Painting of a naked woman
I met Bear’s work people. The strangest thing about them was how real they were. I’ve only known them through his brief descriptions (which weren’t very colorful or even particularly accurate), and then there they were, with partners and personalities and different laughs. Fully developed.
The women were all beautiful, somehow, and I was extremely thankful for my friend who had let me borrow her gold and pale blue silky J. Crew dress. She had also done my makeup (I don’t know how to do makeup). I was also wearing her strapless bra (I don’t own one) and her earrings. I don’t know how to be a girl. But I looked really good, and I think I was funny enough, and everyone seemed to like me enough, and everyone seemed to think it was pretty cool that I am a writer and a blogger, and almost everyone was Dutch and had a cool accent. So that was good, too.
And, in a fit of feeling awesome, I painted something for the first time in a year or so. Here it is:
So even though it is very gloomy outside, and I can almost feel the heat pressing up against the windows, I am happy.
* * *
Unroast: Today I love my nose. That hasn’t happened in a long time. Really long.
San D responded on 23 Jun 2011 at 11:56 am #
Everyone should click on the painting and enlarge it. Kate, this is one of the more expressive works I have seen you do, and it is quite beautiful. I particularly love love love the positioning of the body, the modeling of the figure, and the scraffito on the paint. I can feel the heat pressing up against the figure.
Mandy responded on 23 Jun 2011 at 12:43 pm #
Glad you had fun at the meet last night!
And San D is right–the painting is gorgeous. That must have been some fit of awesome! I love the colors, and how it looks as if the woman is half in shade, and half in sunshine.
Kate responded on 23 Jun 2011 at 1:21 pm #
@San D
I’m so glad you like it! And flattered, since you know everything about art.
I wanted to make it larger on the page, but have no idea how to…sigh…
Kate responded on 23 Jun 2011 at 1:21 pm #
also, what is scraffito? I’m pretty excited that I used a technique I don’t even know the word for
Raven responded on 23 Jun 2011 at 1:38 pm #
Love, love, love the colors and the fluid form. Excellent piece; now I want to paint today. It’s been many, many years since I really painted.
Kate responded on 23 Jun 2011 at 1:39 pm #
@Raven
Do it!
San D responded on 23 Jun 2011 at 1:44 pm #
Scraffito is when you work into the paint and remove some of the paint exposing another layer, usually using an instrument. You can use the back of a brush, a pencil, sylus, or your fingers.
Kate responded on 23 Jun 2011 at 1:45 pm #
@San D
Awesome. I used the back of the brush and, of course, my hands (I’m always messy when I paint).
Raven responded on 23 Jun 2011 at 1:48 pm #
Scraffito refers to the etched symbols in the layered paint. Anytime you take a tool to a piece of art (layered slip or paint) to lightly carve markings into it, it’s referred to as scraffito (I first learned the term last year in a ceramics class I took at university).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sgraffito
Kate responded on 23 Jun 2011 at 1:51 pm #
I love how knowledgeable my readers are. It seriously rocks.
Gaby responded on 23 Jun 2011 at 2:41 pm #
I think I’m in love with you, Kate! That painting is amazing! You make me feel insdequate yet inspired (gotta choose the positive, right?)
I always get super anxious before meeting new people or worry about other people judging me or that I’m not pretty enough or smart or interesting, yes, my nbd just goes crazy with every bad thing someone might think of me. But at the same time I love talking to people, a lot. And I do it a lot, by choice, I put myself out there whether people hate it or not because I like learning about people. And it always turns out to be the best thing for me, I seem to always have something to say and it always is the biggest confidence booster so I feel amazing after.
That’s what makes it worthwhile, the more often you face that fear and the more times it never ever comes true, you eventually start to realize that maybe our own brains aren’t that trustworthy.
Plus there’s no way someone could not like you! I have a total friend crush on you so we should really catch up soon!
Kate responded on 23 Jun 2011 at 2:44 pm #
@Gaby
Aww! Love you back!! And yes, write to me and let’s catch up!
Lynn responded on 23 Jun 2011 at 2:44 pm #
Kate, that painting is GORGEOUS!!!
Jen responded on 23 Jun 2011 at 3:04 pm #
wow, that painting is gorgeous! at first glance I was excited to check out the etsy link and buy it – super impressed that it was you! way to go! keep it up and then set up an etsy shop, please!
Cameo responded on 23 Jun 2011 at 4:50 pm #
Very Nice! I love the colors.
zoe (and the beatles) responded on 23 Jun 2011 at 6:40 pm #
happy everything worked out! i’m in love with your painting. in love!
Laurel responded on 23 Jun 2011 at 9:39 pm #
I’m really enjoying your blog. Painting is *so* not my artistic medium, but I love seeing your work.
San D responded on 24 Jun 2011 at 1:08 pm #
Painting and writing are very similar. Both give us details on a theme or narrative, writing, with words, painting, with colors and brush strokes. Both require a keen eye to what it means to be human. Both can be paired down to poetry, prose, by eliminating unneccesary words, painting, by just giving us the essence (abstract). Both need an audience to “live”, without them the act of “making” is incomplete. Both require the artist to be intuned with themselves, and to “speak truth” so that others can find their words or images “familiar” in some way. Both can become a commodity if we want them to, or just “be” if we let them.
Eat the Damn Cake » Going all the way responded on 24 Jun 2011 at 2:59 pm #
[...] didn’t tell the whole story yesterday. About meeting the work people. There’s more. The story doesn’t end with the painting, as happy as I am about the [...]
Eat the Damn Cake » the first white hair and the velociraptor responded on 27 Feb 2012 at 1:12 pm #
[...] get all angsty and existential around my birthday. I wonder if I’m wasting my talents. I can paint, you know! What about that? I can sing! Am I singing enough? Maybe I should start doing open mics! [...]