much more slowly. Orbiting at a greater distance from the sun, however, a Martian year is 669 sols, or 687 Earth days.<br />
<br />
No planet's orbit is a perfect circle, and the oval-shape of our orbit causes the seasons. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6MDXagg81yg/XLnZbrWbu9I/AAAAAAAAG0o/ZQ-e5g6hiL0Dc7YMr8Md27xgkjmaGcZEgCLcBGAs/s1600/Mars%2BImage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6MDXagg81yg/XLnZbrWbu9I/AAAAAAAAG0o/ZQ-e5g6hiL0Dc7YMr8Md27xgkjmaGcZEgCLcBGAs/s400/Mars%2BImage.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sol 343 on Route to Mount Sharp, Mars. Curiosity Rover, NASA .<br />
July 24, 2013.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
On Mars, the seasons are almost twice as long as Earth, and tend to see slightly more dramatic temperature shifts because Mars' orbit is more eccentric, or oval-shaped, than Earth's. This means that even if Earth and Mars were the same <i>average</i> distance from the sun, Mars would have greater temperature extremes.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3ql14KfXlpE/XLnlHMlM1WI/AAAAAAAAG00/ePuh-uircl0LxEmQRJYvKIA10Wq30w-VgCLcBGAs/s1600/Negev%2BDesert%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3ql14KfXlpE/XLnlHMlM1WI/AAAAAAAAG00/ePuh-uircl0LxEmQRJYvKIA10Wq30w-VgCLcBGAs/s400/Negev%2BDesert%2B1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Negev Desert, Israel. April 20, 2007. By <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/93452909@N00/469181251" target="_blank">brewbooks</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Earth is covered with a strong atmosphere that burns up approaching space debris and blocks the sun's most harmful rays. We rarely even think about space debris even though it's flying around us all the time, because virtually anything that hits the atmosphere is incinerated.<br />
<br />
Mars also has an atmosphere, but it's very thin and provides little protection. Mars has craters like the moon because its atmosphere isn't enough to burn up all of the space debris flying at it.<br />
<br />
In the research stage of my project, I was surprised to find that on top of all these scientific similarities, most our photos of Mars look quite a bit like any number of Earth's own rocky deserts. <br />
<br />
In fact, a quick Google search brought me to the Negev Desert in Israel<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">—</span>some of the pictures of Mars and the Negev Desert are almost indistinguishable, aside from the blue skies and a few signs of life. Sparse vegetation dots the landscape, dirt roads criss-cross through it, and animals like leopards, gazelle, hyenas, tortoises, and birds.<br />
<br />
However, I wanted to make Mars look entirely foreign, while still echoing patterns in nature. It is, after all, an entirely different planet!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Bryce's otherworldly hoodoos were the perfect model for my Mars.</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b1beu3G3PWA/XLoWVmkdbrI/AAAAAAAAG1U/6Z8H-TkYyz0DoU_gpxJMwTVsQef2nRHswCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_8336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b1beu3G3PWA/XLoWVmkdbrI/AAAAAAAAG1U/6Z8H-TkYyz0DoU_gpxJMwTVsQef2nRHswCKgBGAs/s400/IMG_8336.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The main amphitheater of Bryce Canyon. The edges of the thousands of <br />
hoodoos are a little difficult to make out in this direct light. October 2018. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Hoodoos like these are found on every continent, but Bryce is the largest concentration of them in the world.<br />
<br />
Bryce Canyon is a national park in southern Utah, famed for its bright orange rock formed in strange towers and walls, like castle ruins. <br />
<br />
Bryce is a beautiful park. Less popular than its neighbor Zion, but definitely worth visiting. If anything, being less popular means it's easier to find a parking spot so you can get out of the car and enjoy the park.<br />
<br />
The main part of the park, a huge natural amphitheater, looks a little like a giant bowl holding a stone army, all wearing pointed gnome hats. <br />
<br />
A series of smaller amphitheaters and hoodoo outcroppings are lined up north-to-south from the main amphitheater, extending about 20 miles to the highest point of the park, Rainbow Point. <br />
<br />
When my family and I visited, we drove all the way up to Rainbow Point and then made our way slowly back down, stopping at most of the viewpoints until we reached the main amphitheater. Once there, we hiked down into the canyon. This seemed like a fine idea, except that once you're at the bottom, you have to get back up. It turned out to be a much tougher hike than I was prepared for! This really dampened my experience, but I try not to hold my own lack of fitness against Bryce.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5s2ud_u8YoY/XKjY7xyxEiI/AAAAAAAAGmw/tJrHunvSrqkfwGbg-5wQF4pTkS-tXZjSQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_8406.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5s2ud_u8YoY/XKjY7xyxEiI/AAAAAAAAGmw/tJrHunvSrqkfwGbg-5wQF4pTkS-tXZjSQCPcBGAYYCw/s400/IMG_8406.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bryce Canyon National Park, October 2018. This is the photograph on <br />
which I based the scene below. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Months later, back in my basement-bedroom in Ohio, I turned to Bryce's alien terrain for Mars-spiration. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-40Slo0cWSKI/XLnUvUXKlCI/AAAAAAAAG0M/_KGvuBb_X-cz4yQSs_tKI5peN1bE6mX0ACKgBGAs/s1600/SG%2BMars%2BHoodoos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-40Slo0cWSKI/XLnUvUXKlCI/AAAAAAAAG0M/_KGvuBb_X-cz4yQSs_tKI5peN1bE6mX0ACKgBGAs/s400/SG%2BMars%2BHoodoos.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watercolor, ink, gouache, and mulberry paper on paper cloth. March 2019.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I transferred my initial sketches onto the sketchbook pages, painted the dark sky and orange-brown watercolor landscapes, and added line details in gold, yellow, and black ink. I painted the stars and moons with white gouache, which is basically opaque watercolor paint. <br />
<br />
The poetry text boxes were the final touch before packing up my sketchbook and mailing it to the Sketchbook Library in Brooklyn. <br />
<br />
<em>Silhouette Girl and the Moonhorse</em> irreversibly ties together Bryce and Mars in my mind. This is the power of artistic license. You can arrive at entirely new connections, create new ways to envision and understand reality. Not that I've forgotten what I see in photos of Mars, but that there's a vast gap between reality and my creative depiction of it. <br />
<br />
There's a little irony here<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">—</span>Mars looks so much like Earth that I instead based my fantastical Mars illustrations off a geological feature on Earth. Granted, we've only seen a tiny fraction of the red planet. I'm certain there are hidden wonders on Mars, just as there are on Earth. But still, we live on a spectacular planet, indeed. <br />
<br />
I wonder if a group of Martians and a group of Earthlings switched places, the Martians might be much more shocked by our terrain than we'd be by theirs.<br />
<br />
-CaileyCaileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04841173975870749409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537004564394328520.post-60669718954408936032019-12-27T16:26:00.000-05:002020-01-11T10:52:14.096-05:00Fine Art Friday: Robert Colescott<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_8mJYg3CULk/XY1EfAXeoPI/AAAAAAAAITs/1K8-ip-X3N0yhMRFWKA3gedmI-x2ItjmgCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_7904.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_8mJYg3CULk/XY1EfAXeoPI/AAAAAAAAITs/1K8-ip-X3N0yhMRFWKA3gedmI-x2ItjmgCPcBGAYYCw/s400/IMG_7904.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robert Colescott, <i>Eat Dem Taters</i>, on display at the<br />
Contemporary Art Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Hey there! A while back I shared a really special project I was involved in at work, <a href="http://www.seecaileycolor.com/2019/09/arts-and-accessibility-robert-colescott.html">Arts and Accessibility: Robert Colescott at CAC</a>.<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<br />
I had the amazing opportunity to write detailed descriptions of ten artworks from <a href="https://www.contemporaryartscenter.org/exhibitions/2019/09/robert-colescott" target="_blank">"Art and Race Matters: the Career of Robert Colescott,"</a> an exhibit which opened in September, kicking off the 2019-2020 exhibition season at the Contemporary Art Center (CAC) in downtown Cincinnati. This exhibit consists of 85 works Colescott created over his 53-year career. <br />
<div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The descriptions I wrote were narrated and recorded by a couple of coworkers who work in audio. I loved this chance to work closely with these passionate, highly skilled people, who also happen to be a lot of fun to work with!<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The resulting audio recordings, along with recordings of all of the exhibit wall-text, was loaded onto mp3-players. These mp3-players and some hard-copy braille booklets were made available for any blind or visually-impaired (BVI) visitors at CAC.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Next month (January 2020) the exhibit and BVI-accessible materials will be traveling to Portland, OR, followed by a few other cities around the US. I love the fact that our hard work will benefit blind people across the country!<br />
<br />
Now, as promised, I want to share a little more about Robert Colescott and his art. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2dxRjTQTEo4/Xf6RN7PChYI/AAAAAAAAIcE/5CjXveKDS-Azy0x4tQEa7a_sgESSI_ZNwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/RCO9-600-0x0x3800x3249.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="513" data-original-width="600" height="341" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2dxRjTQTEo4/Xf6RN7PChYI/AAAAAAAAIcE/5CjXveKDS-Azy0x4tQEa7a_sgESSI_ZNwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/RCO9-600-0x0x3800x3249.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robert Colescott, <i>1919</i>. Acrylic on Canvas, 1980. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">191</span>If you haven’t heard of him, rest easy. I hadn’t either. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I think it's safe to say most people are familiar with just a few of the very most famous artists in history: Leonardo da Vinci, Vincent van Gogh, Michelangelo, Pablo Picasso.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If you go to the occasional art museum, you may also be familiar with Edgar Degas, Georgia O'Keefe, Jackson Pollock, Frida Kahlo, Paul Cezanne, Rembrandt van Rijn, Claude Monet, Salvador Dali, or Andy Warhol.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Compared to these names, Robert Colescott is an unknown. But take a look at the New York City arts scene in the 1970s and '80s, and you might find his name cropping up a bit more. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Colescott was an African-American artist from California. He passed away in 2009, at the age of 83. His best-known works are <i>Eat Dem Taters</i> and <i>George Washington Carver Cross the Delaware</i>, both of which are new renditions of earlier famous paintings by other artists (Vincent van Gogh and Emanuel Leutze, respectively).<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VHVR7riVnUU/Xf6Dv2HhmmI/AAAAAAAAIbI/BGVFmSNxEHstcfLqopE-1j9YtlDtMdqsgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Colescott_8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="733" data-original-width="1000" height="468" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VHVR7riVnUU/Xf6Dv2HhmmI/AAAAAAAAIbI/BGVFmSNxEHstcfLqopE-1j9YtlDtMdqsgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Colescott_8.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robert Colescott,<i> Eat Dem Taters. </i>Acrylic on Canvas, 1975. </td></tr>
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<i>Eat Dem Taters</i> was my first solo stab at describing. It is based on The Potato Eaters by van Gogh, but in the place of impoverished Dutch coal miners, Colescott painted stereotypical "happy darkies." This is classic Colescott: taking a familiar image and filling it with imagery that strikes discomfort, pain, and horror over appalling subjects like racism. </div>
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I'll be honest: at first, I was not a fan. I didn't like his style and I didn't like his subject matter. </div>
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I'm still not a major fan of his style, and that's okay. I can appreciate the skill, effort, and care his painting required, without <i>loving</i> the technique. But now that I understand his work better, the common subject matter, and the manner with which he presents it, has grown near and dear to my heart. Colescott's combination of frank humor and gut-wrenching imagery is a one-two punch that has become mesmerizing to me.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2eihv_c-pMg/XY08CIIuLNI/AAAAAAAAIS4/Y5uJaNQLXfIwkr6bS5vSlOJutvrfO2n-wCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/colescott_george_washington_carver_web_res.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2eihv_c-pMg/XY08CIIuLNI/AAAAAAAAIS4/Y5uJaNQLXfIwkr6bS5vSlOJutvrfO2n-wCPcBGAYYCw/s400/colescott_george_washington_carver_web_res.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robert Colescott, <i>George Washington Carve Crossing the Delaware</i>. Acrylic<br />
on canvas, 1975. </td></tr>
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No one likes looking at things that make them feel uncomfortable or guilty. And for many people, racist imagery is extremely uncomfortable. As it should be! No one should feel comfortable looking at something that demeans others! </div>
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It’s horrifying that the blackface and "happy darky" imagery he used is from real cartoons, made by people who look like me. </div>
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Even more appalling is seeing these images larger-than-life on ten-foot canvases, in garish colors and exaggerated poses. </div>
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As an African-American man, Colescott made it his mission to create satirical, racially-charged paintings to create discomfort. He painted these things to force people to think about race, sex, inequality, discrimination, systemic racism, and what these things are doing to individuals, communities, and the world at large. He wanted to spark conversations, spark emotions, and most importantly, spark fires under the seats of those untouched by racism.</div>
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Cesar Cruz, Mexican poet and human rights activist famously said, “art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.” </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e-ue3ysiNSM/Xf6JE-A9AzI/AAAAAAAAIb0/bpg6Rch1ubEcZ6goaKBwcU1DAvTEX4d1wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/BN-XL539_COLESC_1000V_20180213110818.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="779" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e-ue3ysiNSM/Xf6JE-A9AzI/AAAAAAAAIb0/bpg6Rch1ubEcZ6goaKBwcU1DAvTEX4d1wCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/BN-XL539_COLESC_1000V_20180213110818.jpg" width="310" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robert Colescott, <i>Colored T.V.</i> Acrylic on canvas, 1977. </td></tr>
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Colescott's work is disturbing for <i>everyone</i>, no matter their race, sex, age; whether they're comfortable or uncomfortable. The comfort of Colescott's art lies in the opportunity for open and heartfelt communication. </div>
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A month or so after the exhibit opened, I toured the exhibit with a group from work. We were a large group, some 15-20 individuals, and a mix of blind, visually impaired, and sighted. </div>
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It was amazing to experience this exhibit with my BVI coworkers, listening to descriptions before discussing how we felt about each work. Several of those in our group were also people of color, and it was truly special to hear these people share how they felt about the art and the painful history behind each piece. </div>
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One painting that struck a major chord is called <i>Listening to Amos and Andy</i>. This painting is based on the old radio show <i>Amos and Andy</i>, a comedy about two black men from Atlanta who move to Chicago for a fresh start in life. It follows their friendship, struggles, and the development of their taxi company. </div>
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Sounds perfectly nice until you learn that the show was created, written, and performed by two white men. </div>
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From there, things go straight down-hill. After looking at (and listening to a description of) Colescott's painting, we listened to a clip from the radio show. Just a few minutes long, the clip was exactly what we all expected: 4 minutes of racist stereotyping, delivered by two white men using "black voices." </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sJ0nuBepiJc/Xf6EMmsrcoI/AAAAAAAAIbQ/VE4on_Feh9EVEGGMrvNsFPaOcMc-nJKnACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1024" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sJ0nuBepiJc/Xf6EMmsrcoI/AAAAAAAAIbQ/VE4on_Feh9EVEGGMrvNsFPaOcMc-nJKnACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/unnamed.jpg" width="546" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robert Colescott, <i>Listening to Amos and Andy</i>. Acrylic on Canvas, 1982. </td></tr>
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This painting led to a great discussion about representation and racism in the media. For BVI individuals, the issue of representation hits home because blind actors are few and far between. Most blind characters are played by sighted actors. And for those in our group who were African-American, this painting was especially jarring. </div>
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The first time I heard of Colescott was when I was tasked with describing his art. Being a white woman working in a style of writing entirely new to me, I was suddenly extremely aware of my phrasing in these descriptions. Every time I pulled up one of the curator's hi-res photographs, I found myself battling both white guilt and the fear that I might mishandle any of the subject matter. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NZhbe7u3UwI/Xf6HurjV4_I/AAAAAAAAIbo/j1uwYfCbsS4UZJ6qkkXG1ocsUM559ZyMwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/colescott-les-demioselles-dalabama-1920px.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1531" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NZhbe7u3UwI/Xf6HurjV4_I/AAAAAAAAIbo/j1uwYfCbsS4UZJ6qkkXG1ocsUM559ZyMwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/colescott-les-demioselles-dalabama-1920px.jpg" width="382" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robert Colescott, <i>Le Demoiselles d'Alamaba: Vestidas</i>. Acrylic on<br />
Canvas, 1985.</td></tr>
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Looking at Colescott’s art with my black coworkers was awkward at first, but discussing it together also eased my mind. </div>
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We acknowledged together that the subject matter was disturbing and offensive for all of us, that these paintings brought to mind worldviews, art, and events that we all desperately wish had never happened. We experienced a wide range of emotions together, and some of us even cried together as we looked at these paintings. </div>
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It would be foolish and naïve for me to say that I’ve never made a racially-based judgement or decision. I’m aware that I grew up benefiting, and continue to benefit, from a society filled with systemic racism. </div>
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I fervently wish that weren’t true, but pretending it doesn’t exist is a mistake white people have been making throughout history. Racism is everywhere, from the justice system to the arts, and the only way to make things right is to acknowledge the harm done and then to do better. </div>
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It was good to see these emotionally-charged paintings in person, and to discuss as a group how bad things were in the past, how much society has changed, and how far we still have to go before everyone can truly be equal. It's a long way, but each step is another step away from a long history that <i>must never</i> be repeated.</div>
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As both a year and a decade come to an end, it's only natural to take a look at where we are as individuals and as a society. It's a time of examining our values, habits, and growth across the years and decades. What did we look like ten years ago, when Robert Colescott passed away? What did we look like 100 years ago, on the verge of the Roaring '20s? What might we look like ten years from now, in 2029, or 100 years from now? </div>
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The arts demonstrate society's values and habits, and upholding work like Colescott's is necessary for us to continue growing together. </div>
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-Cailey</div>
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Caileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04841173975870749409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537004564394328520.post-10520290550155618772019-12-21T14:16:00.002-05:002019-12-21T14:16:32.288-05:00The Watchman<span style="font-size: large;">Ahhh, the long-promised art of my western adventure!</span><br />
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Since my vacation at the end of October 2018, I've made several art pieces inspired by what I saw in Utah. This one is the first, completed just a few weeks after the trip. <i>The Watchman</i> is acrylic on 18"x24" canvas, exactly how I imagine the sunset setting Zion National Park ablaze. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fuRz38Guhww/XIE4hbasZbI/AAAAAAAAGOQ/P-DM9846iVUi4SQ2_rGPh4hI72QULnbOACKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_5908.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fuRz38Guhww/XIE4hbasZbI/AAAAAAAAGOQ/P-DM9846iVUi4SQ2_rGPh4hI72QULnbOACKgBGAs/s640/IMG_5908.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Watchman</i>, acrylic on canvas. November 2018.</td></tr>
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I waited to share this because it was going to be published in a Utah arts journal, alongside other gorgeous images of the American West. There were some miscommunications and now, a year later, it's safe to say it won't be published. All this time, I’ve wanted to share the finished piece here on my blog,
or even on Instagram. I held off, honoring the journal’s rights to publication.
