The Body

You can barely see it in the last post, so here's a clearer picture of  what I've been working on in my new art studio... not that it hasn't come with little stop your heart stress moments.  The first time I attempted this piece, now referred to as The Body, was mutually as terrifying as it was exhilarating. It was the first full hand drawing I'd ever attempted, and everything was going smoothly until the moment I decided to incorporate oil paint, also the first in my artwork experiences. My grandmother was an award-winning artist, but now, without her wealth of knowledge and go-to advise, this is really a learning/teach yourself process.

The drawing was done and exactly how I wanted it, the hair and tights were painted, and the final stages involved adding skin and the completion of the tattoos.  I didn't go in naively, I understood that it would inevitably boil down to the dynamics of trial and error, so I inhaled deeply and began creating my palette. In retrospect, cans of paint thinner are taunting me.

A day later and I was sitting on the floor, sobbing like a five-year-old, because the oils were too thick, the colors too dark, and the all hours invested in the initial tattooing were suddenly futile. My painting was ruined, and I was about to scrap my original and start from scratch. I called Alex. I called my mom. And the funny thing is that as sad as they were for my loss, their reactions were too calm to be real. I'd just lost one of my favorite pieces, and it felt like an absolute travesty, and yet they were both seemingly unruffled by the frenzied declaration that I was now having a showdown with another piece of blank paper that already seemed to be winning. No Charlie Sheen connotations required.

But here's the thing. I was looking at it in the wrong light. They believed in me... so I swallowed hard and got down and dirty, and literally back to the drawing board. I muscled through every repetitive step, finished the work, and she might be even better than the original.

So here she is, The Body.  Hope you like it!