The Artful Readers Club for January
Artist's Journal Workshop: Creating Your Life in Words and Pictures by Cathy Johnson Sat in front of a local church on a sunny Saturday, then picked some flowers to examine. I only had a pencil so I added the watercolor later. Armed with few supplies, I went to one of my favorite spots and doodled. Lines added in Photoshop before posting...timid me. Please note: I recommend this book for any artist at any stage...my reference to 12-13 year olds in this review, is remarked due to the value of journaling. It's actually a very sophisticated book on many levels. In a brief shuffle through the pages of Artist's Journal Workshop , I found myself conflicted. The book contains numerous examples of a style of art making that toggles between the hugely personal and a publishable 'look'. So, with that...the book set up on my shelf for nearly a year. Now, after an honest read, I still feel a bit conflicted...but in a way that offers some inspir...
My favorite of these is the third. However, I want to make a comment about the selection of images rather than the images themselves this time.
ReplyDeleteThere are three images. I am reading page down and assuming this is the same order as the selection.
The first image is a woman, somewhat of a Medieval style about her. Importantly, she appears to be blind (although her eyes may simply be downcast). She seems to be sad, rather than shy. A rainbow of colour sits against her dress. The holding of flowers/the secret mermaid captured on her blue dress like water (the green tail) - the sun on the water which dazzles us. The beautiful blindness of rapture.
Now the second image. Now the angel looks down at us, from a vantage that we cannot share. We literally can't catch his height. Again, he is blue, like the dress before.
And now, the third image: the third sight that we cannot share. It is first of all, rosy pink and not blue. Less ethereal, less cerulean... Less innocent. And this time, the look is being forcefully blinded by an evil looking man. The male gaze dominates the female gaze.
Three interesting variations on blindness, each with different meanings...