Well, the painting is here now! It’s here, published on my blog, where it
should have been right from the beginning.<br />
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I painted <i>The Watchman</i> following a two-week autumn adventure in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah (check out my <a href="https://www.seecaileycolor.com/2018/12/my-western-adventure-national-parks.html" target="_blank">Western Adventure</a> for more details about my trip). I fell in love with Zion National Park while hiking the Narrows, a gorgeous up-river hike which was very difficult for a rookie-hiker like me! Despite the ice-cold water and tough hike, it was one of my favorite activities of our vacation. <br />
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One of the most famous, often-photographed features of Zion is The Watchman, a mountain that juts up near the park entrance, overseeing the park's 4.5 million visitors each year. The Watchman makes for a perfect sunset shot down the Virgin River, an image many photographers have sought. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lJqGTePq1z0/XBFmuCgXCEI/AAAAAAAAFWw/ihWw9Y6ZsYUYWqamM1QiqyWRorUk_8lewCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_6009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lJqGTePq1z0/XBFmuCgXCEI/AAAAAAAAFWw/ihWw9Y6ZsYUYWqamM1QiqyWRorUk_8lewCPcBGAYYCw/s400/IMG_6009.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my initial colored pencil studies. October 2018.</td></tr>
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Dad and I were hopeful about catching that sunset shot in Zion, but hungry bellies got in the way and we all ended up getting dinner at a nearby Tex-Mex restaurant instead of waiting for sunset. No worries! I took some reference pre-sunset photos.<br />
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Back home in Ohio after the rest of that unforgettable vacation, I got out my paints, palette knives, sketches, reference photos, and a 16"x20" canvas. It was time to recreate "the shot," The Watchman at sunset. <br />
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Inspired by Zion's brilliant rock colors and the golden-yellow autumn foliage filling the park while we were there, I wanted to build up the color, each layer brighter than the last. But first, that watery wash to fill in the weave of the canvas!<br />
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I forgot to take a lot of process photos... You know how it is. You're in the zone, Netflix is on, hands are covered in paint... so you'll have to trust me for a few minutes here. <br />
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My wash was mainly red and blue. Red in the sky, and blue in the ground. Yes, you read that right. Red sky, blue ground! <br />
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According to the laws of the color wheel, complimentary colors, which are opposites on the color wheel, cause each other to appear more vivid. Blue makes orange POP, because they're opposites. If any blue were to shine through at the end, it would only make the yellow-orange mountain look more vivid. Color theory, people, I love it!<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CMkw0FAuGo8/XBFmuPeJFII/AAAAAAAAFWs/LMXint6O_mI69gm7fj5n4ouQ0p4PHuDRgCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_5849.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CMkw0FAuGo8/XBFmuPeJFII/AAAAAAAAFWs/LMXint6O_mI69gm7fj5n4ouQ0p4PHuDRgCKgBGAs/s400/IMG_5849.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Over the blue and red wash, I started layering in my dark and light values<br />
in yellow and purple-brown, and laying down my sky. Note that the sky is a<br />
muddy grey right now... Not for long!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Red in the sky... because while I wanted a vivid sky of red, purple, and blue, I also wanted it to feel as if the sky goes on forever. I couldn't risk any stray dots of green or yellow showing through the layers of paint to break that impression of infinity. Instead of a complimentary color, I chose red for the underlying wash.<br />
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Over the wash, I blocked in my values. Bright yellow for the light spots, and a mix of brown, purple, and grey for shadows. <br />
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From there, it was just a matter of building up the color. Browns, reds, oranges, greens for the land, and purples, blues, red, and white for the sky. <br />
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The sky, dramatic and stormy, took more effort than the ground. I had it going pretty firmly and decided it wasn't working. <br />
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I believe that decision went a little like this... <br />
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"This sky isn't working. It's just... Off. I'm going to redo it. This sky is really not working for me. Hold on. I need to fix this. It's... It's <em>bad</em>. <span style="font-size: large;">I hate this sky, I <em>have</em> to redo it before I <em>explode</em>!"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
I know, that escalated quickly. Needless to say, I redid it. That's the sky I ended up with<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">—</span>fierce, anger-driven, directional paint-knife work. I typically try to avoid emotion-painting, but I'm actually really happy with the resulting sky.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZE9zPoFMU6U/XBFmuDa5l3I/AAAAAAAAFWs/K04ra7hrEQo7iqHg2QlYFd59v_iCLTjUgCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_5866.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZE9zPoFMU6U/XBFmuDa5l3I/AAAAAAAAFWs/K04ra7hrEQo7iqHg2QlYFd59v_iCLTjUgCKgBGAs/s400/IMG_5866.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost done...</td></tr>
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The shot to the right is nearly finished. It's come a long way from the previous picture, eh?<br />
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It stayed this way for a while. Not bright enough, and missing a particular tree in the foreground, one I recognized in multiple reference photos. <br />
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When I finally got around to it, finishing this painting felt a little like coming home. <br />
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In the time since <a href="https://www.seecaileycolor.com/2018/03/unfinished-no-37-meaning.html" target="_blank">Untitled 37</a>, I made very little art. In many ways, I felt unable to make art. I couldn't connect with it. It almost hurt to think about art. I managed a few drawings and half-begun paintings, including the illustrations for Stars & Seas, but it all felt off. Until The Watchman, art was out. Finishing <i>The Watchman</i> last November really was like coming home, and not only from a vacation. For the first time in about a year, I felt truly connected to art again. <br />
<br />
I considered giving <i>The Watchman</i> to my dad for Christmas, but in the end I kept it for myself. I had another, long-promised pair of drawings to make for Dad, and I honestly didn't want to let <i>The Watchman</i> go. It's currently propped on my bedside table where I can see it every day. It's a good reminder of my trip, of the golden light at the end of the day, and hopefully a reminder for me to take action and not allow miscommunication to get in the way of putting my work out into the world. It will not be appearing in that small Utah arts journal, but that’s
alright. Utah already has the actual mountain! I’ll keep the painting, and its
likeness, here with me.<br />
<br />
-CaileyCaileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04841173975870749409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537004564394328520.post-44519953024327037232019-10-30T19:40:00.002-04:002019-10-30T20:37:01.545-04:00Does my Degree Still Matter? Thoughts on the Closing of my Alma Mater<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jb-T61rU9Kg/Xbj4ymjJkpI/AAAAAAAAIWw/CJxG7F3W4LI2f4CvUxbTqhr56Nl7TOdEQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/2015-10-25%2B18.10.43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1226" data-original-width="1600" height="305" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jb-T61rU9Kg/Xbj4ymjJkpI/AAAAAAAAIWw/CJxG7F3W4LI2f4CvUxbTqhr56Nl7TOdEQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/2015-10-25%2B18.10.43.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A drawing I made of the CCU Worship & Ministry building. Colored pencil<br />
on paper, 2014. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Two days ago it was announced that my old college, Cincinnati Christian University, would be closing its doors after this semester. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have very many mixed feelings about this. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">On the one hand, I believe it's good. The university has been floundering for years. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It is deeply in debt, it has failed to align its increasing liberal arts bent with its long history of theology and ministry, and has failed to find a good president in years. The revolving door of leadership has brought people who came up with extravagant building projects and costly new programs, while alienating donors, alumni, and students.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The truth is, I've long believed CCU's days were numbered... although I hoped, and dearly wish, that number were a little larger.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Tonight I spoke at length with one of the trustees, in an effort to understand what brought the university to such a sudden end.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oeuHe2DMMS4/XbohBgsa6wI/AAAAAAAAIYU/juqUgBw2Fo4hGBajOayWTFvH8A5GwQw8QCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/IMG_1282.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oeuHe2DMMS4/XbohBgsa6wI/AAAAAAAAIYU/juqUgBw2Fo4hGBajOayWTFvH8A5GwQw8QCKgBGAsYHg/s400/IMG_1282.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A student-led worship campus worship service. The lyrics on the screen<br />
read "you are for us, you are not against us." I truly believe that even right<br />
now, God is not against us.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hindsight is 20/20, and he agreed that in hindsight, many, many mistakes have been made in the governance of this university. He agreed that communication has never been a strong suit, and that some of the attempts made to save the school, while well-intentioned, were very poor choices. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">He freely admitted that some of these decisions were made, and/or communicated, without enough research and consideration for the potential consequences, direct and indirect.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In my gut, I wanted to throw it all back at him and say <i>his job</i> was to communicate properly, consider every possible implication for every possible decision, and make the wisest choices to keep CCU going. But I didn't say any of that. What's done is done. Humans are human, and they make mistakes, and they can hardly be held accountable for the mistakes made by others. By the end of our conversation, the trustee I spoke with sounded just as defeated as I feel. I trust that he, for one, did everything he could to save CCU. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Where I was angry and hurt, I now feel mostly sad. Deeply sad for a university that never truly functioned properly, and a strong community that has loved it despite all of its issues. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">That thought takes me to the other hand. My heart aches for those whose lives just took a drastic turn: current students, staff, and faculty. I have friends who, in a couple of short months, will be job-less and school-less. Some of these woman and men are one more semester away from graduation. Some of these women and men chose CCU for it's highly-respected counseling graduate program, or took the opportunity to be the first college student in their entire family, or were given the priceless chance to play their sport at a college level. Some of these women and men have worked or taught there for years. Decades, even. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j48V67kZcwY/XboX34sTqgI/AAAAAAAAIXM/Q8LxhXPp2F4Rb5K1L33boaKs8UR6NJ5OwCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/2014-07-05%2B20.52.01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j48V67kZcwY/XboX34sTqgI/AAAAAAAAIXM/Q8LxhXPp2F4Rb5K1L33boaKs8UR6NJ5OwCKgBGAsYHg/s320/2014-07-05%2B20.52.01.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">My grandpa, Glen Springer, later known as Poppa.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Wasn't he handsome?</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm heartbroken for the hundreds of people directly affected by this.</span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Naturally, I thought about this all day yesterday and all day today. I thought long and hard, with a heavy heart, a resigned heart, a drenched and aching heart. I thought a lot about the school itself, about my friends there, and my professors. I also spent a lot of time thinking about my</span> personal history with CCU.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">CCU opened 95 years ago, in 1924, as Cincinnati Bible Seminary (CBS). My Great-Grandpa Woods attended CBS not long after it was established. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FCvqCvcc6Sg/XboYBSBb6EI/AAAAAAAAIXQ/tec8JzR-Z0EHNqiDTVXKkX636so9-91HwCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/IMG_0271.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FCvqCvcc6Sg/XboYBSBb6EI/AAAAAAAAIXQ/tec8JzR-Z0EHNqiDTVXKkX636so9-91HwCKgBGAsYHg/s400/IMG_0271.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">My dad before he was a dad, dressed for Halloween c. 1986. Any CCU</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Gents recognize this hall? He's posing in one of the halls of Restoration!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My grandpa went to CBS. H</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">e and grandma lived in a tiny apartment above a diner in East Price Hill when he was a student. He went on to work as a minister, a camp director, and a diesel mechanic.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">My parents, aunts, and uncles went to Cincinnati
Bible College & Seminary (CBC). As students, my family all went to the original Skyline Chili on
Glenway Avenue. And until that location had to close, I went there, too. It was
the family meeting place, the family celebration place.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As a child I lived two doors down from everyone’s favorite
CBC professor, Dan Dyke. He would give my sister and me little trinkets and gifts. He liked to get Happy Meals at McDonald's just so he could give us the toys.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fd8cO75h0jA/XboYIuhv_wI/AAAAAAAAIXU/xsyGVhF61g8YBWjOyWC_Y0ntRf_O447LQCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/IMG_0255.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fd8cO75h0jA/XboYIuhv_wI/AAAAAAAAIXU/xsyGVhF61g8YBWjOyWC_Y0ntRf_O447LQCKgBGAsYHg/s400/IMG_0255.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">My sister and me hyped for a CBC basketball game!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">I'm the one in front, posing like a starfish. Or maybe like</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">an eagle, wings outspread? I definitely had more school</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">spirit then than I had as an actual student... check out</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">those matching purple cords!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I spent hours playing on the CBC practice field with my
sister and our friends. At the time the field was bordered all around with
large square blocks of stone, and (oddly) my sister and I found it amusing to
walk laps around the field on those rocks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My babysitters went to CBC, and m</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">y cousins went to CBC. Once my cousin took my sister and me to a basketball game, and we both dressed
head to toe in purple and yellow... complete with purple and yellow cheer pom-poms!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">My church was (and still is) filled with alumni, and staff
and faculty both current and former. Older kids from my youth group went to
CCU. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Associate Minister at my church was also on staff at CCU when I was
looking at colleges, and he’s the one who suggested I consider applying to CCU. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I did so. Grudgingly, but I did it... and a few months later I moved into room 301 of Alumni Hall.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I met some of my dearest friends there. During Orientation
Week, I and one of my new friends were looking at old class pictures and
discovered that we knew each other’s grandparents. Our families had known each
other for generations, thanks to CCU (and CBC and CBS). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">One of my first college classes was History and Literature of the Old Testament, with my old neighbor, Dan Dyke. Taking his classes was a highlight of my time at CCU!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I got my first real (non-babysitting) job at CCU. I learned to make coffee at CCU, and soon after that I
learned to love coffee at CCU. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
I had art shows at CCU. <span style="font-family: inherit;">I met my first boyfriend at CCU. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I had my first panic attack at CCU.</span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iEbwjOOvNKo/XboaK39O0_I/AAAAAAAAIX8/ercqp5bLe_QefzcY-MMSiEFKeiqh2VOzgCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/IMG_0554.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iEbwjOOvNKo/XboaK39O0_I/AAAAAAAAIX8/ercqp5bLe_QefzcY-MMSiEFKeiqh2VOzgCKgBGAsYHg/s400/IMG_0554.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A drawing I made as an abstract illustration of a campus worship service,<br />
using rock-like shapes to suggest where people were sitting and standing.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I preached a sermon on prayer and God's faithfulness at CCU. I never imagined I'd stand on the stage and preach like that, but I did. When my friend suggested speaking in public, I laughed out loud... and then immediately knew I needed to do it. I waited a few days before signing up for a speaking slot, but I knew I'd regret if I didn't go for it. I</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> will forever be glad I did. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">My life-long best friend started at CCU a year after I did.
I had many heart-to-hearts with her and our other friends within the walls of
Alumni, Restoration, Worship & Ministry, Crouch, and President’s Hall, Bloc
Coffee, and the Skyline Chili on Warsaw Ave.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I got my second real job at CCU. I painted the halls of
Restoration and ripped out flooring and built-in furniture that was all at
least twice my age... Furniture that had been around when my Dad and uncles lived in that dorm. I counted signatures on old closet doors, collected
long-lost memorabilia, and on the last day of my summer job I was allowed to
make a collage of all the old photos, movie tickets, event flyers, class notes,
student IDs, and everything else we found in those rooms. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I think it's safe now to reveal that I even broke some rules in my time there. Some (anonymous) friends and I sneaked into the condemned Rhine Hall just
months before it was torn down. I went to a concert in Columbus with friends
from CCU, and we drove back that night and sneaked into our dorms well after
curfew. Yes, we had a curfew! I ate a chunk of raw cookie dough whenever I made
cookies in Hilltop. I gave away the occasional free coffee, free cookie, free
squirt of whipped cream. I broke dress code, I swore, I broke curfew, I skipped
classes, I danced. Yes, dancing wasn’t allowed at CCU! I sometimes went barefoot when the
weather was nice. Yes, even going barefoot wasn’t allowed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZeGM135xEkE/XboZDgnNb0I/AAAAAAAAIXk/gb78lxb5hZ8nExnUR0WE62E397k49JqJgCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/IMG_1027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1201" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZeGM135xEkE/XboZDgnNb0I/AAAAAAAAIXk/gb78lxb5hZ8nExnUR0WE62E397k49JqJgCKgBGAsYHg/s400/IMG_1027.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I cried, laughed, did homework, ate cookies fresh from the
oven, drank too much espresso. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">At the coffee shop, there was a drink on the menu called an Undertow. It consisted of vanilla syrup, an ounce of half and half, and a single shot of espresso, served in a tiny glass and knocked back like a shot. I had a few Undertows in my four years!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In April 2017, I handed over my portfolio, a hulking 95 pages of material demonstrating my abilities in the English field, collected from 20 courses in the fields of English and Communication Arts. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I was working on yet another paper in the CCU library when I got the news that Poppa passed away. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In May 2017 I graduated from CCU, my proudest achievement
yet. I was one of the first three students to receive an English degree there,
just two and a half years ago.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This history, these numerous personal connections, are not mine alone. Many students were 2nd-, 3rd-, or 4th-generation Eagles. Students traveled around the globe to attend the school their families, friends, and pastors attended. We are a close community.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dJ5EpZ1Fp1E/XboZK-DnglI/AAAAAAAAIXo/lGvjYNmnGXs3UcL795W1KYoUzxVI7ixBgCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/IMG_1357.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dJ5EpZ1Fp1E/XboZK-DnglI/AAAAAAAAIXo/lGvjYNmnGXs3UcL795W1KYoUzxVI7ixBgCKgBGAsYHg/s400/IMG_1357.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My graduation cap, tassel, and magna cum laude cords.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Cwlj22BW8Bo/XbiwVM7JVOI/AAAAAAAAIV8/A_NoE05Dxx87PhcdwHQCgiVxZ9JS1ji0wCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/IMG_1357.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Moving forward, I</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> know that my degree is still valid. I earned a degree from a fully-accredited, fully-functioning university. No one and nothing can take that away from me. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I know that, by law, my transcript will <i>always</i> be available at my request. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I know that I am, unfortunately, far enough removed from graduation that I still have to pay off my loans... </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And I know that the relationships forged there are far more important than the university itself. But this still hurts me personally, because CCU was, and still is, my college. It is a huge part of my life and my history. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In their advertising, colleges like to use words like
“legacy” and “future.” CCU’s legacy is a beautiful one, and one I feel very
close to as I look over my family history. When I heard that the Higher
Learning Commission was preparing to pull accreditation, I wished I could
believe that CCU would still have a future, but I knew the truth. CCU’s leaders
finally dug a hole they couldn’t get out of. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">For all that beautiful legacy, the future is suddenly gone.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ant yet… that’s not true. CCU’s future is not gone. CCU will
be only as gone as our memories of it. Yes, it will fade away over time, just
as memories fade. Sooner or later, the arrangement with CCCB will end. Sooner
or later, the property will be sold and the buildings will be torn down.
