In Jessica's words,
Some of you may remember that I started this painting almost a year ago, with the simple intention of practicing new body styles.
I stopped out of frustration and put it aside, and the reason was simply this... I was not comfortable with myself. I did not want to draw curve and heavy breasts, a belly however small, or thicker arms. I did not want to draw a rounded face, I did not want to draw any form of plumpness. The silly thing is, this is not a drawing of an overweight woman. If you saw her in person you would not think she was fat, or ugly, or anything like that.
But for me... it was so hard. I had to put it aside because it made me want to cry and I just felt.. so incredibly grotesque, as a person.
one of my friends took me out for hot chocolate about a week ago, and sat and talked to me. She was so sweet and so gentle and said a lot of things to me. But the big thing is.. she said I need to become my sun and stars. I need to give myself the moon.
I'm incoherant, but this piece was so important to me to finish, because it was an exercise in forgiving myself, for aging, for gaining weight, for breaking down, for not being who I was when I was twenty. And that's okay.
Done in watercolors, colored pencils and a few acrylic highlights.
You are a beautiful woman, Jessica my friend, and a beautiful person.
Steve's suggestions on how to leave a good comment...
- Tell the artist what caught your eye, something your particularly liked or didn't like.
- Tell the artist something you think they could have done differently or better.
- Suggest an alternate title; it tells the artist what you saw in the image.
- Interact with the artwork, continue its story.
- Ask the artist how or why they did something.
- If nothing else, even "Ooh, pretty!" or "Oh, ick!" is a lot more information than no comment at all.
Pearwood's Feature Log
Blog at PearwoodPhoto.Wordpress.com
Because it's past time for white-haired white men to stand up and say it.
The Heidelberg Catechism , written in 1563, remains a warm-hearted and personal statement of the Christian faith. It begins thusly...
What is your only comfort in life and in death?
That I am not my own,
but belong--
- body and soul,
in life and in death--
to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ.
and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil.
He also watches over me in such a way
that not a hair can fall from my head
without the will of my Father in heaven:
in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.
Because I belong to him,
Christ, by his Holy Spirit,
assures me of eternal life
and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready
from now on to live for him.
