Flower magic … it's the practice of using flowers and
plants for healing, and involves understanding the symbolism of flowers Flower magic also includes embracing an understanding of the physical and metaphysical components of
the plants and flowers you choose to use for healing, gift giving, or decorative purposes … The blooms correspond with
meaningful symbols, and the symbolic meaning often determines where you might see them,
particularly in works of art, or when used to convey a special message. For a simple example, a red rose means “I
love you,” while a yellow rose conveys “friendship,” but roses are also symbols
of the Feminine Divine and the odor of sanctity (which happens during or following Marian apparitions, the death of saints, the stigmata, and other miraculous events). In a similar vein, the Iris is another plant
with a goddess association and means “a message for thee …”
I have always loved irises, particularly the purple
variety. A friend of mine was narrowing
down the flowers in her own flower bed, had pulled up and divided some iris bulbs because the area was becoming overcrowded with the lovely blooms, and she kindly gave them to me so I could plant them in my own yard.
When she did, we were kind of caught up in conversation talking about
other flowers too, including daffodils, which is what I originally thought she
had given me … then came the purple flowers, much to my surprise and delight.
I had no idea whatsoever that the irises she gave me were
actually called “Magic Man” irises … let’s just say I was impressed with the
synchronicity (perhaps it’s just a bit of flower magic) …being Wiccan, I find
the flower’s name perfectly suited for a witch’s garden. Better yet, we used to have a gray cat named Magic
who passed a while back, and of course, I often called him little “Magic Man.” 馃槉 Now that I reflect on the words, I have an
earworm playing in my head of Magic Man
by Heart…lol; I love that song, even though it has absolutely nothing to do
with flowers or irises!
In regard to basic flower symbolism, this beautiful plant is
a symbol for eloquence, and it’s not hard to understand why. The purple flower
is associated with wisdom; the yellow symbolizes passion; the white represents purity, and the blue signifies hope and faith. The shape of the flower makes some people associate the flower with the Fleur-de-lis, while others associate the
lattermost with the lilies or lotuses. Irises are named after the ancient
Greek messenger Goddess, Iris, who is also the Goddess of the Sea,
Skies, and Rainbow. The understanding of
the rainbow as a bridge reflects how Iris brings the worlds of the Gods and
humankind together: This is not a far stretch to understand since the flowers are absolutely beautiful making them easy to connect to the Divine.
This Bearded Iris I've drawn is based on one that grew in my yard a few
years back. I used a photo as a reference while drawing, and loved the opportunity
to use my Prismacolor pencils (a set that is a virtual rainbow of colors) for
completing the piece (I highly recommend them to anyone looking for pencils
that blend easily). I used mineral
springs to smooth out any roughness. If interested, I plan to make it available
in prints soon. Feel free to contact me
at daynawinters@gmail.com or
message me on Facebook
if you are interested in buying a print.
Up for discussion: What’s
your favorite flower? Why does the
flower you choose hold special meaning for you? Please share your thoughts in the comment area below. I'd love to hear from you!
Oh, and one more thing … The title of the piece I've shared today is none other than "Magic Man," of course! 馃槈
Snakes … love them or fear
them … cultures throughout the world have honored, even worshipped snakes, and
these creatures have come to symbolize so many things throughout the centuries.
For some, snakes are totems, spirit teachers, that help in mastering important
life lessons and support spiritual growth. When it comes to the serpent, the
lessons it teaches through its symbolism is dependent on cultural and
individual perspectives; in fact, the lessons the snake can teach are near
endless. Thus, for the purposes of practicality the lessons are briefly touched
on here – this is short introduction into how you can view the snake and its
characteristics. It is a starter point where you can learn how to derive
meaning from the attributes of the serpent. A brief exploration also gives you
a chance to continue on with your learning of snake symbolism on your own with
the full freedom of viewing the creature with an extraordinarily personal lens
or perspective.
Maybe you’ve found you have an
affinity for snakes or maybe you abhor them. Maybe you’ve been, by some
strange, unexplainable synchronicity, have been seeing snakes everywhere,
whether in dreams or on TV, and you are just interested in learning a bit more.