Eventually, our great-grandparents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, and parents
will pass away and take their memories with them. Eventually, my generation,
the last generation to attend CCU, will be gone as well. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Knw5SbiKmeg/WDkQ4jbx4fI/AAAAAAAABWQ/ux2i8hZ5qc0fYt3c-PRuMykJhtl-cwb4ACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/2016-09-19%2B15.34.21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="897" data-original-width="1600" height="356" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Knw5SbiKmeg/WDkQ4jbx4fI/AAAAAAAABWQ/ux2i8hZ5qc0fYt3c-PRuMykJhtl-cwb4ACPcBGAYYCw/s640/2016-09-19%2B15.34.21.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">But until then, CCU’s future lies in us, the former
students, just as its legacy lies in us. Starting in December, CCU will be
freed from the control of trustees acting without honesty or integrity. CCU
will no longer thrash from one “money-making idea” to another, announcing
mergers and building projects it can never follow through on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">CCU’s future lies in us, the former students. Transfers, drop-outs,
and alumni alike. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2UYz1ANlu30/XboZaWiXVuI/AAAAAAAAIXw/Hd3xVs4mPOw6au_2YDJwx9Rz1macIKrNACKgBGAsYHg/s1600/IMG_3933.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2UYz1ANlu30/XboZaWiXVuI/AAAAAAAAIXw/Hd3xVs4mPOw6au_2YDJwx9Rz1macIKrNACKgBGAsYHg/s400/IMG_3933.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"An Abundance of Hope." Ballpoint pen on paper. I doodled this during a <br />
slow evening at work in the coffee shop. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">CCU’s future lies in our sermons, in our mission fields, in
our teaching, in our counseling sessions. It lies in everyone with whom we
share the gospel. It is in the words we share with one another, the knowledge
we keep, and the old essays gathering dust, either in our Google Docs or the
boxes in our attics. It is in our dresser drawers of t-shirts and the
highlights and underlines in our bibles.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">CCU’s future lies in our relationships and our reminiscing. It
is in the relationships we have with our mentors and our mentees, the wisdoms
we share with one another. It is in our wedding anniversaries celebrated every
May and June, and our friendiversaries celebrated every August. It is in our social
media accounts, email address books, and phone contacts, and the small reunions
that can happen at the oddest times and places. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">CCU’s future lies in our shared love of Skyline, Chick-fil-A,
Bloc Coffee, and the 86; in our love of brinner, bingo, The Price is Right, and
chili served in a bread bowl. It lies in our strange love of dodgeball, and in
Kentucky Christian University, and in the fact that every time we hear the word “yellow” we silently
finish the chant, “is the color of urine!”, because CCU’s future lies not only
in our togetherness but in our rivalries with one another and with other
colleges. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">CCU’s future lies in our job hunts, our diplomas, the
transcripts we’re all suddenly anxious about, and in our fresh,
perfectly-formatted resumes, reference sheets, and CVs. It lies in the books we
write and the films we make. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It is, finally, in the anger we feel, because something we dearly
loved was twisted and torn and made ugly before our eyes, and we were powerless
to stop any of it. And that anger is good and honest and right and valid and true.
And maybe it is the right time for the university to close, but for the current students, faculty,
and staff, that does not ease the pain and stress of having to pick up the
pieces. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you are a member of the CCU community and you need a listening ear, please don't hesitate to contact me. Unfortunately I don't have the knowledge or the authority to explain everything through the decades that led the school to Monday night's devastating announcement. I’m only one shy and sad alumna, but I see your hurt and I wish, I <i>truly</i> wish, that I
could give you each the answers, opportunities, and resources you need as you
move forward. I can only pray and listen, but I like to think that's better than nothing.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">-Cailey</span></span>Caileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04841173975870749409noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537004564394328520.post-8522076013957015622019-09-26T19:43:00.000-04:002019-09-26T19:43:32.637-04:00Arts and Accessibility: Robert Colescott at CAC<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Wow, so much has happened this summer. Have I got some updates for you!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">First I've gotta tell you what I've been up to at work. </span></div>
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<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">You know I’ve always loved both art and writing (hence this blog), but I’ve recently combined the two in a way I truly never expected. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I</span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">n August 2017, a few months after graduation, I stumbled into what is now my current job at an agency contracted by the Library of Congress and the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (<a href="https://www.loc.gov/nls/" target="_blank">NLS</a>). The place I work is a regional braille and audio-book distribution center, supporting 72 NLS branch libraries throughout the eastern US (and working with our counterpart to the west). We help the NLS branches serve thousands of patrons who are blind, visually impaired, or have other challenges reading traditional books. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My particular job within this grand scheme is pretty unspectacular, entry-level work. I was lured by good pay, a quiet, introvert-friendly environment, and access (at work) to the entire NLS audio library... but I discovered so much more: a close-knit group of coworkers, a kind boss who supports and advocates for each of us, and work that makes me feel fulfilled. </span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It feels really good to be part of a program that delivers literature straight to people's hands!</span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-An38sG4egcc/XY1A1s34_cI/AAAAAAAAITE/qhpMwTw5iyc4rpB1_7J33a_-NHzewaGGwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/51nV7TPST-L._SX329_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="331" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-An38sG4egcc/XY1A1s34_cI/AAAAAAAAITE/qhpMwTw5iyc4rpB1_7J33a_-NHzewaGGwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/51nV7TPST-L._SX329_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/More-than-Meets-Eye-Blindness-ebook/dp/B0767L43SQ" target="_blank"><i>More Than Meets the Eye</i></a> is a brilliant book about<br />blindness and art by Georgina Kleege, English<br />lecturer at UC Berkely and life-long lover of the<br />arts, unhindered by her visual impairment.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Even with all of that, I was floored when an opportunity came up at work that would perfectly combine my passions: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">writing descriptions of visual art. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Much of the arts world (except the obvious, music) is not accessible for those without sight. Touching the artwork is a big no-no in museums! </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Even the performing arts like theatre are heavily dependent on the visual—actions, sets, even playbills are all vision-oriented. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">However, blind and visually impaired (BVI) individuals are by no means uninterested in the arts! A large portion of the BVI population loses their sight later in life, and the thought of losing access to some of the arts can be a painful part of adjusting to a new lifestyle with limited or no vision.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">However, arts institutions are trying to help the situation.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Some museums have regularly scheduled touch tours, others offer on-demand audio tours. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, for example, has options for visitors who are blind, deaf, autistic, or even have dementia! Unfortunately, many places don't have the necessary resources to support so many programs. Lack of funds, lack of staff, and lack of awareness are major hurdles for accessibility. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The parent organization of my job, <a href="https://clovernook.org/" target="_blank">Clovernook Center for the Blind</a>, started the <a href="https://clovernook.org/braille-printing-house/arts-and-accessibility-initiative/" target="_blank">Arts and Accessibility Initiative</a> in 2016. The Arts Initiative works to </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">help museums, galleries, and other cultural institutions become accessible for BVI patrons. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Arts Initiative is comprised of blind and sighted braille transcribers and proofreaders, an audio engineer and a narrator, a tactile graphics producer, and writers... that's where I fit in! We come alongside institutions and help them determine ways to better serve BVI patrons, consulting with BVI individuals and focus groups to ensure that our strategies and end-products are truly beneficial. </span></span></div>
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<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I and my work-friend LT got involved earlier this year because the Arts Initiative was looking for writers. With our English degrees and love of writing and the arts, we were excited to join.</span></div>
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<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The Arts Initiative made this summer a whirlwind of meetings and projects, on top of my regular workload. We spent the early part of the summer preparing for several members of the Initiative to give a presentation at the Kennedy Center Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability (<a href="https://education.kennedy-center.org/education/accessibility/lead/conference.html" target="_blank">LEAD</a>), an annual conference with the goal of creating accessible cultural arts programs around the world. </span></div>
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<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Earlier this year we received a $25,000 grant to provide free accessible materials to ten institutions. We reached out to a variety of cultural institutions, both local and around the country. </span></div>
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<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Since LEAD is over, it's time to get working on the grant projects. First up: t</span><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">he </span><a href="https://www.contemporaryartscenter.org/" style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">Contemporary Art Center</a><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (CAC) here in Cincinnati!</span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Cn9YpAXErV4/XY07J-nEQdI/AAAAAAAAISo/Pa2HqdpnGIQe1lEhIO-XRH5dEFdfs_WJQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Contemporary%2BArts%2BCenter_%2540shamanslife%2B%2528NO%2Blogos%2Bor%2Bstamps%2Bon%2Bimage%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="513" data-original-width="770" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Cn9YpAXErV4/XY07J-nEQdI/AAAAAAAAISo/Pa2HqdpnGIQe1lEhIO-XRH5dEFdfs_WJQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Contemporary%2BArts%2BCenter_%2540shamanslife%2B%2528NO%2Blogos%2Bor%2Bstamps%2Bon%2Bimage%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati.<br />Photo courtesy of <a href="https://cincinnatiusa.com/things-to-do/attractions/contemporary-arts-center" target="_blank">The Cincinnati Region</a></span></td></tr>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">We worked closely with </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Shawnee Turner, Associate Educator of School and Docent Programs at CAC, to find out how we could best serve the museum's BVI visitors.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">Together we made arrangements for the Arts Initiative to provide accessible materials for their 2019-2020 season-opening exhibition, <a href="https://www.contemporaryartscenter.org/exhibitions/2019/09/robert-colescott" target="_blank">Art and Race Matters: The Career of Robert Colescott.</a> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">We would write and record audio descriptions of ten paintings, record all of the wall-text provided by the curators, and produce all of that text in accompanying braille booklets. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This was a daunting project for LT and me. It was our first attempt at this sort of description, the stakes were high, and the art was technically and thematically challenging. But we did it!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The first thing LT and I did was sit down with several sighted and visually impaired people to look at the first painting, a huge piece titled "George Washington Carver Crossing the Delaware." Together we wrote down every single thing we could see. Shape, size, texture, composition, color. We wrote it all down and then transformed and arranged these notes into careful, logical descriptions.</span></div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2eihv_c-pMg/XY08CIIuLNI/AAAAAAAAIS0/RA4l5rWPSWUYR0ED9ZdbPwBNoH6n7PZTwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/colescott_george_washington_carver_web_res.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2eihv_c-pMg/XY08CIIuLNI/AAAAAAAAIS0/RA4l5rWPSWUYR0ED9ZdbPwBNoH6n7PZTwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/colescott_george_washington_carver_web_res.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>George Washington Carver Crossing the Delaware: Page From an American History Textbook,</i> Robert Colescott, 1975.<br />Acrylic on canvas. After <i>George Washington Crossing the Delaware</i>, Emanuel Lueuze, 1851. (Private <br />collection, Saint Louis, © 2017 Estate of Robert Colescott / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, photo: Jean Paul Torno)</span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">One challenge I enjoyed was thinking about the logical order in which to arrange information. I had to think about the the prominent features of the painting, plus the overall composition and the pattern in which the eye moves around the canvas, and then write it all in a natural, easy-to-follow manner. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u></u> <u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and I wanted to make sure each word was in the right place. If I misplaced a single word, it would throw off all 999 other proverbial words.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">That said, once I got over the prestige of the project and finally started writing, this was a fairly easy project. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">My favorite art teacher’s mantra was “draw what you see, not what you think you see.” It means not to let your expectations or ideas get in the way of what’s actually in front of your eyes. Not to let your mental image of a house obscure the actual house you’re drawing. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_8mJYg3CULk/XY1EfAXeoPI/AAAAAAAAITo/vt5P0MC-KT8t0dFETmihmMj-oJtLiVI-wCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/IMG_7904.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_8mJYg3CULk/XY1EfAXeoPI/AAAAAAAAITo/vt5P0MC-KT8t0dFETmihmMj-oJtLiVI-wCKgBGAsYHg/s400/IMG_7904.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Eat Dem Taters</i>, Robert Colescott, 1975, on display at<br />CAC. After <i>The Potato Eaters</i>, Vincent van Gogh, 1885. </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This “draw what you see” mantra held true for writing these descriptions. Write what you see, not what you think you see. Write what you see, not what you expect. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Once the descriptions were complete, our brilliant audio duo, <a href="https://www.theeyebrowpalace.com/" target="_blank">Joey</a> and <a href="http://www.tonefarmer.com/#" target="_blank">Chris</a>, took over. They recorded 40 pages of material, both the descriptive text and the CAC wall text. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Last Friday, I and my artist-friend, Brynnae, went to the CAC Colescott opening. It was a great event! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">I loved getting to see this artwork I’d so carefully described, all hanging together on the broad white walls, alongside 75 other paintings and drawings by Robert Colescott. I loved getting to learn a little bit about the art scene in New York in the 80s, when Colescott’s career was at its peak. I enjoyed getting to be a part of the VIP crowd, as a contributor to the exhibition. Most of all, I really loved getting to see some of my blind coworkers enjoying the art through the efforts of LT, Chris, Joey, and myself.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Next time, I'll share a bit more about the life and art of Robert Colescott... See ya later!</span></div>
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-Cailey</div>
Caileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04841173975870749409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537004564394328520.post-91397309573269572672019-04-30T11:48:00.000-04:002019-04-30T11:48:06.356-04:00Does This Make Me Look Campy? Notes on the Met Gala<div style="text-align: left;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vN6j8Mx83NM/XMMFDlWPOiI/AAAAAAAAG28/WpfgNK-AxroQArvwUZECn2j5pgFD19uAQCLcBGAs/s1600/Ariana-Grande-Met-Gala-Dress-2018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="703" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vN6j8Mx83NM/XMMFDlWPOiI/AAAAAAAAG28/WpfgNK-AxroQArvwUZECn2j5pgFD19uAQCLcBGAs/s400/Ariana-Grande-Met-Gala-Dress-2018.jpg" width="273" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pop singer Ariana Grande's 2018 Met Gala gown is <br />
literally covered in Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel <br />
paintings. She looks like a renaissance dream.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Last year I discovered the Met Gala. <br />
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I came into work one day and my news feed was overrun with celebrities dressed as religious icons, Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling, and elaborate stained glass. I had to work, but when I got the chance I spent an embarrassingly long time scrolling through the red carpet best-dressed lists. I didn't want to miss a thing. <br />
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I'd heard of the Met Gala before, but I didn't know that it's basically a costume party. Each May the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute throws an extravagant party for the opening of its fashion exhibition. Attendees are expected to dress according to the theme of the exhibition. <br />
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The exhibition runs through the summer, but the opening night is one of the most exclusive events and one of the biggest fundraisers in the world. In its 70-year run, the Met Gala has become high fashion's premier red carpet event, attended by everybody who's anybody in the arts, music, fashion, film and society.<br />
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Last year's theme was Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lJeS_zVtsf4/XMMFMg8cjUI/AAAAAAAAG3A/rPMJOEt5u081Hzivjb4wgcaTZrpzSr16QCLcBGAs/s1600/Zendaya-Coleman-Met-Gala-2018-Red-Carpet-Fashion-Atelier-Versace-Tom-Lorenzo-Site-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="825" data-original-width="550" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lJeS_zVtsf4/XMMFMg8cjUI/AAAAAAAAG3A/rPMJOEt5u081Hzivjb4wgcaTZrpzSr16QCLcBGAs/s400/Zendaya-Coleman-Met-Gala-2018-Red-Carpet-Fashion-Atelier-Versace-Tom-Lorenzo-Site-4.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Actress and singer Zendaya wasn't the only one <br />
inspired by Joan of Arc, but her ensemble is by <br />
far the most successful of the night. A year later <br />
I'm still infatuated with this look. </td></tr>
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A-list celebrities attended the gala dressed in couture clergy robes, wore billowing draped dresses reminiscent of renaissance altarpieces, or accessorized with halos and angel wings. It was spectacular. I hadn't seen anything like it. I'll admit, I only knew who half the celebrities were, but that didn't matter. <br />
I was entranced by these couture clothes inspired by religion and art.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"One should either be a work of art, or wear a work of art."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">- <em>Phrases & Philosophies for the Use of the Young</em> by Oscar Wilde</span><br />
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Of all the possible Met Gala themes, 2018 was the perfect one to get my attention. <br />
<br />
As the 2019 Met Gala approaches, I've wondered how they could possibly top Heavenly Bodies. It seems a lot of others are wondering, as well. I used one of my 10 free New York Times articles to read up on the 2019 theme, Camp: Notes on Fashion.<br />
<br />
Camp, you say? Surely not the camp I'm thinking of... Tents, cabins, fishing, campfires... Surely they don't mean for Beyoncé to show up in a fishing hat, or Scarlett Johansson to wear a billowing polyester dress accessorized with collapsible tent-poles. Right?<br />
<br />
Right. Not <em>summer</em> camp. Aesthetic camp.<br />
<em></em><br />
<em>Camp</em>, in terms of style, refers to something which is over-the-top, flamboyant, exaggeration and artifice, "so bad it's good." What the kids might refer to as <em>extra.</em><br />
<em></em><br />
In short, this is going to be wildly different from last year's ethereal Heavenly Bodies theme. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vhGqqccDBgc/XMIMtxJ0vcI/AAAAAAAAG2w/N4Jkc_S4BiM_Mk1r8U-4E1GglCfFqbUEwCLcBGAs/s1600/image-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="852" data-original-width="737" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vhGqqccDBgc/XMIMtxJ0vcI/AAAAAAAAG2w/N4Jkc_S4BiM_Mk1r8U-4E1GglCfFqbUEwCLcBGAs/s400/image-1.jpg" width="345" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ensemble, Jeremy Scott (American, born 1975) for House of <br />
Moschino (Italian, founded 1983), spring/summer 2018;<br />
courtesy of Moschino. This is one of the 250 pieces in the <br />
Costume Institute exhibition at the Met this summer. Image <br />
courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.<br />
Photo © Johnny Dufort, 2019.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="right">
Camp: Notes on Fashion specifically refers to writer, filmmaker, and activist Susan Sontag's 1964 essay, <em>Notes on Camp. </em>Curious, I read the essay, or rather, series of 58 notes describing what camp is and what it is not. <br />
<br />
It's hard to pin down; there's no formula for camp. You might say camp is to the arts as quotation marks are to an ironic statement. Camp is the air-quotes of the arts world.</div>
<br />
We often describe bad '90s movies as "campy," but there's more to camp than just cheesiness or poor production. Alessandro Michele, creative director at Gucci, explained, “Camp really means the unique ability of combining high art and pop culture."<br />
<br />
"The essence of Camp is its love of the unnatural: of artifice and exaggeration," Sontag writes.<br />
<br />
"When something is just bad (rather than Camp), it's often because it is too mediocre in its ambition. The artist hasn't attempted to do anything really outlandish. ('It's too much,' 'It's too fantastic,' 'It's not to be believed,' are standard phrases of Camp enthusiasm.)," Sontag writes.<br />
<br />
As for those bad movies... there is an element of failure in camp. True camp often happens when something (or someone) is too ambitious in its flamboyance and is therefore not taken seriously. <br />
