Night Windows

Night window reflections while teaching Life Drawing at Maine College of Art.

Tripping

I've spent the past two days in my studio, pushing and pulling dark and light, and playing with proportions and the placement of images on my triptych. In addition to charcoal, I have started to add some white acrylic - I want my drawings to have the same range of grays and sparkling whites and rich blacks as found in a good old movie.

I stated before that this piece is about the primary three people who raised me - my mother, my father, and my maternal grandmother. These three also happen to be the people closest to me who have died, and while working on the triptych, I have felt their presence quite strongly. At times I find myself weeping, even though I don't feel particularly sad - just overcome with emotion. I've had the sensation that I am loved unconditionally and feel cheered on by all three, as if their spirits have none of the fear or judgement that their human forms may have sometimes harbored about me and my art.

I have been a little concerned that this piece is too personal for anyone else to relate to, then found a great quote this morning:

Women are repeatedly accused of taking things personally. I cannot see any other honest way of taking them. ~ Marya Mannes, American writer b. 1904

(I've been listening to Raising Sand quite a bit in my studio, and yesterday saw the humor in how a song may have subconsciuosly affected my placement of certain images...:^)

A Trippy Process

Unearthing old prints, drawings, photographs, pages from my dream journals, and photocopies that I've had stashed away for years. It seems they've all been waiting to enter my triptych...

Farther

Started working on the central panel of my triptych. I read that the central panel traditionally carries the most important information. My father takes center stage - he was more "there" than my mother. On a larger scale of meaning, this speaks about the patriarchal culture of the 50's and 60's when I was growing up...

Father

Playing in photoshop with the charcoal drawing I made from a projected slide of my father holding me. Eggs - whole, and broken open, constellations, areolae, the universe, brains, an ovum being fertilized, eyes, veiny retinas....all these images emerged as I adjusted levels and color balance.....

Projecting

Playing with the idea that we physically hold memories in our body...