Tuesday, June 9, 2009

INCH by INCH art Tuesdays.

I'm participating in the "INCH by INCH art" Tuesdays, hosted by the lovely Paris. The concept is very simple; create an art piece that is 3x3. This week's theme was 'Changing.'

All it takes is a kiss to CHANGE a toad into a handsome prince.

I am not an artist, in fact, as you can witness, even my handwriting is skewed. But this is a fun initiative & it gets me out of my comfort zone. I've always wanted to be able to draw... when I was younger, I would have 'practice' after school. I would sit at my little desk, open a library book & copy an image (usually an animal). I remember drawing a horse once & feeling so proud because I believed it was just like the real thing!

This adoration ceased shortly after I turned 12. I was spending a summer in Poland. My mom bought me notebooks & I used to draw in them. My little cousin, Paulinka, even asked me to teach her. My aunt commented I was good at drawing & my mom said 'No, She is a writer. Monika (my older sister) is the artist.'

It's so silly but I remember crying about it & turning away from my notebooks, dropping the 'practice' sessions altogether. I was the writer, not the artist.

Before I wanted to write, I wanted to dance Ballet. In fact, my first Halloween costume (we came to Canada when I was 8) was a princess dress; it was white with pink tissue. My mom bought me pink house slippers, that had round tips & were fitted to your foot. We couldn't afford Ballet classes, so I held other 'practice' sessions in my building's hallway. This consisted of swaying up & down the hall, trying to stand on my toes, like a real Ballerina..

Then, I got infatuated with reading & writing. It required no money for classes & I was good at telling stories, writing poems. I was the middle child & being a writer gave me a claim to fame, in my family. My parents supported & encouraged me, I remember the pleasure I felt when my father introduced me as 'l'ecrivaine' to his friends. I was only 9, but it gave me a solid identity. People reacted to me differently, like I was important. My elementary teachers favored me, I was the best student. I was creative; my dissertations were read in class, to serve as an example to the other children. I was hand picked to make a speech at the graduation ceremony. Life as a writer was very sweet. My 'practice' sessions consisted of working on my 'novel'. My first attempt, at 9 years old, was a crime novel; a bunch of kids, all older than me, were trying to solve a stabbing. I wish I had held on to my child hood work :-)

Since then, there's been many novels; some 20 000 words deep, abandoned, drifting in & out of the real world as I recycle, cut & re-write. There's been many finished short stories, too many bad poems (written when I was 16, talking about my 'king', lol)...Writing has been an important tool for my life journey.

The Artist has its easel & brush, I have my fingers, furtive on the cases of a laptop, or holding an eager pen on a sheet of paper. To this day, a blank sheet & dark ink, remains my image of freedom.

14 comments:

Strawberry Girl said...

Yes, yes, and yes!! We are so similar. I have held my own "practice" sessions trying to work on this or that. Unfortunantly I got lost on my journey to being a writer (and an artist) because I had many girl cousins and it always seemed a competition about who got to be what. I don't like to appear to be copying anyone so I dropped both art and writing and gravitated towards accounting, because my other cousins hated math (and I did too, but I conquerd it, sort of). So I have a degree in accounting... but now I am writing and studying herbs. Go fig. Plus, I too would like to rekindle something of the artist that I could have been. I am slowly working on it (I find it's hard right now).

Your drawing is very cute, you do have tallent, stick with it. (Oh yeah, I too have this feeling that my handwriting sucks... actually it is alright, with the right pen ;p)

Lion-ess said...

I like that concept "It only takes a kiss, to turn a frog into a prince".
I always wanted to be an artist... but lost my drive when I hit high school and met so many girls who are so competitive.

I guess I lost the courage when it comes to being creative and so my focus for the next 15 yrs was in mathematics and physics.

Now.. I'm trying to get back to being creative...I'm only at the beginning and I have so much to learn.

floreta said...

awesome write up and i was thinking of drawing the frog prince too! lol. writing is an art too hon :)

m said...

I lvoe that you participted and joined us in this expo. Nver mind you don't draw like you'd like to--it's still a funny, whimsical 3" x 3" piece. I cracked up when I saw it.

Enjoyed reading a bit of your story too. Gettingout of our comfort zones is invigorating when we can safely do that.

lissa said...

it's cute, I think everyone should draw or create art in any way they can, I don't have to have skills to enjoy the process

lissa said...

I mess up my comment - but I think you got what I said -- guess I should read my comments more carefully

...you (instead of "I") don't have to have skills to enjoy the process of creating art, there are many, many ways like your writing

Bri said...

Awesome post Lady.

I think the only things I'm proud of writing are research papers...lol!

I admire the solidity of knowing the kind of talent that lives in you -- L'ecrivaine. Awesome.

I was discouraged from being too into art from early on, so much so that getting the highest grade in finals at high school wasn't even a big deal to my mother. My father on the other hand was so proud he asked me for the trophy they gave me and he's kept it till now.

She's labelled me the "bright one", the academic and to a point, I am. I adore school; I changed my major twice (from African and Asian Studies to French then to English Lit.) and I still don't know what I want. But never once did I dare think I could go study art. But drawing is a completely natural state for me. I don't know how to go in both directions.

Kristy Worden said...

The whole concept of 'labels' really touched a nerve - I was going to write about it, and how my parents made similar statements, but now I see it is practically a universal experience. Nice drawing, I'm not an artist either - it's good to try, to stretch!

Unknown said...

I love it..adorable you
Keep bringin' it

Peace - Rene

Unknown said...

I loved to draw just about everything. I copied the cereal box, comics, you name it. Yet, my mom told me that my older sister was "the artist". She discouraged me from taking art classes. So, it wasn't until I was pregnant with my first child that I tried my hand at displaying my artistic talents. I painted wall murals and from that mural, came a newspaper feature and before long, I had mural requests. Soon after, I began drawing and painting for gifts as well as to sell.

I'm a writer too but doesn't meant that I can't do both and the same goes for you too.

I loved your frog/prince.

Nana said...

Hey you guys! It's quite disturbing to see how many of us have been discouraged from art,by our own parents labeling us. It's sad, I will make sure not to do that with my child. Thx 4 all the comments, I hope some (or all of you) will join us in next Tuesday's Inch by Inch.

Bill Lisleman said...

"...a blank sheet & dark ink, remains my image of freedom..."
That's a great phrase. I enjoyed your drawing. I never could understand how art is "rated". I do think the frog looks better than the prince. He needs a reverse kiss.

Lilly said...

Oh I love this and think its so very clever and so much fun!. Well done!

LazyKing said...

OOh this is lovely. Good job and great input to this project. You guys are awesome and talented.
Maybe I'll join this project too (it growing on me)