<br />
Movies and TV shows like Godzilla, the Batman tv show, Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K), Hairspray, Beat the Devil, and Gilligan's Island are all camp. The (im)famous leg lamp of A Christmas Story is camp. Many operas and classical ballets have developed camp leanings over time. Art Nouveau often blends with camp, as does Pop Art, like Andy Warhol's Campbell's Soup Cans.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WBxdLePRmOU/XMMUMAja_eI/AAAAAAAAG3U/KVnuF_JWwyAI4RtcnCa_HYJ7LMxi77xFwCLcBGAs/s1600/RuPaul-she-is-diva-that-grape-juice-she-is-diva-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="612" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WBxdLePRmOU/XMMUMAja_eI/AAAAAAAAG3U/KVnuF_JWwyAI4RtcnCa_HYJ7LMxi77xFwCLcBGAs/s320/RuPaul-she-is-diva-that-grape-juice-she-is-diva-1.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well-executed camp can be found in RuPaul's drag <br />
personaes. There's absolutely nothing natural or understated <br />
about it, and that's part of what makes it excellent.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The best camp art is genuine, takes itself seriously, believes it is <em>all that</em> (as much as art itself can believe something), but is rejected by society because society isn't ready for it. "Of course," Sontag reminds the reader in point 23, "not all seriousness that fails can be redeemed as Camp. Only that which has the proper mixture of the exaggerated, the fantastic, the passionate, and the naïve."<br />
<br />
Sontag is also careful to remind the reader that camp is not always poor in form, technique, or production. The art may be extremely well-executed, wonderful art, but be so exaggerated, ostentatious, or theatrical that it is also camp. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.vogue.com/article/what-is-the-met-gala-everything-we-know" target="_blank">Vogue</a> describes camp as "a kind of winking bad taste." <br />
<br />
Diana Vreeland, former <em>Vogue</em> Editor-in-Chief and special consultant at the MET Costume Institute, passed away in 1989, but she would have loved this 2019 camp theme. "A little bad taste is like a nice splash of paprika. We all need a splash of bad taste - it's hearty, it's healthy, it's physical. I think we could use more of it. No taste is what I'm against."<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X24HDEdcMi8/XMek5FeTijI/AAAAAAAAG7k/0uzpd9KpUPYh5NnR00UoxI-GPvZ9U9OhACKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_6879.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1199" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X24HDEdcMi8/XMek5FeTijI/AAAAAAAAG7k/0uzpd9KpUPYh5NnR00UoxI-GPvZ9U9OhACKgBGAs/s400/IMG_6879.JPG" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Balloon Dog (Yellow)</i> by Jeff Koons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
Sontag would probably agree. She writes that camp doesn't ascribe to the good/bad binary. "What it does is to offer for art (and life) a different—a supplementary—set of standards." Camp may require a dash of bad taste, but it does so while bringing a third dimension to the question of taste.<br />
<br />
At this point, I better bring in some visual art before someone asks if I'm converting my site into a fashion blog. No, See Cailey Color is and always will be about fine art! The camp theme gives me a reason to look with fresh eyes at some art I don't normally appreciate, like the work of <a href="http://www.jeffkoons.com/" target="_blank">Jeff Koons</a>.<br />
<br />
Some of Koons's best known art is his Balloon Dog series, five highly reflective stainless-steel sculptures of balloon dogs, measuring 10 feet tall and 11 feet long, each a different color.<br />
<br />
Koons is known for following in the footsteps of Andy Warhol, taking ordinary objects and transforming them into art. When taken seriously, Warhool, Koons, and other camp artists force us to reexamine what we consider art and what we consider ordinary. They force us to consider ourselves and how we relate to art, to each other, and to the "ordinary" world around us.<br />
<br />
Koons's work has been called camp and kitsch interchangeably. In some circles, kitsch is an insult, to be treated as other than (and lesser than) camp; considered to be the decorative non-art that fell short of even camp status. To others, it's just a subcategory of camp; "camp" referring to the overall aesthetic, kitsch referring to camp art and music. This difference of opinion can lead to a lot of confusion on a subject that's already a fuzzy and hard to define. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4h6HKMGxVyU/XMeigbS4KMI/AAAAAAAAG7Q/Cdu9MO3rvvQFbX-jMyxpi6wVWjWTJUFqwCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_6878.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="665" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4h6HKMGxVyU/XMeigbS4KMI/AAAAAAAAG7Q/Cdu9MO3rvvQFbX-jMyxpi6wVWjWTJUFqwCKgBGAs/s640/IMG_6878.JPG" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Campy Washington </i>by Scott Donaldson. Cincinnati, Ohio. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
For those who hold the first mindset, the difference between camp and kitsch can be hard to pinpoint. Kitsch is considered camp's ugly, stupid little brother. To those of the latter mindset, distinction between the two is a wasted conversation. Every square is a rhombus, but not every rhombus is a square. All kitsch is camp, but not all camp is kitsch.<br />
<br />
Koons and his predecessor Warhol are often criticized as kitschy by those in the first group, but those in the second consider it just another label.<br />
<br />
For Koons and artists like him, it doesn't matter whether their work is called camp or kitsch or just plain shit. They make art to challenge the status quo of what art is and what it should be; how society is and how society should be.<br />
<br />
I happen to love this mural in Cincinnati, designed by Scott Donaldson of <a href="https://www.artworkscincinnati.org/" target="_blank">Artworks</a>. <i>Campy Washington</i> combines camp, bad puns, and distinctly-Cincinnatian motifs.<br />
<br />
The mural is located in the neighborhood of Camp Washington... hence the pun. It includes important Cincinnati imagery like flying pigs, a nod to our annual marathon, the Flying Pig, and more importantly to the city's history in pork production. It contains imagery referring to nearby businesses, tying it to the Camp Washington community. It is George Washington decked out in whimsical Cincinnati camp glory.<br />
<br />
Finally, referring back to the origin of camp, <i>Campy Washington</i> is an image of George Washington in colonial drag.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_TCC2n3w-74/XMMFYj5cvJI/AAAAAAAAG3I/6ktrGkzFKzA5ADPvtS0bHlHbKxTjw7XSgCLcBGAs/s1600/4-29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="700" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_TCC2n3w-74/XMMFYj5cvJI/AAAAAAAAG3I/6ktrGkzFKzA5ADPvtS0bHlHbKxTjw7XSgCLcBGAs/s400/4-29.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If her history of red-carpet camp is any indicator,<br />
Lady Gaga must be pretty excited for this theme!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In the early days of the term, camp referred to the flamboyance of gay/LGBTQ culture. Oscar Wilde, who was outed as gay, imprisoned, and sentenced to two years of hard labor for his homosexuality at a time when that was socially taboo, has been acclaimed as an early leader of Camp. <br />
<br />
Today the term has obviously taken on a wider meaning, though the flamboyant side of LGBTQ culture is still a strong part of it. RuPaul's Drag Race is an example of camp's passionate, exaggerated artifice extending from the LGBTQ community.<br />
<br />
RuPaul, Bette Midler, Elton John, Madonna, John Waters, Liza Minelli, Elvis Presley, Cher, Prince, and Lady Gaga have pushed camp along in recent decades, embracing over-the-top styles in their clothing, personalities, and arts.<br />
<br />
In fact, Lady Gaga is co-chair of the 2019 Met Gala, alongside singer Harry Styles, tennis star Serena Williams, and Alessandro Michelle. They'll join long-time <em>Vogue</em> Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour, who's basically the queen of the Met Gala (and everything else high fashion, let's be real).<br />
<br />
It probably goes without saying, but I'm eager to see how the A-listers and their designers interpret this theme. Will the Gala attendees achieve camp, or be merely campy, or worse? We'll find out soon...<br />
<br />
-Cailey<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Sources:</span><br />
<a href="https://www.vogue.com/article/costume-institute-2019-exhibition-camp-notes-on-fashion"><span style="font-size: x-small;">https://www.vogue.com/article/costume-institute-2019-exhibition-camp-notes-on-fashion</span></a><br />
<a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2018/10/harry-styles-and-lady-gaga-will-help-bring-camp-to-the-met-gala"><span style="font-size: x-small;">https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2018/10/harry-styles-and-lady-gaga-will-help-bring-camp-to-the-met-gala</span></a><br />
<a href="https://www.vogue.com/article/what-is-the-met-gala-everything-we-know"><span style="font-size: x-small;">https://www.vogue.com/article/what-is-the-met-gala-everything-we-know</span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.newsweek.com/met-museum-camp-fashion-1405250?slide=3">https://www.newsweek.com/met-museum-camp-fashion-1405250?slide=3</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.widewalls.ch/campy-art-definition-artworks-culture/">https://www.widewalls.ch/campy-art-definition-artworks-culture/</a></span>Caileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04841173975870749409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537004564394328520.post-70911266869645045132019-04-18T15:35:00.000-04:002019-04-18T15:52:51.322-04:00Notre-Dame: Coming to Terms with Near-DisasterThe first fire alarm rang out at 6:20pm (GMT) on Monday. <br />
<br />
The news about the fire at Notre-Dame de Paris took a while to sink in for me. It's always been so distant from me, and not only geographically. Not only have I never been to France, but I don't know much about architecture or French history, and I'm only vaguely familiar with Catholicism. Of course I know of the cathedral as the pinnacle of Gothic architecture and a symbol for the arts and Christianity around the world, but I have little emotional connection. <br />
<br />
Most of my knowledge of Notre-Dame comes from <em>The Hunchback of Notre-Dame</em>, the Disney classic. It has arguably the best soundtrack of any Disney animated movie. <br />
<br />
My reaction upon hearing of the fire was that of surprise, disappointment, and hope that no one would be harmed. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vRuHz2zQ0lY/XLiAv33iD_I/AAAAAAAAGoc/ppRhHuPnS1AwSGF_agX9kquzARUWUAHwQCLcBGAs/s1600/ND%2BBurning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vRuHz2zQ0lY/XLiAv33iD_I/AAAAAAAAGoc/ppRhHuPnS1AwSGF_agX9kquzARUWUAHwQCLcBGAs/s640/ND%2BBurning.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Geoffroy Van Der Hasselt/Agence France-Presse. Getty Images. <span class="css-1f9pvn2 europe">The cathedral’s 295-foot spire collapsed as smoke and flames engulfed the Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris on Monday.</span> From <em>Despair and Grief Amid the Smoke and Flames of Notre-Dame</em>, NY Times, 04/15/19.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Over the following hours, my feelings grew deeper as I considered the implications of this event. By the time I awoke Tuesday morning, my relief at the absence of physical injuries remained, but was joined with an intense sorrow.<br />
<br />
Sorrow for Catholics and Christians, for the arts and architecture communities, and especially for France.<br />
<br />
I thought of the Paris terrorist attack a few years ago, and the depth of pain experienced then. So many disasters occur every day around the world, natural and contrived, and it's impossible to give each the media coverage it deserves. It's impossible for the entire world to mourn every single tragedy together, though I wish we could. But when horrible things happen to international symbols like Notre-Dame, it's good to take time to mourn... and important that we treat it as a reminder of the lesser-known tragedies going on every day.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3ajWbszWeao/XLh7WOql2_I/AAAAAAAAGoE/aBTI7GtKYjQkmE2IofP7xUF9_a-p-HrvQCLcBGAs/s1600/early%2Bphoto%2Bnotre%2Bdame.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1254" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3ajWbszWeao/XLh7WOql2_I/AAAAAAAAGoE/aBTI7GtKYjQkmE2IofP7xUF9_a-p-HrvQCLcBGAs/s400/early%2Bphoto%2Bnotre%2Bdame.jpg" width="312" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joseph-Philibert Girault de Prangey, daguerreotype, 1841.<br />
Rose Window on the southern façade.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Fortunately only one firefighter was injured, though hundreds were involved in controlling and putting out the fire. Though the spire and two-thirds of the lead-covered wooden roof and attic were destroyed in the blaze, the main structure remains intact.<br />
<br />
It was a close call, however: the fire lasted over 10 hours, but it's estimated that the structure would have been seriously compromised if it had burned for only another 15-30 minutes.<br />
<br />
The world's art community breathes a sigh of relief over all the priceless paintings and sculptures which avoided damage. Even the famous stained-glass Rose Windows are intact. However, the art community mourns the still-unknown extent of smoke and water damage which <em>was</em> incurred. Fire is among an artist's top fears, after all.<br />
<br />
The world's Christian and Catholic communities breathe sighs of relief that we believe in a God who is a greater than any building, and that damage to a building<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">—even</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span>one so beautiful and historic as the Notre-Dame Cathedral—doesn't damage the roots of our faith.<br />
<br />
This is evidenced by the beautiful videos circulating of crowds gathering around the burning cathedral, singing hymns. It's a powerful reminder of the resilience of the Christian faith, and the persecution Christians have suffered for 2,000 years. Church buildings come and go, but the true Church is forever.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/35/Maximilien_Luce_-_The_Quai_Saint-Michel_and_Notre-Dame_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="654" height="400" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/35/Maximilien_Luce_-_The_Quai_Saint-Michel_and_Notre-Dame_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg" width="327" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Quai Saint-Michel and Notre-Dame</i> by Maximilian Luce,<br />
oil on canvas, 1901. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
That leaves France, which breathes a sigh of relief that only one person was injured. Nonetheless, this is a shocking emotional blow. It's apparent that the fire was an accident, and I'm very glad for that, but France must still face this damage to one of its most beloved and symbolic destinations. For many, this cathedral is far more than just an old and beautiful building.<br />
<br />
For many, Notre-Dame is a symbol of their faith and heritage, an almost-living piece of French history. It's been around for 800 years. I can hardly fathom this, since America is such a young nation. Few of our buildings and monuments are older than 250 years. But there stands Notre-Dame, the Lady of Paris, three times that age.<br />
<br />
French authorities are still investigating the extent of the damages, and those answers may take some time. However, with the structure pronounced intact, French President Emmanuel Macron has already announced the decision to rebuild. Donations of all sizes have been pouring in.<br />
<br />
Furthermore, France's Prime Minister, Edouard Phillippe, has announced a competition to rebuild the spire, open to architects around the world. It's yet to be seen whether the new spire will be a copy of the previous design by Eugene Viollet-le-Duc, or a new design altogether. The 90-foot spire, completed in 1869, replaced a previous spire which had suffered severe wind-damage and was removed in the late 18th century.<br />
<br />
French authorities are optimistic about the future, and with good reason. They were just beginning a much-needed restoration project, and although Monday's fire is a dramatic and painful setback, the cathedral will be restored and measures will be taken to safeguard it against future accidents.<br />
<br />
One element of this event that I found particularly interesting is the opportunity for modern technology to shape the future of the cathedral. Had this fire occurred only ten years ago, the rebuilding plans might have been very different, because in the past decade, two highly-detailed, nearly-perfect digital replicas of Notre-Dame have been created.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HDaBGHjk5G8/XLiGO4Uv2sI/AAAAAAAAGoo/dB81n3PY6Qg5z14GaWzRCAw-AxSPetghgCLcBGAs/s1600/untitled.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="599" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HDaBGHjk5G8/XLiGO4Uv2sI/AAAAAAAAGoo/dB81n3PY6Qg5z14GaWzRCAw-AxSPetghgCLcBGAs/s400/untitled.png" width="281" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cover of Assassin's Creed Unity, Ubisoft. Notre-<br />
Dame is visible on the left in the background.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Caroline Miousse, a level artist at the video game company Ubisoft, spent almost two years studying every detail of the gothic cathedral for the 2014 game <em>Assassin's Creed Unity. </em><br />
<br />
I'm no gamer, but even I am aware of the reputation <em>Assassin's Creed</em> has for painstakingly recreating historic sites. I'm told <em>Unity's</em> Notre-Dame is no exception. Miousse replicated everything from the structure design to the texture of the wood and stonework, creating a life-like digital cathedral which players can explore in-game.<br />
<br />
Ubisoft has offered free access to the game for a limited time in honor of the cathedral, and made a substantial donation for rebuilding. There have not been any official conversations on using the game model as a resource for restoring the building, but Ubisoft has made it clear they will be happy to help if needed.<br />
<br />
In 2015, American art historian Andrew Tallon of Vassar College used lasers to digitally map the entire cathedral.<br />
<br />
Miousse's and Tallon's digital replicas are two nearly-flawless scale models from which the rebuilding and restoring efforts can be modeled. I'll be interested to see if and how these digital models play into the reconstruction. How many other artistic renderings of <i>Notre-Dame de Paris</i> exist around the world? How many internal and external photographs, drawings, paintings, sculptures, and digital creations pay homage to this larger-than-life gothic masterpiece? These resources, along with existing building plans, could make this one of the most-informed rebuilds of all time.<br />
<br />
We all just witnessed a dramatic piece of history: the day Notre-Dame caught fire. The day two-thirds of her roof burned, and her spire collapsed in flames. The week a video game became a memorial. The week digital reconstructions became possible blue-prints for rebuilding an 800-year-old architectural treasure. Wikipedia has already been updated; it's only a matter of time before the history books are, as well.<br />
<br />
But for nor now, it's okay to be sad. It's okay to look at photos from before the fire and mourn for France, for the Church, for the arts community.<br />
<br />
-CaileyCaileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04841173975870749409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537004564394328520.post-589960688559288602019-04-03T12:54:00.000-04:002019-04-03T12:54:38.249-04:00Cincinnati Art Activities: Pottery Painting<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_HGwCnYGLKU/WRMoIWejtGI/AAAAAAAABmw/IZe1vx2KzXE9x-4Y4A99fKWVtdKLMcetQCLcB/s1600/image3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="work-in-progress pottery painting" border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_HGwCnYGLKU/WRMoIWejtGI/AAAAAAAABmw/IZe1vx2KzXE9x-4Y4A99fKWVtdKLMcetQCLcB/s400/image3.JPG" title="" width="300" /></a></div>
Today I want to tell you about a super fun and wholesome art activity in Cincinnati.<br />
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I've been to Art on Fire twice, and I absolutely loved both experiences. My first time, I went to a ladies event with my mom and some of her friends. <br />
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I'm not generally the type of gal who goes to ladies events or women's retreats. I was never the "girly girl" who enjoyed spa events or things like that. Mani-pedis and chocolate-covered strawberries? No thank you...<br />
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However, this event was 10,000% fun.</div>
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I was looking for Friday night plans, so I did what every bored college student does... I called my mom! She told me about this craft night she was going to with some friends from church and homeschool. Did I want to join? </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Painting and pottery? I'm so in.</span></div>
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I hadn't been there before, but I had noticed this little art studio next door to Graeter's Ice Cream. If you've spent any time in Cincinnati, you know that Graeter's is the greatest ice cream chain in the world. Graeter's is a Cincinnati classic that's been scooping up happiness, peace, and ice cream since 1870.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qykUrkq5B_o/WRMoI-P_veI/AAAAAAAABm4/6Cjy1mB1jEU6rs_yc53LhFyN8y_mo3EegCLcB/s1600/image4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="drying canvases" border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qykUrkq5B_o/WRMoI-P_veI/AAAAAAAABm4/6Cjy1mB1jEU6rs_yc53LhFyN8y_mo3EegCLcB/s400/image4.JPG" title="" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Canvases drying</td></tr>
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Okay, back to the point.<br />
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<a href="https://www.artonfirecincy.com/" target="_blank">Art On Fire</a> is a creative arts studio owned and operated by Toni Smith, a gem of a lady. Art on Fire welcomes individuals, groups, and events, offers classes, allows other artists to use the kiln, and has space for artists to sell their work. It's a great place for birthday parties, bridal showers, scout troops, or families. You can also purchase kits to make string-art or other not-so-messy crafts at home.<br />
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We were even allowed to bring in our own snacks and drinks - a real party! I think next time I go I'll stop next door and get some goodies from Graeter's. Why didn't I think of that before?<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Art On Fire is definitely a labor of love!</span><br />
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Spend any time talking with Toni, and you'll know how much she loves her business. She is kind, knowledgeable, and possesses the patient heart of a teacher. Toni explained the whole ceramics process for us before we got started, and she also lead a guided canvas painting activity so some of the ladies could create their own wall art. There were four of us painting pottery and six painting canvases, so we could all talk and just have a good time.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Xn6n5pBLjTg/WRMoIfhsh0I/AAAAAAAABm0/jGaEXk70licFA_45LmcNvvzSmcaBm11IgCLcB/s1600/image2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="mom painting" border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Xn6n5pBLjTg/WRMoIfhsh0I/AAAAAAAABm0/jGaEXk70licFA_45LmcNvvzSmcaBm11IgCLcB/s400/image2.JPG" title="" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My pottery-painting buddy... my lovely mom! She's <br />
making a funny grin because I insisted on taking her <br />
picture, and she'll probably give me the same look when <br />
she sees it here. Too bad! She's so pretty!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I was also impressed with how affordable it was.</div>