Or, maybe you’ve been fond of the creature every single day since you knew
snakes existed. Whatever the case, it seems the snake is calling for you to pay
attention – it has some lesson it wants to convey. Below are some examples of
how you can interpret the snake’s calling …
Acutotyphlops –
Even if you know very little about the type of snake you’ve encountered, you
can determine what your totem teacher is trying to convey. Such is the case
with the Acutotyphlops, which is a
very rare, newly discovered species of snake. The singular outstanding feature
that makes this snake stand out from others is that the species, consisting of
four different kinds of snakes, is blind. Here the totem begs the questions,
“What are you not seeing?” “What are you refusing to acknowledge?” “Are you forging ahead blindly and throwing
caution to the wind?” Or, encountering a
blind snake might suggest that you will encounter a situation best managed with
a heavy reliance on your other senses of hearing, taste, smell, and touch,
which are all enhanced features in individual who are blind. Ultimately, the keywords of the blind snake are “invisibility, denial, or a re-balancing through compensation.
Pythons: There
are over 26 different python species; these snakes kill through constriction
and swallow their food whole. They are clearly ambush predators that just lay
around waiting for some unsuspecting prey to come along. The sheer size of
these reptiles might give you a hint as to the lesson they teach: Are you handling a big problem or are you
taking on way more than you can handle? The colors of the snake can give you a
good clue about its meaning. Also, consider the patterns and designs of the
snake as they may prove meaningful to you. In terms of the boa, ask yourself
“What is constricting you?” “Do you feel
you are clinging to hard to something you should let go of?” Are you being presented with a situation you
are finding hard to swallow?” The keywords for these snakes include “constriction,” and the finding of that
which is “unacceptable.”
Anacondas:
Remember, the snake’s body is all muscle. The anaconda is one of the most
feared snakes in the world, partly because of the size they can grow to and
partly because they have been known to be aggressive. This is a snake which has
a pattern that can prove meaningful, especially if you think about the green
anaconda with a single line of circles running down its back. Here it pays for
you to look in circle symbolism (For example) coming full circle, “past,
present, future,” protection, the journey of the hero/fool (Tarot), “birth,
life, death, and rebirth,” the seasons, etc). With this species, the females
are bigger than the males, and perhaps this is a hint to put a greater focus on
the feminine energies in your life, or, given the context of how you encounter
the snake totem messenger, it could also mean you need to focus more on
masculine energies to balance out the masculine and feminine energies in your
life.
Titanoboa:
Thankfully, the Titanoboa is not a snake you will encounter in person any time
soon or ever really, unless you can time travel because this snake is a 2,500
pound snake with a 48 foot length body!
It’ name is literally the combination between the words “Titan” and
“boa,” and scientists believe the snake lives some 60 million years ago during
the Palocene epoch. So if you encounter this totem teacher in science books,
dream, documentaries, or through online resources, it could suggest you have a
“huge problem that might prove to constricting for you, or that you’ve taken on
way more than you can possibly handle.”
Whatever the case maybe, you’ll need a little help in managing the
issues that lie ahead. Keywords: “giant”
issue, problem, difficulty, or problem. A “constricting
feeling” or an internal upset triggered by some “enormous issues” within one’s environment.
Cobras:
As
dangerous as a cobra is, it is a species that avoids confrontation with people
whenever possible, and this may, indeed, be the lesson it teaches. What are you
not avoiding that you should be? What are you avoiding that you should face
head on, rear up, and demonstrate your strength? Another interesting feature of the cobra is
the “eye” one sees on the hood (which is absent on those that present with a
chevron stripe), and this eye may symbolize “the eye of god,” “the eye of
Horus,” or “the eye of Ra.” It can also
signify the “all seeing eye of God.”
This might beg the question as to your perspective in a situation;
perhaps you need to elevate or expand your perspective to “see” things in a new
light. The king cobra can eat a meal and then go for a long time without eating
again – this is due to slower metabolic processes; your teacher may be tell you
to assess your nourishment to metabolic burn rate to ensure you are not
consuming too much or too little for optimal health. Keywords: “Defense, Avoidance of conflict,” “Slowed metabolic
processes,” or “vision and
perspective.”