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There are set costs for canvas painting, according to the size of the canvas. For pottery painting, there's a small studio fee which covers the cost of glazing and firing, and then you pay for whatever ceramic item you want to paint. These range from $1-$50, with everything from little magnets and Christmas ornaments to flower pots, figurines, coffee mugs, and kitchen ware. </div>
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I've always had a weakness for square plates, so my first time at Art on Fire I chose a 12"x12" square serving plate, which was $25. Above you can see a work-in-progress photo. I've always loved Vincent Van Gogh's sunflowers, so I copied the image on my plate.<br />
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I had a lot of fun figuring out what colors to use and layering them to get the effects I wanted. There are tons of colors available, so no mixing required. And it was all so easy! You just pick the colors you want, grab a brush, and paint away. The paints dry very quickly, but you can always paint over a mistake.</div>
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Mom made a pair of smaller square plates to give to my sister and brother-in-law as a wedding gift. She loves the beach and swimming, and he's a captain in the US Army, so Mom painted "Mrs. Mermaid" and "Mr. Captain" on the plates, surrounded by colorful designs. They turned out adorable!<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aYbikHf1uRk/XIPtZiYaNPI/AAAAAAAAGbI/OhFA7L6w8CoaFvbDGCUg_b15NhB1LzTVQCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_6616.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aYbikHf1uRk/XIPtZiYaNPI/AAAAAAAAGbI/OhFA7L6w8CoaFvbDGCUg_b15NhB1LzTVQCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_6616.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The yarn bowl I painted for Grandma Donna. Photo credit<br />
goes to her because I forgot to take pictures!</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FqUbblUrgbo/XIPtZhIK8nI/AAAAAAAAGbI/LgsN9jinwzECvNaCK6vPHI7yhPkPdDmhwCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_6615.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FqUbblUrgbo/XIPtZhIK8nI/AAAAAAAAGbI/LgsN9jinwzECvNaCK6vPHI7yhPkPdDmhwCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_6615.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the three fish on the bowl... The other two are <br />
orange with purple fins and purple with yellow fins. I chose<br />
bright and beautiful colors for a bright and beautiful woman.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The second time around was with my mom again... What can I say? We like crafting together!<br />
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For months I'd been wanting to paint a yarn bowl for my grandma, an avid crochet-er. My grandma is an amazing, loving woman. She delights in colorful flowers, birds, and tropical fish. Her Facebook and Instagram accounts are full of birds, sunsets, flowers, and her grandkids. I wanted to give her something practical, because her hands are always busy making gifts for others.<br />
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Well, December rolled around and I still hadn't done it. I finally contacted Toni at Art on Fire, hoping she had yarn bowls available or could order one for me.<br />
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I knew I was cutting it close by doing this right before Christmas, but Toni was awesome. She set aside the last yarn bowl in stock for me!<br />
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Inspired by some of my grandma's favorite things, I painted the bowl with bright yellow, orange, and purple fish. It turned out just how I wanted, and I was able to pick it up just in time for Christmas! The perfect gift - my grandma loved it, it was fun to make, and very affordable.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The hardest part of the process is waiting a whole week to </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">see the final product!</span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zHSG7aCIKUU/WRM2HV9xpMI/AAAAAAAABnI/j7K6jImXiEg_8MkqCJhB137-Pn-GtjcnACLcB/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="finished Van Gogh serving plate" border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zHSG7aCIKUU/WRM2HV9xpMI/AAAAAAAABnI/j7K6jImXiEg_8MkqCJhB137-Pn-GtjcnACLcB/s400/FullSizeRender.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My finished <i>Sunflowers </i>serving plate</td></tr>
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This is why I draw, paint, and do collage. It's that instant gratification. I guess I'm just too much a millennial for pottery or ceramics? Kidding, I know many people my age who love ceramics! My point is, I just don't like waiting around a whole week before getting to see the final result.<br />
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Thankfully, the finished pieces are always well worth the wait.<br />
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The colors, pale and dull before firing, come out of the kiln rich and lovely. Compare the first photo at the top of this post with the photo to the left. Both are true-to-color, not edited or filtered. Amazing transformation, huh?<br />
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For someone who's done very little with pottery and glazing, this was a really fun activity. And since the raw bisque pieces are fired after painting, it's all permanent. There's no washing off or fading, like when you decorate a mug with sharpie markers... no matter how many times Pinterest tries to tell you the sharpies won't fade.<br />
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If you're in the Cincinnati area, I highly recommend visiting Art on Fire. It was tons of fun, inexpensive, and a great way to try something new and get those creative juices flowing. I can't wait to go again! My mom recently mentioned the need to make a gift for a particular family friend...<br />
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-Cailey</div>
Caileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04841173975870749409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537004564394328520.post-86331275034209797432019-03-09T13:13:00.002-05:002023-06-13T14:57:23.489-04:00Silhouette Girl and the Moonhorse, Part 2: The Finished Sketchbook<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-84mZXuN-cxU/XIL16GyY70I/AAAAAAAAGaE/HDUiCV83evQdxFtiUjQOraCKk1OXk2vhQCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_6573.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-84mZXuN-cxU/XIL16GyY70I/AAAAAAAAGaE/HDUiCV83evQdxFtiUjQOraCKk1OXk2vhQCKgBGAs/s400/IMG_6573.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silhouette Girl and the Moonhorse Cover</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Hey all. Last week I finished a book for <a href="https://www.sketchbookproject.com/" target="_blank">The Sketchbook Project</a>!<br />
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The Sketchbook Project is a collection of mini sketchbooks housed in the Brooklyn Art Library. Artists from all over the world can order a sketchbook, fill it with art, and mail it back to join the permanent collection.<br />
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I was just notified that my sketchbook has been delivered safe and sound in Brooklyn! Thank you, USPS, for taking care of my baby. Pretty soon it will go on a short tour around the country with the other 2019 sketchbooks before returning to its new home on the shelves of the art library.<br />
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In my <a href="https://www.seecaileycolor.com/2019/03/the-sketchbook-project-part-1-creative.html" target="_blank">previous post</a>, I walked you all through some of the decisions and artistic process for my sketchbook.</div>
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What started as a plan for 16 pages of black and white ink drawings turned into a book of 8 full-color watercolor and ink illustrations. Each page also has includes a stanza of a poem telling the story.</div>
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Today I'll finally show you the finished product! The large-text portions below are each stanza of the full-text poem found in <i>Silhouette Girl and the Moonhorse</i>, so you don't have to strain to read my tiny handwriting on each page. The regular text is my notes and commentary, not included in the actual book. Enjoy!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>Silhouette Girl and the Moonhorse </i></span>by Cailey Blair</div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">On a night long ago, I flew to the moon</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">—</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; white-space: pre-wrap;">taking off from the highest hillside</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">in a steam-powered shuttle, </span></span></div>
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<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">—all</span> </span>clockwork and gears and dream-stuff</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">—</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; white-space: pre-wrap;">with a clank and a buzz and a cloud of smoke</span></div>
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<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I left the earth’s atmosphere.</span></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5nocQWFFBFY/XILyJUcawqI/AAAAAAAAGY4/3H_cMmlb4B8ue-aOkUUmSu-OTGU8oS5EQCKgBGAs/s1600/SG%2BShuttle.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5nocQWFFBFY/XILyJUcawqI/AAAAAAAAGY4/3H_cMmlb4B8ue-aOkUUmSu-OTGU8oS5EQCKgBGAs/s400/SG%2BShuttle.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
Page 1 - Flight to the Moon</div>
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watercolor, gouache, ink, and mulberry paper </div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
on paper cloth</div>
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One of my favorite parts of the brainstorming process was crowd-sourcing ideas for the girl's transportation. I hopped on Twitter and Facebook to ask for ideas, and the responses were amazing. It's been a while since I crowd-sourced like that, but I love doing it. People can be so creative!<br />
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Several friends said the girl should travel by unicorn, one said a space segway, another said a dragon covered in feathers. My brothers suggested an iPod, traveling by the magic of music, or an imperial star destroyer from Star Wars. One friend suggested a book, because that's how <i>she </i>travels the universe.<br />
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With so many great ideas, I actually picked two modes of transportation. The second one in particular quickly became an integral part of the story.<br />
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The girl would fly to the moon on a "steampunk" space shuttle, but on the moon she would meet a magical moon-horse with whom she'd travel across the moon and all the way to Mars.<br />
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As a kid and teenager, I was obsessed with horses. That's right, I was a "horse girl." I still love them, though I haven't ridden since high school. I felt that having the girl travel by horseback through space would make this sketchbook more personal, a nod back to my own childhood and my longing to travel the world on horseback. In recent years my fascination with space-travel has grown a lot, so combining the two felt very natural to me.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DS9RfeQdGvY/XILyXvS7KWI/AAAAAAAAGY8/16zLfIaDuooDDRpOA9tFjCFCL_u18Nl3wCKgBGAs/s1600/SG%2BMeeting.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DS9RfeQdGvY/XILyXvS7KWI/AAAAAAAAGY8/16zLfIaDuooDDRpOA9tFjCFCL_u18Nl3wCKgBGAs/s640/SG%2BMeeting.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
Spread 2 - Meeting</div>
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watercolor, ink, gouache, and mulberry paper on paper cloth</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I landed on the shore of the Mare Desiderii, </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">silver dust in my eyes, on my ragged old hat</span><span style="font-size: large;">—</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I found myself face to face with a blue Moonhorse, </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">leader of the Lunar herds.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">We bowed in greeting—manners are important </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">even on the Moon</span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px;">—</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">in his bold eyes I saw a distant dance I </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">longed to join.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">He invited me to go with him</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">with a flick of his flowing tail.</span><br />
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From here, the girl and the horse travel beyond that unique balancing rock formation in the distance to take off at the highest point on the moon—the Selenian summit.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iYzAOCG747E/XILygu1vbsI/AAAAAAAAGZE/KsjONlQjeAInaPaLJXXqlzlQZmztuo_tgCKgBGAs/s1600/SG%2BMoon.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iYzAOCG747E/XILygu1vbsI/AAAAAAAAGZE/KsjONlQjeAInaPaLJXXqlzlQZmztuo_tgCKgBGAs/s640/SG%2BMoon.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
Spread 3 - Balancing Rock, Earth and Mars</div>
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watercolor, ink, gouache, and mulberry paper on paper cloth</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">We rode far across the moon, far and farther still,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">to reach that Selenian summit where surface and </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">crater kiss</span><span style="font-size: large;">—</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">higher than Everest or K2 could dream,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">where space meets breccia. I thought we'd arrived,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">but to my—shock—terror—delight—</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">the Moonhorse gathered his great legs under him,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">galloped to the point of the summit,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">and took off into the night—a capriole </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">unlike any other,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">his airs above the moon—we flew.</span><br />
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This is where it began to change a lot between the original intent and the finished product.<br />
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In my original 16-page sketches, I had a close-up illustration of the distant lunar rover, and an image of the girl and the moon horse taking off at the selenian summit.<br />
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I had to cut these and some other illustrations to lower the page count and compensate for the thick, stiff paper cloth.<br />
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I miss some of these illustrations, and I may still draw them one day, but the scenes I did include are much more intentional. Like a carefully edited book, the remaining content is made stronger by cutting out all unnecessary information.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2Rph9CE1bd8/XILy5lkiqjI/AAAAAAAAGZM/pj9BdmWPHMkl4qbQcPhiKLUEr8clAALMACKgBGAs/s1600/Sg%2BFlight.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2Rph9CE1bd8/XILy5lkiqjI/AAAAAAAAGZM/pj9BdmWPHMkl4qbQcPhiKLUEr8clAALMACKgBGAs/s640/Sg%2BFlight.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
Spread 4 - Flight to Mars</div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
watercolor, ink, gouache, and mulberry paper on paper cloth</div>
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</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;">We soared through space, and his coarse</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">mane whipped my bare arms and stung my eyes,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">and his tail streamed behind </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">—I now know the secret of the comets!—</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">we flew</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> past Phobos and Deimos,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> past distant stars pulsing,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> past long-lost mysteries;</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I marveled at blue dots and ancient suns</span><span style="font-size: large;">—</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">and the red planet drew near.</span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Flight to Mars was heavily inspired by the famous <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/legendary-white-stallions-airs-above-the-ground-classical-dressage-movements-of-the-lipizzaner-stallions/8297/">Lipizzaner horses</a> of Austria and their gravity-defying classical dressage. I've always wanted to see Lipizzaners in action, but have had to content myself with pictures and videos of those remarkable airs above the ground.<br />
<br />
For this scene, I researched and sketched the <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airs_above_the_ground">capriole </a></i>move for our moon-horse's long flight.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Malgg59f_rA/XILzJ7NxR2I/AAAAAAAAGZQ/34s2qexooWUZTfwXXttE-5zxWnUoYPGLwCKgBGAs/s1600/SG%2BLanding.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Malgg59f_rA/XILzJ7NxR2I/AAAAAAAAGZQ/34s2qexooWUZTfwXXttE-5zxWnUoYPGLwCKgBGAs/s640/SG%2BLanding.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
Spread 5 (center fold) - Landing on Mars</div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
watercolor, ink, gouache, and mulberry paper on paper cloth, bound with purple thread</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">At last, with straining legs and quivering muscles, </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">his hooves touched solid ground </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">—racing—slowing—stopping—panting—</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I slipped from his back - see my footprints on</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">sienna stepping stones?</span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Noses touching in kunik—eskimo kisses—we breathed </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">great gasping breaths of the thin, icy Martian air</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">—air made for dancing— </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"> I sensed it, </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"> I knew it, </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"> my bare toes felt it,</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">but the Moonhorse’s eyes told me this was </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">not the place. We rode on, on, on until </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">we reached the deepest crater, </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">strung across with a tightrope. My hopes fell</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">—he still shook with exhaustion from his flight—</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">a tightrope? Could it be, could a horse— </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">even a Moonhorse—walk a tightrope?</span></div>
</div>
<br />
Originally, Silhouette Girl and Moon-horse's landing on Mars would only be implied—the first Mars scene was to be a close-up of the girl and the horse examining the red Martian dust. From there, they'd travel toward a Mars rover before arriving at Hellas Planitia, the deepest crater on Mars.<br />
<br />
For the new version, however, I cut out the Mars rover entirely, and replaced the close-up with a wide-angle landing scene. I felt this would better tie the narrative together. I took the background from a scene in which our two characters are riding across the Martian plains, and replaced their simple ride with the more dynamic landing action that you see above.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SJc9LM3z1Oc/XILzXDpMsNI/AAAAAAAAGZY/8fFZht-4fz8WZzIkJGM-yQQl_x0oxHfVgCKgBGAs/s1600/SG%2BTightrope.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SJc9LM3z1Oc/XILzXDpMsNI/AAAAAAAAGZY/8fFZht-4fz8WZzIkJGM-yQQl_x0oxHfVgCKgBGAs/s640/SG%2BTightrope.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
Spread 6 - Hellas Planitia</div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
watercolor, ink, gouache, and mulberry paper on paper cloth</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Indeed—brave eyes sparkling—he nudged </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">me on, and the dancing Martian atmosphere </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">lifted my chin,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">—and we stepped—onto—the rope—</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">to cross Hellas Planitia,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">deeper yet than any Himalaya could fill.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The rope trembled under the Moonhorse's hooves,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">and I clutched a long lock of his mane;</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">arms stretched wide for balance.</span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Like I said, I cut out a lot of planetary travel, but I couldn't bring myself to cut out the scene above! For a long time I've had a mental image of crossing the deepest Martian crater, Hellas Planitia, by tight-rope.<br />
<br />
In reality the downward slope of the crater is much too subtle for a tight-rope, but the entire book is lodged firmly in the surreal—there's nothing realistic about it! Being fanciful to begin with, I indulged myself and stretched a rope across the crater.<br />
<br />
Finally, after that long tight-rope crossing, our interplanetary travelers have reached their destination...<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JDd1Ckbf9pA/XILzhafr-2I/AAAAAAAAGZc/FU64m1CZzjU4Hb52tHIhIwcLcnxCvmoOQCKgBGAs/s1600/SG%2BMars%2BHoodoos.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JDd1Ckbf9pA/XILzhafr-2I/AAAAAAAAGZc/FU64m1CZzjU4Hb52tHIhIwcLcnxCvmoOQCKgBGAs/s640/SG%2BMars%2BHoodoos.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
Spread 7 - Final Destination</div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
watercolor, ink, gouache, and mulberry paper on paper cloth</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">At last on the far side of the crater we stopped, </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">labored breaths clouding</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">like wisps of smoke in the frozen air</span><span style="font-size: large;">—</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">the Moonhorse and I looked up.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">We arrived—we arrived!—The Moonhorse</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">tossed his great mane, stamped his giant hooves,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">and with a leap, abandoned gravity.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I, too, could ground myself no longer—</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I gave in to the thin air of Mars;</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">gave in to the growing dance in my heart.</span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
This scene was inspired by Bryce Canyon in Utah, where orange towers and columns ("hoodoos") rise from the ground, creating natural arches and spires like a princess's castle. This was one of the first sketches I made, and it changed the least over the whole process.<br />
<br />
I read somewhere that since gravity is lower on Mars, there are rock formations there that would be impossible on Earth. I don't know if that's actually the case (it makes sense to me), but I definitely had that concept in mind when brainstorming Martian geography. While this particular scene is very reminiscent of Bryce Canyon, I still tried to imbue it with that mystical, low-gravity feeling!<br />
<br />
However, this final scene is where weightlessness truly comes into play. The gravity on Mars is about 1/3 of what it is on earth, so in reality our beloved travelers would still be bound to the ground. Even the moon's gravity, 1/6 of our own, doesn't allow floating like this! But this is anything but realistic. They traveled all this way to dance, how could they not dance in mid-air?</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xeEsna9HIFg/XILzq99GMCI/AAAAAAAAGZg/clPTBJ5nhc8u60BCnhKrt_w8PUPRgcGGwCKgBGAs/s1600/SG%2BMars%2BDance.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xeEsna9HIFg/XILzq99GMCI/AAAAAAAAGZg/clPTBJ5nhc8u60BCnhKrt_w8PUPRgcGGwCKgBGAs/s640/SG%2BMars%2BDance.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
Spread 8 - The Dance</div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
watercolor, ink, gouache, and mulberry paper on paper cloth</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The Moonhorse and I, </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">we rose above the rock formations,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> dancing</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> spinning</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> floating</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">on cold beams from the distant sun.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">We're all of star-stuff, dancing above the dark</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">slope streaks!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">In the magic of Mars we danced forever...</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UzBicLu4EQc/XILz46uRK9I/AAAAAAAAGZo/Htfwa5r4cKM2OQE87l9GBVoexgo4XBqeQCKgBGAs/s1600/Sg%2BSunrise.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UzBicLu4EQc/XILz46uRK9I/AAAAAAAAGZo/Htfwa5r4cKM2OQE87l9GBVoexgo4XBqeQCKgBGAs/s400/Sg%2BSunrise.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
Final page - Morning</div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
watercolor, gouache, ink, and mulberry paper </div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
on paper cloth</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">...Or so I dreamed. </span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This last page came about weeks after the rest of the images were complete. I kept this final page blank, unsure if I'd write the full-text poem on it, leave it blank, or add one last illustration. As you can see, I chose the latter! I only knew what I wanted to do with it when I started writing the poem and that last line, "or so I dreamed," came to mind. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I hadn't intended for this adventure to be a dream, exactly, though it has all the characteristics of a dream. But when I had that line, that's what the story officially became. I envisioned the girl waking on a hillside, as if she fell asleep stargazing and woke with the sun. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
This project was both challenge and game for me. I indulged a lot of fancies in this book, and the result is everything I never knew I wanted. Magic and fantasy set in space... a simple but highly unlikely journey, to say the least!<br />
<br />
For most of the creation process, I held off on painting the girl - I seriously considered whether she would be Silhouette Girl or someone else, someone with features and visible details. But I think in my gut I knew this would be Silhouette Girl. Who else could manage an adventure like this? It was truly made for the girl who holds the tail of a tornado, conducts wildebeests like an orchestra, and releases a cloud of butterflies from her hands!<br />
<br />
I kept telling myself it could be <i>anyone </i>doing this - any little girl could dream this up. Why lock it down for <i>only </i>Silhouette Girl?<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-07AXKHrp24w/XIL1cDfTgKI/AAAAAAAAGZ8/xhNiaJXem24BVqN2DLP3w1nTVEo_ZVcnwCKgBGAs/s1600/61B9A052-7C55-400C-B57E-870151F6256A.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1158" data-original-width="1600" height="288" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-07AXKHrp24w/XIL1cDfTgKI/AAAAAAAAGZ8/xhNiaJXem24BVqN2DLP3w1nTVEo_ZVcnwCKgBGAs/s400/61B9A052-7C55-400C-B57E-870151F6256A.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My two babies, <i>Stars & Seas</i> and <i>Silhouette Girl and the Moonhorse</i>, with a<br />
delicious mocha from my favorite coffeeshop. This is the very mocha that<br />
powered me through writing my previous blog post.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
That's where my thinking has been skewed. For a long time, I've thought of Silhouette Girl as an individual. Where is she going next, what fanciful thing is she doing this time? </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
However, she's not an individual. She's a concept. Any little girl can be "silhouette girl," because it isn't about the things she actually does. It's about the metaphors. The Silhouette Girl series started as a reaction to tragedy - innocence and weakness against one of the greatest forces on earth, a little girl holding the tail of a tornado. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The series has grown and taken on new metaphors with each drawing and painting, but the core must remain the same - innocence overcoming the impossible. Weakness overpowering the greatest powers. Childhood and imagination conquering reality. If Silhouette Girl remains as she should be, a concept instead of an individual, then she really can be <i>anyone</i>.<br />
<br />
Anyone who values innocence and imagination can be Silhouette Girl.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
With that realization, I inked in the silhouettes, covering all the loosely-sketched details like facial expressions and folds in her clothing. Our favorite girl has a ragged top hat and her new friend from the moon... she has everything she needs.</div>
<div>
<br />
With this blog post, I put a close to this brief project. I had a lot of fun with it, and I was a little sad to tape the mailer shut and send my baby off to New York... but I look forward to seeing it again someday! If you find yourself in NYC, be sure to stop at the Brooklyn Art Library and see my sketchbook for yourself. Silhouette Girl would love to have visitors!<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
-Cailey</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Updated 2022: in the time since this posting, the Sketchbook Library moved to Florida, shortly after which it closed and the books were distributed for display in various institutions. Unfortunately, during the move to Florida the trailer caught fire and many books were damaged or destroyed. I'm utterly heartbroken to share that my own <i>Silhouette Girl and the Moonhorse</i> was among those lost in the fire. I'm thankful for emergency responders, the Sketchbook Library, and its volunteers who worked tirelessly to save as many sketchbooks as possible. I'm also forever thankful for the opportunity to have been a part of that amazing collection. Lastly, I'm thankful my work, though physically destroyed, still lives on in these photos. </b></div>
Caileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04841173975870749409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537004564394328520.post-6084592223086034862019-03-02T10:33:00.000-05:002019-04-20T10:40:56.154-04:00Silhouette Girl and the Moonhorse, Part 1: Creative ProcessWow guys, I've been so excited to share this with you...<br />
<br />
For Christmas I received a sketchbook to send to the Sketchbook Project in Brooklyn!<br />
<br />
<i>What is that?</i> Great question. At the time I was only vaguely familiar with it, myself, so I spent a few minutes on the google machine and checked out the details.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.sketchbookproject.com/">The Sketchbook Project</a> is housed at the Brooklyn Art Library, an amazing library of sketchbooks from artists all over the world. You can purchase one of their blank sketchbooks (a little 5x7 blank book) and fill it however you like. When you send your sketchbook back to them, they add it to the permanent collection, and they'll alert you every time someone looks at it!<br />
<br />
I heard about it a few years ago but never pursued information on how to join the project, and forgot about it pretty quickly, so it was a great surprise to open up the package and discover this awesome opportunity.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HUoFlD86OFc/XFH6aMDSQXI/AAAAAAAAF2U/3lAMG6zUg3UTxLOw7JcMihOEfjoJ1TivwCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_6238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HUoFlD86OFc/XFH6aMDSQXI/AAAAAAAAF2U/3lAMG6zUg3UTxLOw7JcMihOEfjoJ1TivwCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_6238.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coffee and sketching with my little brother!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Every year they have different themes/inspiration cues, but it's pretty open to interpretation. The few rules pertain only to size and a couple of paints (gesso and acrylic) that aren't allowed because they make the pages stick together.<br />
<br />
I got started on January 3rd, brainstorming what I wanted to pour into the sketchbook.<br />
<br />
As you know from this blog, I work with a lot of different materials and media. Charcoal, pen and ink, paint, collage. My first hazy visions of this book involved collages of texture, color, and folded paper.<br />
<br />
Pretty soon I decided to make it a narrative. I took my cue from everything that's been inspiring me lately... Astronaut memoirs, sci-fi novels and short stories, and astrophysics-for-dummies books.<br />
<br />
I recently read "Physics of the Impossible" by Michio Kaku, and I was fascinated by his explanations of the science behind some of the "impossible" technology in sci-fi books. Things like teleportation, hyperspeed, and time travel.<br />
<br />
Another great book I read was "Riding Rockets: The Outrageous Tales of a Space Shuttle Astronaut" by Mike Mullane. It's a funny, brutally-honest peek into the NASA's space shuttle program. Mullane doesn't shy away from criticizing NASA management, but he also conveys his love for space-travel and gratitude for NASA and the chance he had to fulfill his lifelong dream. He's also very open about astronaut culture in the '80s, and his personal struggle with accepting feminism (working with the first American women astronauts was a big adjustment for a man who attended an all-boys school and went straight into the military after graduation!).<br />
<br />
With the help of these and other inspiration-boosters, my little story grew as a series of images in my mind. I had a plan for the narrative. As I started the rough sketches, I scaled back my intense collage-pages and chose to make simple line drawings in ink. I wanted the images to shine, not the materials I made them with.<br />
<br />
Whenever I begin a particular art project, I start with an exciting mental image of it, and work eagerly until I hit a roadblock or two and set it aside (for a week, a month, three years, it varies!). After some time stewing in my mind, the solution suddenly hits and then begins the feverish race to create.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HxOv0V8resQ/XFH6Hy4nZRI/AAAAAAAAF2M/1fA_WvjXQhwOY1BEEpunZDWF3g2k9GaVgCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_6246.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HxOv0V8resQ/XFH6Hy4nZRI/AAAAAAAAF2M/1fA_WvjXQhwOY1BEEpunZDWF3g2k9GaVgCKgBGAs/s400/IMG_6246.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
The same process held true for this one.<br />
<br />
Once the idea for this journey from Earth to Moon to Mars came to mind, I started sketching away, determining each scene and each step of the way.<br />
<br />
The sketchbook had 16 pages, so I had 16 scenes to create. I was able to sketch most of these over the course of a few hours spent with my brother at my favorite coffee shop.<br />
<br />
Later, I got out my transfer paper and transferred each image to the pages of the sketchbook, and started drawing with ink... and that's where the big roadblock appeared...<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The paper was too thin. </span><br />
<br />
My ink lines showed right through the paper, and even bled through in a few spots! This was not going to work.<br />
<br />
I considered my options. Glue pages together to make them thicker? Prime each page with thin layers of <a href="https://www.art-is-fun.com/what-is-gesso/">gesso </a>for a more opaque surface?<br />
<br />
Gesso was out, since it's frowned upon in the Sketchbook Project rules. Normally, gesso is an awesome primer for art surfaces, but in a booklet format, gesso could cause the pages to stick together. I wasn't going to risk that.<br />
<br />
I knew rebinding the book with different paper was allowed, but I wasn't <i>feeling </i>it... I didn't know what paper I wanted, and I didn't know how to deal with the stiffness that comes with thicker, ink-friendlier paper. Inspiration fell away and quickly as it struck.<br />
<br />
My Sketchbook drawings stopped in their tracks, I set the book aside and stewed over the paper problem for about a week... until one day I was at work and the solution hit me.<br />
<br />
Paper cloth!<br />
<br />
I first made this a few years ago, at the suggestion of my art teacher. I fell in love with the unique effects of drawing on tissue paper, stabilized by a layer of cotton fabric. It's awesome for wet media like watercolor, acrylic paint, and pen and ink, and you can glue or sew on other materials to create a collage! I <i>immediately </i>knew that's what I wanted.<br />
<br />
So what <i>is </i>paper cloth?<br />
<br />
It's regular ol' tissue paper glued onto cotton fabric. I use about equal parts water and mod podge, but you can play with that ratio for stiffer or more flexible results - more glue for stiffness, more water for flexibility.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y3q9eyxP-6I/XHqd7zQRfJI/AAAAAAAAGNM/HYDoc2msGOIfoL4UBSGSGWPcY4wUe5H_gCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_6328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y3q9eyxP-6I/XHqd7zQRfJI/AAAAAAAAGNM/HYDoc2msGOIfoL4UBSGSGWPcY4wUe5H_gCKgBGAs/s400/IMG_6328.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sketches are transferred onto the paper cloth, ready to be painted!</td></tr>
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You can also layer in other paper, threads, lace, sequins, paint, or anything else you want between the tissue paper and the cloth. Here's a link to a <a href="http://www.ihanna.nu/blog/2010/02/how-to-make-paper-cloth-a-tutorial/">blog post</a> explaining how to make paper cloth and the world of possibilities for customizing it.<br />
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I don't quite know why, but I hadn't used paper-cloth since that one project in high school. I was pretty excited to try it out again, so the minute I got home from work I dug some tissue paper out of the gift-wrapping supplies, got a large scrap of cream-colored cotton fabric from my meager sewing stash, and got to work. Yes, I have a sewing stash - I mostly do clothing alterations, with the occasional pillow or baby quilt.<br />
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With my paper cloth dried and ready, it was finally time to cut it all to size and get drawing... and time for a serious overhaul in my vision.<br />
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For one thing, paper cloth is one-sided. I suppose you could glue tissue paper to both sides of the fabric, but at this point I lacked that kind of foresight. For a brief time I was all action and no thought.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LsEYIlasymM/XFH8KbMMjqI/AAAAAAAAF3I/Zq2-0X6fp_8A1Xp1AilYEhjV_K6CkC7ogCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_6333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LsEYIlasymM/XFH8KbMMjqI/AAAAAAAAF3I/Zq2-0X6fp_8A1Xp1AilYEhjV_K6CkC7ogCPcBGAYYCw/s400/IMG_6333.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It took mental gymnastics to do this! Each sheet had two <br />different half-scenes, except the centerfold page.</td></tr>
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I had several large sheets of paper cloth, thick but flexible. Being one-sided, I'd have to use twice as much if I wanted to keep all 16 pages, and that was going to be one fat little book. I needed to pare things down to the most important images.<br />
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Chop, chop, chop - out went half of my carefully-crafted scenes! This was a tough process, but necessary if I wanted to use paper cloth <i>and </i>keep the book thin enough to be accepted by the Sketchbook Project.<br />
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After transferring the remaining scenes, it was finally time to get painting.<br />
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Wait... Painting? Wasn't this going to be simple, black-and-white line drawings?<br />
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That's where the second element of my overhaul came into play! When paper cloth came to mind, the project changed entirely.<br />
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My illustrations would no longer be simple pen and ink. These would be full watercolor paintings, with line details inked in at the end.<br />
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That's the thing with art - sometimes you've got to be fiercely loyal to the original concept. But sometimes, you fall in love with one element and the while thing morphs to fit. That's what happened here, and I love it!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x-g0YazA9GE/XFH5mQGnd2I/AAAAAAAAF2A/7jFSJCJQKqYpwlhxf-DPtQ482OpfbiySACKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_6327.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x-g0YazA9GE/XFH5mQGnd2I/AAAAAAAAF2A/7jFSJCJQKqYpwlhxf-DPtQ482OpfbiySACKgBGAs/s640/IMG_6327.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All painted, ready for ink details</td></tr>
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<br />
<span style="text-align: right;">It's nothing like what I envisioned at the beginning, but this process of adjusting the vision along the way was a lot of fun and resulted in a more creative, organic book.</span><br />
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The end result? An eight-page full-color book, bound with purple thread and with the edges of each page hand-stitched (cloth sides together, painted tissue paper facing out).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k25DeMYt8Lg/XFH5W46HbdI/AAAAAAAAF18/wDTvTMr5l48mqSaKBfeybROwHP7SubSVQCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_6342.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k25DeMYt8Lg/XFH5W46HbdI/AAAAAAAAF18/wDTvTMr5l48mqSaKBfeybROwHP7SubSVQCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_6342.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Work-in-progress, stitching together the pages</td></tr>
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Don't worry, I kept the original cover with its all-important Sketchbook Project bar-code!<br />
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Stay tuned for my next blog post, where I'll share shots of each finished page. I've taken copious amounts of pictures - full-page, detail, and process shots. I've also kept all the original pencil sketches, including the ones that didn't survive the big chop.<br />
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Since I'm mailing the finished book to Brooklyn in a few days, these pictures and sketches are very important to me. I have to capture it all before it leaves me!<br />
<br />
I hope to see it in its new home at the Brooklyn Art Library one day, of course, and I'm excited to be a part of the Sketchbook Project, but I'm going to miss this little book. We've spent a lovely two months together.<br />
<br />
-Cailey<br />
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Caileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04841173975870749409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537004564394328520.post-27673287722446404682018-12-29T09:19:00.000-05:002019-04-20T10:49:43.161-04:00My Western Adventure: National Parks, Monuments, and SketchesAt the end of October, my family went on our long-awaited Western Adventure - a two-week vacation in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. We visited three national monuments and seven national parks, put about 3,000 miles on our rental SUV, and took O-H-I-O pictures at every stop, as Ohioans are bound to do.<br />
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<i>The irony of writing all this about national parks and monuments in the midst of a government shutdown is not lost on me. If you're preparing for a visit to any national sites, please try to wait until the shutdown is over! Many national parks are operating on a skeleton crew, or are semi-closed. You may be able to get in, but facilities are not being maintained. Not only will the parks be extremely unpleasant (garbage is overflowing, and many visitors have deemed that the great outdoors is their toilet, since bathrooms aren't being maintained). Already, damage has been done that may never be remedied. Besides that, accidents happen and you or your loved ones could be at needless risk without the usual park staff and rangers available! A few</i><i> of the parks I'll mention here are open and staffed, currently operating at the state's expense, which is astronomical. </i><i>If possible, postpone your trip until congress has worked things out and the parks are back at full-staff and proper maintenance, on federal dollars!</i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">El Paso, Texas and Juarez, Mexico</td></tr>
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I saw this trip not only as a family vacation but as an opportunity to kick-start my languishing art-making, and it definitely worked. I took along my DSLR camera, watercolor pencils, a paintbrush, and a large, unlined blank book to use as combination journal and sketchbook.<br />
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My family and I flew from Cincinnati to Denver, and drove about 6 hours from there to El Paso, Texas, arriving in the wee hours of the morning at my sister and brother-in-law's home. <br />
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We relaxed in El Paso for the next few days, enjoying the gorgeous mountain sunsets, Texas barbecue, and Lay's Chile Limon potato chips (my new favorite!) from the Mexican grocery store. <br />
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El Paso is a fascinating city, particularly for someone who has spent her entire life in the rolling green hills, forests, and corn and soybean fields of Ohio. I'm pretty sure over the course of this vacation I saw more shades of brown than I ever had before, many of which were in El Paso. Yet I also saw color in some of the most unexpected and beautiful of places. Turquoise trim on the highway overpasses, pale green cacti, and the bright red, white, and green flag marking the US/Mexico border. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Pretty soon, however, it was time to get on with the adventure...</span><br />
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We started with a day-trip to Carlsbad Caverns, spending my brother's 16th birthday trekking into the cavern and through the Big Room. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KJGcvXr33Oo/XAqmaSfn4-I/AAAAAAAAFNo/A8yVTQ-N2-g9vT08iiOHjNHjiS4lt_TRgCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_5454.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KJGcvXr33Oo/XAqmaSfn4-I/AAAAAAAAFNo/A8yVTQ-N2-g9vT08iiOHjNHjiS4lt_TRgCKgBGAs/s640/IMG_5454.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carlsbad Caverns National Park</td></tr>
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I didn't expect my fear of heights to bother me <em>inside </em>a mountain, but the birthday boy ended up holding my hand and helping me inch back and forth down the narrow switchbacks as we made our way into the heart of the cavern. Once inside the Big Room, the trail was mostly flat, with only occasional drop-offs on one side or the other. Much more Cailey-friendly terrain! <br />