Mambas: There
are four species of the mamba, three of which are green and that move through
the trees, and one which is black and moves along the ground. The black mamba
stands out from the other three types of mamba in that it lives in lairs and
secret hideouts. It is introverted and wants nothing to do with people. If
encountering a human it is likely to take off running for a hiding spot, but
that doesn’t make the snake defenseless by any means – it is the most toxic
snake in the world. The snake is also not black in color, but is gray, with a
black mouth. The snake is diurnal so it spends nights in a hidden lair. It is
one of the fastest moving snakes in the world. This snake totem teacher might
be telling you it’s time to slow down and to lay low until the time is right. Alternatively,
the totem may be bringing you message related to speed, rapid movement, and
keeping your perspective grounded rather than elevated. It’s capacity for speed
suggests getting things done in a speedy or expeditious fashion. Keywords: Expeditiousness, introversion,
laying low, remaining grounded.”
Cottonmouth
snakes: A cottonmouth snake or Agkistrodon
piscivorus has a name that can be broken down to the root words ‘hooked tooth fish eater,” so if you see
this snake as a teacher, it might be time to assess your dietary intake to make
sure your adding a healthy amount of fish to your diet. This snake is the only
semiaquatic viper, so it functions well on land and water: This may signify the
need to obtain balance between the realm of the physical and emotion. When a
cottonmouth threatens, it will open its mouth wide and reveal a cottony looking
white mouth …these snakes may be teaching you a lesson about the mouth and the
words that come from it. Are your words nice or biting? Is what you are saying poisonous, toxic, or
perhaps spready a negative attitude of aggression? Are your words poisoning your life? Keywords: “negative communication, attitude, and mindfulness.”
Now, that you’ve had an
opportunity to see how easy it is to translate a snake’s attributes to derive
insight, it’s time to take your exploration of the snake totem to the next
level. Explore and research other snakes to see what they mean for you. Perhaps
the serpent will serve as a source of inspiration! Like interpreting poetic works, no two
interpretations will ever be entirely the same. Feel free to share your personal discoveries .... does the energies of the serpent resonate with you, and if so, in what way? Does the serpent have something to teach you?
“Apollo and the Muses,” source: Wikimedia. Image is in the Public
Domain.
If you’re an artist, at some
point in time you’ve probably heard someone say, “Wow, I love your work! Where do
you come up with your ideas anyway?
Have you ever really thought significantly about your answer? You might say something like you were
inspired by someone else’s work, or you were bored one day and just whipped up
whatever it is you created. You might
say you’d been planning to write the book/song/poem or make the work of art for
some time, or perhaps you didn’t really even give the piece a whole lot of
thought before you did it … and it just seemed to flow from you like you tapped
into a magic well of inspiration. So…
are ideas your own or are you musing? If
our creative ideas belong to us, then how do we explain the child prodigy with
talents the average individual take years to master?
See: “Young Prodigies Dazzle the Art World”
Child Prodigy Video Here: Whew!
Deep questions…. And it seems there have been different suggested
answers to the question of our creativity and where it comes from too. But truth be told, we can only embrace what
little science offers us in the way of an explanation and, of course, we have
the option of embracing our own beliefs about it. Just to give you an idea of
some of the different takes on creativity and where it comes from, consider the
fact that in ancient Greece for example, there was no specific word for
describing the act of “creating.” Plato did not believe that humans were capable
of creation, and that we merely imitated our external environment… and as we
attempt to imitate nature, we always fall short because what we create is a
mere imitation of what we see.
Now bear in mind, the notion of
where creativity stems has changed dramatically over the course of time, and I
am only barely touching the different schools focusing on what the exact
origins of creativity are, as I am only going as far as to give a good examination
on how ancient Greeks viewed creativity and the Muses or Mousai: “Goddesses of dance, song, music of knowledge who remember
all things that come to pass,” and who serve to inspire poets. When you think
of the “well of inspiration,” you can certainly think of the muses as in
ancient times these inspiring deities were once worshipped nearby wellsprings. Per
the writings of Plutarch, the muses were often referred to a Mneiae
meaning Remembrances.
Therein lies another possibility when
it comes to creativity .. is it possible that we are remembering something we
have always known but have buried deep in our subconscious … some Divine
connection that is re-connected through Memory and allowed to bubble up to the
surface as creative ideas?