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However, I still found myself clutching the handrails, even on those flat areas. I don't know if my feeling of unsteadiness was the low-level anxiety I have constantly running in the background, or if it's a normal reaction to walking through these dark, stunning, massive, alien-like vaults inside the mountains. I've never experienced much claustrophobia, but maybe it was related to that. I don't know. <br />
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I was pleasantly surprised to discover that a fairly large portion of the Big Room is wheelchair accessible, with an elevator bypassing the steep trail that we took to reach it. If you're an adventurer with mobility challenges, Carlsbad Caverns may be a good stop for you.<br />
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The next day saw us off on the big road trip. The nine of us packed into our two rental SUVS and made our way across the gorgeous state of New Mexico.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking turns sledding at White Sands National Monument</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of White Sands from Tularosa, New Mexico. Colored<br style="font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">pencil on paper, October 2018.</span></td></tr>
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We stopped briefly at White Sands National Monument for sledding, lots of pictures, and a very messy lunch of barbecue ribs, fruit, and my new favorite flavor of potato chips, chile-limon.<br />
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The white sand was enchanting - even in the warm sun, the soft gypsum grains felt cool on our bare feet!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Then we were off again, driving diagonally across New Mexico, our ultimate destination: The Grand Canyon. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">However, we made a couple of side trips...</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Horseshoe Bend and the Colorado River. October 2018.</td></tr>
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First, Four Corners National Monument, where we got in trouble for playing 4-square in four different states at once... At least Dad got to cross that off his bucket list!<br />
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The second side trip was to Horseshoe Bend, Arizona, the world-famous curve in the Colorado River as it meanders its way to the Grand Canyon and beyond. Reaching Horseshoe Bend involves a short hike. The path is well-established and easy to follow, but steep at times, and the elevation (4,200 feet) isn't helpful for those accustomed to about 500 feet.<br />
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Following a quick picnic lunch at Glen Canyon Dam, we got back on the road. Grand Canyon or Bust!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grand Canyon National Park from Lippon Point, shortly before sunset. October 2018.</td></tr>
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We got a quick first look at the Grand Canyon that evening, but the next day was to be our Grand Canyon adventure. We walked a few miles along the South Rim, marveling at the vast canyon. When people say the Grand Canyon is big, what they really mean is that it is unfathomable. It's aptly named, because the only proper word for it is <em>grand</em>. <br />
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We all agreed that, impressive at the view was as we walked along the South Rim, it was not all that <i>exciting</i>. I think, to truly appreciate the Grand Canyon, we would have had to do one of the hikes down into it. Unfortunately that would have been well beyond the skill set of most of our group.<br />
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One of the highlights of our day at the Grand Canyon was simply sitting on the rocks at Lippon point and enjoying the sunset. It was really nice to just sit, talk, laugh, and enjoy the view. We arrived early enough that we had our pick of spots on the point, and the view was <i>incredible </i>as the sun set beyond the canyon walls.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bryce Canyon National Park</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Zion Lodge, Zion National Park,<br />
watercolor pencil</td></tr>
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As night fell in Arizona, we got back on the road, bound for a rental house in a small Utah town tucked away between Bryce Canyon, Zion, and Cedar Breaks National Monument. We stayed there several days, zig-zagging between the parks, hiking, relaxing, even worshiping under the stars at over 10,000 feet elevation. <br />
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Bryce Canyon was beautiful and otherworldly, like it had been nestled in the Utah wilderness by a pack of aliens or elves (depending on whether you prefer sci-fi or fantasy!). <br />
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The vivid orange and white sandstone walls and hoodoos were spectacular. We compared them to rows of stone gnomes, nature's answer to the Chinese terra cotta warriors, or the ruins of some massive ancient castle.<br />
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We spent the next two days roaming Zion National Park, adventure shoes tied tight. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Zion quickly became my favorite park.</span> <br />
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Unlike Bryce, where you can look down on the bowl of the canyon as if from the top of an amphitheater, Zion is entered from the canyon floor. Peaks and cliffs soar above, and if you look closely you may see climbers inching their way up the sheer pink, orange, white, and grey rock. Our visit fell in late October, which meant another layer of color - bright yellow foliage on the trees lining the Virgin River winding its way through the canyon. <br />
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The first day at Zion, we hiked a portion of The Narrows, a narrow stretch of the Virgin River with towering cliffs on either side. It was grueling, exhausting, wet, cold, and beautiful.<br />
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The second day there, half our group went on some tough hikes while the rest of us (the tired and the acrophobic) took it easy. We finished out Zion with a Mexican fusion restaurant just outside the park.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the Lower Emerald Pool, Zion National Park. Watercolor pencil and <br />
water from the fall</td></tr>
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After leaving Zion, we packed up again and headed toward the city of Moab, Utah, lodged between Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">But first, we <i>had </i>to stop at Capitol Reef National Park for pies and petroglyphs!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Capitol Reef National Park</td></tr>
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Capitol Reef contains quite a few historic buildings from an early Mormon settlement. <br />
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This settlement includes a fruit orchard and a small shop where you can get fresh pies, ice cream, honey, fruit preserves, and souvenirs. It felt as if we were visiting a historic village in some park at home in Ohio, but with great orange mesas in the background instead of more trees.<br />
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The home-like feeling vanished as soon as we left the ghost town-turned-tourist-center.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I0vzYTq3d7o/XAqXGm0VUOI/AAAAAAAAFNM/aqRCj19TWhYmY-3rZFPkb8RL92Q_ECd4ACKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_8590.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="211" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I0vzYTq3d7o/XAqXGm0VUOI/AAAAAAAAFNM/aqRCj19TWhYmY-3rZFPkb8RL92Q_ECd4ACKgBGAs/s320/IMG_8590.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Petroglyph at Capitol Reef National Park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Entering the canyon was like entering a prehistoric movie! I imagined that at any moment, pterodactyls might pass overhead in v-formation or a squad of velociraptors might race past our SUVs on their razor-sharp tip toes. <br />
<br />
Indeed, there was some prehistoric action in Capitol Reef. Ancient petroglyphs mark the orange stone walls, answered by a multitude of carved names and messages dating from two to two hundred years old. The graphitied walls of Capitol Reef look like America's illegal guest book. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">After the breathtaking golden hour passed into a quiet sunset, we got back on the road to Moab.</span> <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gkbgxf6iP3U/XAqXGlCKceI/AAAAAAAAFNM/APmTlgIrkrMxy-XzHmtI2RUIQH-iUOVzQCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_8853.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gkbgxf6iP3U/XAqXGlCKceI/AAAAAAAAFNM/APmTlgIrkrMxy-XzHmtI2RUIQH-iUOVzQCKgBGAs/s640/IMG_8853.JPG" width="420" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buckeyes will be Buckeyes... even at Arches National Park!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In Moab, we did a doubleheader - two national parks in one day. In the morning we visited the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands National Park, the largest and least-visited of the Big Five national parks in Utah.<br />
<br />
After a quick lunch at Wendy's, we went to Archest National Park. <br />
<br />
Like Bryce, Arches was otherworldly. It looked as if some massive baby had left their building blocks sitting about, some in towers and arches, some left tumbled about on the ground. <br />
<br />
These cliffs, gargoyles, spires, hoodoos, and of course, arches seem to obey physics only out of a spirit of generosity rather than the obligation of nature.<br />
<br />
Arches was a beautiful way to wrap up our tour of national gems. But that last evening in our Moab rental house, spent relaxing, playing goofy games, and enjoy takeout barbecue and Chinese food, was another trip highlight in its own right. The next day, we'd part company - my sister and her husband bound for Texas, the rest of us bound for Ohio. <br />
<br />
Two weeks after first departing from CVG, we arrived back home. It was an amazing trip. We saw breathtaking mesas and mountains, played on perfect white sand dunes, saw horses, deer, cattle, and ravens, explored underground caverns, and stargazed about 20x above the elevation of our hometown. <br />
<br />
Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah, I have four words for you:<br />
<br />
You stole my heart. <br />
<br />
-Cailey<br />
<br />
p.s. the sketches and drawings here ain't nuthin. There's more art from my western adventure and it's headed this way soon, so stick around!Caileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04841173975870749409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537004564394328520.post-45110793587998790632018-12-10T17:44:00.001-05:002019-03-21T14:56:02.293-04:00Stars & Seas is 1 Month Old!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E5Q7D9o8mdM/W33oC5m3T1I/AAAAAAAAByQ/F4P-JfP93xInlxcrhp4OwOVK3zRyTcqHwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Photo%2BAug%2B11%252C%2B12%2B00%2B41%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E5Q7D9o8mdM/W33oC5m3T1I/AAAAAAAAByQ/F4P-JfP93xInlxcrhp4OwOVK3zRyTcqHwCPcBGAYYCw/s400/Photo%2BAug%2B11%252C%2B12%2B00%2B41%2BPM.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cover image from Stars & Seas</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">My baby, <a href="http://www.blurb.com/b/8955140-stars-and-seas">Stars & Seas</a>, is a month old!</span> <br />
<br />
Almost a year ago I started writing a series of poetry that would eventually become my first poetry chapbook, Stars and Seas. It took many hours of writing, revising, editing, arranging, editing, writing, illustrating, researching, editing, and formatting. Many half-panicked texts to my writing buddies. Many google-searches looking for the ultimate self-publishing crash course.<br />
<br />
Finally, on November 4th, the book went live in the Blurb bookstore.<br />
<br />
To say I'm blown away by all of your support and enthusiasm is a gross understatement. This fall has been an eye-opening experience, and a "well, duh!" experience, for pretty much the same reasons. <br />
<br />
Knowing the incredibly loving, generous, and supportive community I am part of, I shouldn't be surprised. And yet, I repeatedly find myself marveling at the number of people who sent me pictures when their copy of my chapbook arrived, asked me to sign their copy, or asked how sales are going.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kM6RC53ZOgs/XA7qeXriXXI/AAAAAAAAFT8/F6hcL-0zPEE228ybR66A2MkbYFwktH8kwCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_6012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="782" data-original-width="1600" height="195" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kM6RC53ZOgs/XA7qeXriXXI/AAAAAAAAFT8/F6hcL-0zPEE228ybR66A2MkbYFwktH8kwCKgBGAs/s400/IMG_6012.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "dedication," of sorts...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I suppose this comes down to Impostor Syndrome, the undercurrent of "surely they'll realize I'm not all that" in my inner monologue. Daily I find myself embarrassed by my lack of confidence in the genuineness of my relationships, but anxiety still tells me you all think I'm annoying and you're all waiting for excuses to drop out of my life. Shut up, anxiety! Of course, I have all this doubt, but I also know very well what it's like to be on your side of things, actively trying to encourage and support the artists, writers, and other creatives in my life! Look, no one ever said anxiety makes sense, okay?<br />
<br />
You can imagine my surprise last week when I received an email from Blurb, the print-on-demand company handling my book production and sales. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">In one month I made the first $100 of my writing career!</span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
That's purely from book sales, and doesn't count a few dollars I've made with my Stars & Seas art on <a href="https://www.redbubble.com/people/caileyb/works/34175239-stars-and-seas" target="_blank">Redbubble</a>.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">As I look back at the other little milestones in my creative career, I find myself counting blessings I never would have imagined back in 5th grade, when I decided I liked writing...</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
For instance, my first published poem was in a fun little Christian teen mag when I was 18.<br />
<br />
I just dug out that issue of <i>Encounter </i>to peer down memory lane ever so briefly.<i> </i>While I'm not so impressed by my writing, I am glad that I was able to kick of my writing career with 20 lines of worship, and thankful to Standard Publishing for accepting my work. I hope you sense the tone that set in the rest of my written work, because I feel it in every poem I write. Faith is a difficult thing, but no matter how my feet wander, I can't imagine the hopelessness of giving it up and striking out on my own, without God's presence.<br />
<br />
Another blessing? Stumbling my way into a job where I receive writing inspiration every single day! I listen to audio books pretty much every day at work, and folks, that (along with a steady paycheck, awesome coworkers, a kind boss, and regular hours) has been a God-send. If you've never read a book, article, or blog post about ways to kick-start creativity and/or become a better writer, let me tell you one tip they <em>all</em> say: read more books. Ladies and gentlemen, Stars & Seas is proof that listening to audio-books also counts!<br />
<br />
I was inspired to write Stars & Seas after listening to two different books about space-travel (Scott Kelly's <em>Endurance</em> and <em>A Man on the Moon</em> by Andrew Chaikin). Since then I've kept a mini yellow legal pad in my desk to jot down bits of inspiration as they come. That pad was basically the first home of Stars & Seas.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A peek inside Stars & Seas, for those who have yet to purchase. No hard<br />
feelings, I love you anyway!</td></tr>
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I'm blessed to have found ways to combine my two great loves, art and writing. I've had a habit of weaving back and forth between the two as I grew up. I planned to get a degree in drawing or illustration, and instead I got a degree in English. I ran an Etsy shop for a few years, and closed it around the time I started putting a lot of effort into trying to get some of my writing published (a constant, on-going process; I just received another rejection email two days ago!). Stars & Seas was the first non-academic project that truly combined writing and art. I look forward to many, many more chances to share these two passions simultaneously.<br />
<br />
Most of all, as I said at the beginning of this post, I've come to realize how extravagantly blessed I am by the community I call my family and friends. Your support has been firmer than any rock I could stand on, and every day I thank God for you.<br />
<br />
All in all, the past few months have been quite a roller coaster ride, and I look forward to what the coming months have to offer!<br />
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Thank you all,<br />
-Cailey<br />
<br />
P.s. I'm still obsessed with space-travel and I'll gladly accept book recommendations if you know of any other awesome space books. Fiction and nonfiction are both welcome, just as long as it's interesting! I recently finished <em>The Martian</em> by Andy Weir, and earlier this year I fell in love with Ray Bradbury's <em>The Martian Chronicles</em>. Maybe my next poetry book with be about Mars? Who knows!Caileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04841173975870749409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537004564394328520.post-39250580293587080592018-10-04T19:21:00.001-04:002019-03-21T14:56:46.376-04:00Stars & Seas Details<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YAg7Pk-aTmc/W6Z451SuirI/AAAAAAAABy8/h96IrLRozaI4dED3M_CuitZdZXa44h1lQCLcBGAs/s1600/Photo%2BSep%2B22%252C%2B12%2B29%2B50%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YAg7Pk-aTmc/W6Z451SuirI/AAAAAAAABy8/h96IrLRozaI4dED3M_CuitZdZXa44h1lQCLcBGAs/s400/Photo%2BSep%2B22%252C%2B12%2B29%2B50%2BPM.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Hey there, fam. It's been a few weeks since we last talked, and in that time I've been up to a whole lot of good stuff, as far as <i>Stars & Seas</i> goes!</span><br />
<br />
All your amazing responses to the announcement of my little book turned me into an emotional wreck for about a week. I am so blessed to be surrounded by this community of friends and family!<br />
<br />
Anyway, let's get down to business. I promised more details to come, and here's a whole big load of details regarding <i>Stars & Seas</i>, purchasing, etc. Thank you so much for your enthusiasm and questions; this blog post should answer most of the questions you've asked.<br />
<br />
I'll start with the question on everyone's mind...<br />
<br />
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mb-Y8N1sWEA/W6aDbdn-WhI/AAAAAAAABzU/3K7ob4nHI3kU-FZgvTWoUjilZ-vmYhUFQCLcBGAs/s1600/Photo%2BSep%2B22%252C%2B1%2B56%2B10%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mb-Y8N1sWEA/W6aDbdn-WhI/AAAAAAAABzU/3K7ob4nHI3kU-FZgvTWoUjilZ-vmYhUFQCLcBGAs/s400/Photo%2BSep%2B22%252C%2B1%2B56%2B10%2BPM.jpg" width="300" /></a><b><span style="font-size: large;">When is the release date?</span></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<span style="font-size: large;">Sunday, November 4!</span><br />
<br />
That's right, exactly a month away. I can almost smell it! Can you?<br />
<br />
...oh wait, that's probably the proof I smell... It's sitting right next to me as I write this.<br />
<br />
<b>Can I preorder? </b><br />
<br />
No. It being my first time through this process, I'm keeping things simple. But you can order the minute it's released, so be sure to reserve a few bucks in your bank account!<br />
<br />
<b>Where can I buy?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Link to come, fam!<br />
<br />
For now it will be available exclusively at my print company's online bookstore.<br />
<br />
<b>How much will Stars & Seas cost?</b><br />
<br />
$7. That's a few dollars to cover publishing costs, a few dollars for me, and a cute little book for you!<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Speaking of publishing, who's your publisher? What is self-publishing? How does this all work?</b><br />
<br />
My publisher is me, baby! Well, with the help of a friendly company called <a href="http://www.blurb.com/" target="_blank">Blurb</a>.<br />
<br />
Blurb is a print-on-demand self-publishing platform. This means I didn't have to write query letters or pitches, work by anyone else's timeline, or have to publish and sell a bulk order of books upfront. I also don't have to print and bind them myself.<br />
<br />
The way it works is that I wrote, edited, and illustrated it all, and formatted a PDF according to Blurb's specifications. A few nerve-wracking clicks later, and the proof was on its way!<br />
<br />
I found Blurb's process to be pretty easy, and I'm pleased with their services and costs. I haven't run into any issues requiring customer service, so I can't speak to that end, but I've found their FAQs to be very helpful throughout the process.<br />
<br />
There are so many options in today's publishing world, but it comes down to one main choice: traditional or self-publishing. And in the case of little chapbooks like this, there's a third option I like to call "super-self-publishing," which involves a home printer and either a stapler or needle and thread.<br />
<br />
I chose self-publishing for a few reasons. I'd love to go the traditional publishing route someday! But for this project, it was important to me that I handle the entire process myself. I enlisted the help of a few good friends for editing, but that's about it. I needed to carry this baby the whole way through.<br />
<br />
<b>Will it ship internationally?</b><br />
<br />
Heck yeah! Blurb ships to about 70 countries around the world, and also APO and FPO addresses. But if you can't get it where you're at for whatever reason, let me know and we'll see if we can work something out.<br />
<br />
<b>Why wait until November 4, if it's ready now?</b><br />
<br />
Ooh, I was hoping you'd ask that question! Well... one of the poems included, Panic Attack, is being published elsewhere this month!<br />
<br />
You can find it in volume 18 of <i><a href="http://www.upstate.edu/bioethics/thehealingmuse/index.php" target="_blank">The Healing Muse</a></i>, a literary and visual art journal centered on the topics of the body, medicine, illness, and health. <i>The Healing Muse</i> is put out by Upstate Medical University, out of State University of New York (SUNY). Copies of the journal will be available for purchase online.<br />
<br />
I've signed an agreement with <i>The Healing Muse </i>allowing it to publish Panic Attack first. Rights will go back to me immediately after publication, but until then I have to keep it under wraps. It's the way of the publishing world, guys. If you're impatient, just blame the ol' Panic Attack.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BwQ5kGC5BzU/W6Z7oR3Eh7I/AAAAAAAABzI/PyMJuw1un2AdzD5WPE4c7tYvzsHm4YUgACLcBGAs/s1600/Single%2BJellyfish%2BIllustration.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BwQ5kGC5BzU/W6Z7oR3Eh7I/AAAAAAAABzI/PyMJuw1un2AdzD5WPE4c7tYvzsHm4YUgACLcBGAs/s320/Single%2BJellyfish%2BIllustration.png" width="240" /></a>I've had a few poems published in various journals, and it's thrilling to get that email, "Dear Cailey, we are pleased to accept <u> </u> for publication."<br />
<br />
It takes <i>hours </i>to wade through submission calls, identify which poems to submit to which journals, fit all submission requirements, and finally hit the submit button.<br />
<br />
It seems like they all have different format requirements... blind (anonymous), single poem or a group of 3-5, single document or multiple, address on each page, nothing longer than 20 lines, nothing shorter than 20 lines, Times New Roman or Courier New, I could go on... and there's tons of competition. But it's so rewarding to discover that gem of an acceptance in the middle of a bunch of rejections! The rejections don't really bother me now; they motivate me. But acceptance is an even better motivator, for sure.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>What are some other ways to support you?</b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">Great question! </span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Share with others! Share the purchase link online, show the book to your friends, and make a big deal about having suddenly become a poetry fan.</span></li>
<li>Check out these <a href="https://www.redbubble.com/people/caileyb/works/34175239-stars-and-seas?asc=u&ref=recent-owner" target="_blank">Stars & Seas</a> products on Redbubble! This design is a combination of several illustrations from the book, all original ink drawings by yours truly. There's more than 50 different items, including t-shirts, tote bags, coffee mugs, wall art; even duvet covers. Personally I think it looks super rad on the pillows, the hardcover journal, and the travel mug.</li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Keep in touch! Whether it's through this site, social media, or however we interact, let me know what you think about the book. One of the purposes of art is to engage in conversation between the artist and the viewer.. So let's extend that conversation!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Most importantly, pay attention to the people around you. You'll never know if they're afraid, hurt, or feeling hopeless unless you show that you care. Be a listener, be a giver, be an encourager. We're made to be in community, not in a vacuum, but it's so easy for us to isolate ourselves when the world seems so dark and scary. Be a light.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
Alright fam, that's all the questions I could think of to answer (with a couple of tangents on publishing). If you ask more, I'll do my best to update this post with answers so we're all on the same page!</span><br />
<br />
But one last thing... I just want to say that I am blown away by your enthusiastic support. Absolutely overwhelmed.<br />
<br />
I feel this weird mix of pretentiousness and teenage angst when I tell people I write poetry, so it's amazing to look at the number of page views on my announcement, and the reactions to my social media posts about <i>Stars & Seas</i>. It's really overwhelming to think about how many people love me and are excited to read what I wrote.<br />
<br />
It's also scary, since this is by far the most personal work I've ever released to the public. This feels wildly different from all the art I've sold or shared online. It almost feels like baring my private journals to the world. I want to thank everyone who has made my community feel safe enough to do this... You mean the world to me. Thank you!<br />
<br />
-CaileyCaileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04841173975870749409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537004564394328520.post-55424057768114583242018-08-23T19:43:00.000-04:002019-04-20T10:51:41.650-04:00A BIG Announcement: See Cailey...Write?Wow, wow, wow I have some exciting news to share and you all have <i>no idea </i>how long I've been waiting and how badly I've wanted to break the news! <br />
<br />
I keep hinting about it on Instagram, posting pictures of fish drawings, and papers covered in editing notes, with captions vaguely referring to some project I'm working on... But I think I've done a good job of keeping it mostly on the down-low.<br />
<br />
Do you know how hard it is to be excited about something for <i>almost a whole year</i> and not talk about it?<br />
<br />
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I did tell a few friends, and they got more than their share of all-caps hype texts along the way... Thanks for the encouragement and the all-caps responses!<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
Okay, have I built this up enough?<br />
<br />
Have I given you a proper taste of what I've felt all year? Yes?<br />
<br />
Am I just being mean now? Yeah?<br />
<br />
Okay, okay. Drum roll please...<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I'm publishing a poetry chapbook!</span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Stars & Seas</i> will be released in the beginning of November! </span></div>
<br />
More information, such as where to purchase, will be coming soon as I finalize details.<br />
<br />
Over the past year I've written, edited, and illustrated over 40 pages of poetry. Wrestled with Microsoft Word, googled countless questions about formatting and self-publishing, and read books on space travel and deep-sea exploration...<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Illustration for "Song of the Ginkgo Tree," page 33</td></tr>
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<ul>
<li>Did you know space smells like burning metal? At least, according to NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, who spent almost an entire year living in the International Space Station. He shared his experience in <i>Endurance: A Year in Space, a Lifetime of Discovery</i>, published last year. </li>
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<li>Did you know the deepest known point in the ocean is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Challenger_Deep" target="_blank">Challenger Deep</a>, in the Mariana Trench? It's about 36,000 feet deep!</li>
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<li>Did you know that just this year, PhD candidate David Nadlinger of the University of Oxford won an award for his <a href="https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/02/trapped-atom-photograph-long-exposure-competition-spd/">photograph of an atom</a>? It looks like a tiny blue dot, not unlike the famous Pale Blue Dot in space, also known as our own humble Earth, photographed by Voyager 1 in 1990. </li>
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<li>Did you know a group of jellyfish is called a bloom?</li>
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These are a few of the things I've learned along the way, and they've all slipped into my poems in one way or another. This book compares space and the ocean, using imagery from those two realms to connect with and illustrate my experiences with anxiety and depression.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Self Portrait," 2017. The <i>Stars & Seas</i> cover image!</td></tr>
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<i>Stars & Seas </i>is about my first panic attack, which I experienced a couple years ago.<br />
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It's about my ongoing struggle to figure out how much of who I am is actually me, and how much is the anxiety which I've only recently realized I've probably had my whole life.<br />
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It's about the passing of my grandpa in April 2017.<br />
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It's about trying to be an artist when the art just isn't coming to me.<br />
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It's about coming to terms with faith and fear. </div>
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Creating <i>Stars & Seas</i> has been an extremely therapeutic journey, and finally publishing and sharing it with all of you is a big, exciting, and scary final step. It's been a labor of both love and catharsis.<br />
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I hope you enjoy this book, either to take a peek into the life of the mental health-challenged, to hopefully find something you can relate to and find comfort in, or just to read some half-decent poetry about space-jellyfish. </div>
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I love you all and I can't wait to share this with you! Like I said, I'll soon have more information regarding cost, where you can purchase, and other ways to support me...<br />
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-Cailey</div>
Caileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04841173975870749409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537004564394328520.post-135452761299126212018-07-16T20:04:00.001-04:002019-03-21T14:59:02.865-04:00See Cailey Make Some Changes<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nlU4mgxDaDo/UdcCLi91D7I/AAAAAAAAANQ/vlXnVply2IwE_A-nrs4Xy8DL3psJAJ-0gCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Scan.BMP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1153" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nlU4mgxDaDo/UdcCLi91D7I/AAAAAAAAANQ/vlXnVply2IwE_A-nrs4Xy8DL3psJAJ-0gCPcBGAYYCw/s400/Scan.BMP.jpg" width="287" /></a>Folks, I have an announcement to make.</div>
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Last November, I put my Etsy shop in Vacation Mode, essentially closing it temporarily. I’d been an Etsy seller for 4 ½ years at that point, and I was feeling worn out with the lack of sales, and unmotivated to put any more work into it. I didn't want to tackle the Christmas season with that kind of attitude.</div>
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After keeping it inactive these past months, I’ve decided to officially close the shop.</div>
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Etsy was a big learning experience for me. Going into it, I had no idea how to price my work, how to handle online customers, how to promote a business, even what to charge for tax. I put in hours and hours of research before opening the shop, and many, many more afterward.</div>
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Looking back, I know plenty of things I could and should have done to improve traffic and make sales, but for all my research beforehand, I was still jumping in pretty blind.</div>
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Some things I learned about business and about myself:</div>
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<li>I learned that I hate dealing with the post office, determining shipping costs, packaging and labeling items to ship, and dealing with items lost in the shipping void. Unlike certain shipping companies, I do not love logistics.</li>
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<li>I learned that the key to customer service is treating the customer the way I always want to be treated when I'm the customer. Going above the expectation, beyond what's "fair." I sincerely hope that my efforts to do so were received as such!</li>
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<li>I learned that all the little promotion materials like business cards are expensive… and I have a tendency to say things like “ooh, there's a sale, let’s get these really great personalized stickers to put on the ends of the mailing tubes! I’m investing in my business! No problem!" But it is a problem when profits are outweighed by the cost of those fun marketing materials.</li>
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<ul><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4NHTQLRHpDk/W00ouWwEyNI/AAAAAAAABxQ/oHNfnPnue5UJ-zbKLrgT8BQWg7hTF2fqgCLcBGAs/s1600/Photo%2BOct%2B29%252C%2B4%2B09%2B43%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4NHTQLRHpDk/W00ouWwEyNI/AAAAAAAABxQ/oHNfnPnue5UJ-zbKLrgT8BQWg7hTF2fqgCLcBGAs/s200/Photo%2BOct%2B29%252C%2B4%2B09%2B43%2BPM.jpg" width="163" /></a>
<li>I learned that sometimes you’ve got an awesome custom order in the works, you’ve worked with the buyer to make sure the product is perfect, invested in the best materials, and nearly completed everything……… only to have the order fall through at the last minute. It happens, and you just have to cry about it for a few minutes and then figure out what to do with what you have left.</li>
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<li>Most importantly, I learned how hard it is to be true to the personal nature of my art when personal art isn’t what sells… and how hard it is not to “commercialize” and just make art that will sell.</li>
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That last point was the hardest lesson to handle. There were many times that I started a painting, drawing, or collage, only to feel a sharp twinge of guilt because I knew it would never sell in a forum like Etsy. Conversely, there were many times that I started a piece only to feel a sharp twinge of guilt over "selling out" and making something trendy and kitschy.<br />
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All that to say, running an Etsy shop is a lot of work and a lot of money. For some, it’s well worth the investment. Etsy definitely has its perks, and I have to admit that the company does everything it can to make the buying and selling experience a good one. But for me, the costs outweighed the rewards.</div>
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When I opened the shop I was a full-time college student, working 20+ hours a week, trying to make new art, keep a handle on my mental health, and still try to socialize once in a while. I didn’t have the time to devote to building the business. By the time I graduated and had a little more time (or rather, the illusion of time!) to put into my shop, I found myself burnt out.<br />
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So, that’s where things stand. I’m closing my Etsy shop after five years. I need to get back to my personal art, in my time, on my terms. I need to remove shipping and marketing from the equation.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d0kRymD9A30/UdHLkcU--1I/AAAAAAAAAJo/LFpdPvtSiaI6S4Rx9lD-E-z2XRzbCietQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Photo1013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1141" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d0kRymD9A30/UdHLkcU--1I/AAAAAAAAAJo/LFpdPvtSiaI6S4Rx9lD-E-z2XRzbCietQCPcBGAYYCw/s320/Photo1013.jpg" width="228" /></a>I need to stop trying to be a “professional artist” for a minute and focus on trying to be an artist in the first place. </div>
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You: “But I love Tornado Girl and I want to buy a print!”</div>
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Me: "Well, you can always contact me about buying my art!"</div>
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Only this way, I won’t be paying Etsy any listing fees or commissions. </div>
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You can also still find my work on t-shirts, phone cases, coffee mugs, and lots of other household objects at <a href="https://www.redbubble.com/people/caileyb?asc=u" target="_blank">Redbubble</a>, where all I have to do is upload the art. They handle production, shipping, and customer service, and in my experience as both buyer and artist, they do a really great job at all of those things.<br />
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Finally, this will not affect my blogging - you’ll still hear from me here at See Cailey Color! There will just be fewer sales pitches, so you should thank me. <br />
All kidding aside, thank you all for your support, my friends. I couldn’t have done any of it without you, and I still can’t, moving forward. I depend so much on my family, friends, and internet-friends for encouragement and inspiration.<br />
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Thank you.<br />
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-Cailey</div>
Caileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04841173975870749409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537004564394328520.post-39108449772410169492018-06-16T13:23:00.000-04:002018-06-16T21:32:20.193-04:00Broken Teacups: Thoughts on Pain, Art, and LoveI follow several artists on Instagram, and @ByMariAndrew is one of my favorites. Her illustrations are outwardly simple, but she pours intense meaning into them. Her work has made me laugh, made me cry, made me feel all kinds of feelings. It always gets me.<br />
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She recently released a book, <i>Am I There Yet?</i>. I have yet to read it (sorry!) but I'm already in love with it. You can buy it on Amazon, or probably anywhere else you buy books.... </div>
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<i>Am I There Yet?: The Loop-de-Loop, Zigzagging Journey to Adulthood</i> by Mari Andrew. Buy it. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mari Andrew's home page</td></tr>
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Is the order confirmation in your email? Okay, good! Now let's move on...</div>
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The first image you see on the homepage of her <a href="http://bymariandrew.com/" target="_blank">website</a> is actually a great introduction for what I want to talk about today. I didn't even know this illustration was on her homepage, I just visited her site while writing this post and that image fit perfectly!</div>
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It depicts a young woman (Mari) holding a beautiful vase... </div>
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Which is broken (in a moment of weakness, distraction, heartbreak, sweaty hands; the cause is immaterial). </div>
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But then, she proudly displays a mosaic made from the broken shards, just as beautiful as the vase. In fact, maybe more beautiful, because of the love poured into the making. </div>
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Anyway, today she shared the image below, which struck a deep chord in me, and inspired me to write this blog post....</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Illustration by Mari Andrew, 2018. Used with permission.</td></tr>
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The text reads, </div>
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"Last week I broke a beloved teacup I bought myself 10 years ago for my first apartment. It was so special to me. It's silly, but I was so sad. It's not what I would have chosen. But now I have a choice to make:</div>
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1. Throw it away. It's useless realism with optimism. </div>
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2. Try to repair it with glue. Optimism without realism. It will look like nothing happened. But I know coffee with seep through, if not now, at some point. It's broken; it's not the same. It won't function the same way every again. </div>
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3. Take its two broken pieces and display them as is. Realism <i>and </i>optimism. Here is something that mattered to me then, and matters to me now. It can no longer work, but it was once useful, is always special, and can still be beautiful."</div>
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Of course, as she pointed out in the instagram caption, this is about a lot more than a teacup. </div>
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As I scrolled through the comments, I noticed three trends:</div>
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<li>A number of people commented with the story of kintsugi, or kintsukuroi, a <a href="https://mymodernmet.com/kintsugi-kintsukuroi/" target="_blank">Japanese technique</a> of repairing broken ceramics with gold, resulting in an even more beautiful object. An absolutely beautiful sentiment, but not a practical one. I can't image she has a bunch of molten gold sitting around to repair her teacup.</li>
<li>Quite a few advised she repair the cup and make it into a candle or plant a little flower, cactus, or succulent in it, redeeming it with a new purpose. Again, a lovely idea, and probably a longer-lasting and more successful way to tackle Option 2.</li>
<li>Finally, a number of people suggested, possibly thinking of her earlier illustration with the broken vase, that she create a mosaic from the broken teacup. This is an option... and it's one that requires time and creativity, and a lot of emotional willpower.</li>
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These are all beautiful and have their place. I don't want to say that any of those comments were wrong or unhelpful or stupid or unfeeling. The fact that these people shared their advice and ideas shows that they care and want to help. If they didn't, it would be a whole lot easier to just scroll on past. So don't get the impression that I'm bashing those people or their ideas. </div>
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But I think, a lot of times, we don't know what to say when someone is hurting. </div>
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We end up sharing something unrelated or impractical as we try to lend deeper meaning to their pain, or give helpful advice that addresses the specifics while missing the point. Or, we unknowingly offer advice that jumps several steps ahead in the process.</div>
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She may very well choose to create a mosaic from her broken teacup. It would be a lovely way to display it. Sometimes, artists can use their pain immediately and create powerful art with it. It can be extremely cathartic to make art from pain. </div>
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But mixing pain and paint can sometimes take a lot of time. Sometimes, the will to create feels weak under the weight of that pain. Sometime the inspiration sticks in the slow lane and doesn't arrive right way. </div>
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Sometimes, we need to simply take our pain, our broken treasure, and let it rest. Put it on a shelf and let our emotions recover. </div>
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Allow time for our hands, cut from picking up shards of porcelain, to heal. </div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OaP7iMZ8mts/WyU9nY1_X-I/AAAAAAAABw4/hkp0zq9do582FhibujVQKHjDs4HqwhzEgCLcBGAs/s1600/Poppa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1055" data-original-width="1600" height="263" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OaP7iMZ8mts/WyU9nY1_X-I/AAAAAAAABw4/hkp0zq9do582FhibujVQKHjDs4HqwhzEgCLcBGAs/s400/Poppa.jpg" width="400" /></a>My grandpa passed away last spring. He and I were close, and it was very painful. Still is. In the days after my grandpa died, I started painting a copy of this photo. </div>
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Tractors were his favorite things, after God and family. He spent countless hours attending tractor shows and working on old tractors. He worked as a minister and an auto mechanic, and after he retired, he continued serving his church by taking his tractor out and mowing the church lawn. </div>
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So I wanted to paint this image of him (taken when he was smiling at the antics of his daughters, my mom and her four sisters, at a family reunion a few years ago) overlaying an image of a tractor. It just captures him, in my eyes. </div>
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I started the painting, but couldn't really get past a simple wash - a super watered-down underlayer of paint which blocks in the basic sections of color and ensures there won't be any white specks of canvas peeking through the paint. It was just too much for my heart to handle. </div>
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Maybe someday I'll turn that teacup into a mosaic, but for now I'm letting the pieces rest on a shelf in my heart (and in the drawer where I stash my small canvases for future use). </div>
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My favorite comments on Mari's post spoke to the deeper meaning (the "it's not entirely about a teacup" part). These comments, of which there were only a few, were the ones that said something along the lines of "I love you, and your metaphoric teacup may be redeemed one day, but it's okay to pause at Option 3 for some time." Some of these people shared brief stories of their own metaphoric broken treasures, but they all simply accepted Mari's loss and loved her <i>where she is </i>- a woman with a broken teacup*.</div>
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If you've got a broken teacup, you don't have to turn it into art right away. I would love if you turn it into art, but you can take your time. </div>
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If you know someone with a broken teacup, <i>just love them</i>. It may take a long time for their heart to make that mosaic... and that's okay. </div>
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-Cailey</div>
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*that's not entirely a teacup.</div>
Caileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04841173975870749409noreply@blogger.com0