Now, while the Greeks had no word
for “create” so they used the phrase “to make,” poiein, as can be seen in poietes (meaning “the maker” or poet)
was the maker of poetry or poiesis. In
the Judeo-Christian systems, creativity was, of course, divinely given. . In Greece and in ancient Roman thought, a daemon or genius was an external energy linked with the divine was thought to
be a source of inspiration as well. The ancient Greeks also called on female
mediators between the Gods and Man for the inspiration they need to make
things: These are none other than the nine muses, who are the Daughters of the Sky
God Zeus and the Titaness Mnemosyne, The Goddess of Memory, and from where we derive
the term mnemonics. Each muse ruled over some type of art or music.
The Nine Muses of Greek Myth
Calliope(螝伪位位喂慰蟺畏), with a name
meaning "beautiful voice," is the muse of epic poetry. She is usually
depicted with a Lyre Stylus or Writing Tablet.
Clio (螝位蔚喂蠅), with a name meaning
"make famous," is the Muse of History commonly portrayed with
Scrolls, a Laurel wreath, cornet, and books.
Erato (螘蟻伪蟿蠅), with a name meaning
"lovely beloved," is Muse of Love Poetry commonly depicted with the
Cithara (similar to the lyre).
Euterpe (螘蠀蟿蔚蟻蟺畏), with a name
meaning "Giving delight, the Muse of Lyric Poetry, Song, and Music,
depicted with an Aulo (ancient flute) laurel wreath, and panpipes.
Melpomene (螠蔚位蟺慰渭蔚谓畏), with a name
meaning "Celebrate with Song," The Muse of Tragedy, depicted with
Kothornos or boots, Club, a Sword, and a Tragedy Mask.
Urania (螣蠀蟻伪谓喂畏), with a name
meaning, "Heavenly One," the Muse of Astronomy with a compass and a
globe.
Polyhymnia (螤慰位蠀渭谓喂伪), with a name
meaning, "Many hymns," is, of course, the Muse of Hymns, portrayed
with grapes and a veil.
Terpsichore (韦蔚蟻蠄喂蠂慰蟻畏), with a name
meaning "Delighting in Dance," The Muse of Dance, depicted with a
Plectrum and Lyre.
Thalia (螛伪位蔚喂伪), with a name meaning,
"Blooming, rich festivity," The Muse of Comedy depicted with the
Shepherd’s Crook (Called Thalia’s Hook), Ivy Wreath, and Comic Mask.
PARENTAGE
Now, many writings suggest the
Muses are the nine children of Zeus and Mnemosyne, but there are at least two
poets indicating Ouranos (Uranus) and
Ge (Gaea) as the parentage of the
nine inspirational deities. Still
alternative sources give the muses the parents of Aether and Gaia, Zeus and
Minerva, Zeus and Plusia or Zeus and Moneta, wherein the Mourai are then called by the alternative name the Mneonides. The nurse of these nine
goddesses is Eupheme – “a personified of eloquence and a goddess of triumph,
praise, and accolades.”
Whatever the Muses are and
whatever the case may be when it comes to our imaginings, herein lies an
interesting musing if we, in fact, consider the Muses as personifications of
different means of establishing memories or remembrances…
What we create, remember, imagine
or learn (envision Zeus with sparks of lightning representing sparks of
intellect or epiphanies) …
We so very often commit to our memory (Mnemosyne and memory) … and these learnings or understandings are
far more memorable if …
We incorporate poetry or rhetoric (Calliope) …
Connect our understanding with the movement of the stars or
as marking an important moment or passage of time (Orania)…
If we explore the ideas through a different lens, like the
energy vibrations of specific words or numbers, but particularly with language
that exalts an idea or lends praise to it …
(Polyhymnia)
Or if we associate the learning with love and romantic prose
(Erato) …
Or experience the learnings through the darkened lens of
tragedy (Melpomene)…
Or we master the knowledge while purposefully moving the
body (a Kinsenthetic learning experience of sorts) (Terpsichore)…
Or we learn new understandings through the light of humor (Thalia)…
Or we can express our new learnings through poetry, word,
and song (Eurtepe) …
Or, if we can apply an important historical context to our
learnings (Clio)…
Any of the above types of experience help us to gain and
retain knowledge all while experiencing some aspect of the Divine (the combination of Zeus and Mnemosyne
resulting in one of the nine muse paths).
So … Let us now return to our original question… Are your
ideas really your own, or are you musing? Are you picking up inspiration from an
external source or is it something within?
Maybe it is both, or neither? Or
are we having remembrances of things from our past or even past lives if you
believe in reincarnation…and those memories are coming into our consciousness as
epiphanies or seemingly new insights? As
we ponder what in inspires us, may each of us of use be touched by the muses
and find our creative endeavors richly rewarding…
Without further ado,
I say:
“Sing in me muse, and through me let Universal understandings and
expression manifest herein on the physical plane. Use me as the vessel to tap into your divine
inspiration so that I too may serve to inspire others.”
*****
Please feel free to share your comments below.
And…Are you a member
of the A-Mused Tribe? If you’re looking
to become part of a private group of artists from all walks of life and all
genres who support, encourage, and inspire … The A-Mused Tribe awaits you! Sign up is free …discover new inspirations,
quotations, tutorials and the artwork others share. Come grow with our inspiring community!
Sources: An outstanding source on the history of the Muses:
http://www.theoi.com/Ouranios/Mousai.html.
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Are you interested in becoming a part of a community of artists who support and inspire one another? Are you serious about your art and looking to share your creations with the world? Maybe you are interested in some tutorials, guides, articles, blogs, or just some plain old good artistic converation...arts of all kinds, both writing and visual included...please consider applying to become of our free, closed artistic community at the A-Mused Tribe group. You can click on the image below to sign up!
No obligation necessary, no fees except for the cost of your own supplies! Come join a group of artists who love their art as much as you do! Hope to see you there! Here's to a creative and artistically wonderful 2017!!!!
So I have fallen behind on the drawings this month, and I am now playing catch up. Actually, behind the scenes, I've drawn a few less than satisfying images and decided to toss them entirely. Today I am presenting three images of Audrey Hepburn for my next three attempts. I found images of her in black and white that were rather striking and tried to replicate them.
"Audrey Hepburn," by Dayna Winters. Copyright 2016.
"Audrey Hepburn," by Dayna Winters. Copyright 2016.
"Audrey Hepburn," by Dayna Winters. Copyright 2016.
"One of my favorite quotes by Audrey is "Nothing is impossible, the word itself says, 'I'm possible.'"
"Marilyn Monroe," by Dayna Winters. Copyright 2016.
I like trying to draw images of Marilyn Monroe for a number of reasons. First, there are so many pictures of her and poses to choose from, and secondly, here iconic look is hard to duplicate, so if you manage it, you've accomplished something. This image I think falls a bit short as to me, it looks more like Madonna than Marilyn, and a lot of it has to do with the position of the jaw. The image has Marilyn looking slightly upward, but I did struggle with the angle. Still, I don't feel this is a total loss and I still like the look of the image. Sometimes we just have to let the art stand for itself and let go of the original definition of what we thought we were creating. Quote from Marilyn that aligns with this idea: "Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius, and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring." ~Peace Out~
"Channing Tatum," by Dayna Winters. Copyright 2016.
So this is my attempt at drawing Channing Tatum after my daughter suggest I give it a try. I like some of his recent movies, after all, who among us doesn’t like Magic Mike and Magic Mike XXL? I also liked his role in White House Down. I didn’t realize until today he had an uncredited role in the War of the Worlds starring Tom Cruise, and he was next to impossible to see in Ricky Martin’s video “She Bangs,” until I found an image actually pointing him out. I also think he has an interesting character in Jupiter Ascending, although admittedly, I haven’t had a chance to see the whole film just yet.
I definitely like his down to earth attitude as is conveyed in this quote, “Life is too short to miss out on the beautiful things like a double cheeseburger.” – Channing Tatum
After all, there’s nothing like a good cheeseburger. ;)
"Harvey Keitel," by Dayna Winters, Copyright 2016.
I have come to appreciate the acting skills of Harvey
Keitel, particularly in roles like “Dusk to Dawn,” where he played a
vampire-fighting preacher, and of course, “Pulp Fiction,” where he played the
Wolf. My favorite line in Pulp Fiction
comes from when the Wolf (Keitel) addresses Vincent Vega (John Travolta,)” and (Jules
Winnfield) as he tells them how to get out of the current bind they are
in. Vincent decides to get a bit
sarcastic with the Wolf, and is quickly put in his place (Love it!)…
“Get it straight buster - I'm not here to say please, I'm
here to tell you what to do and if self-preservation is an instinct you possess
you'd better fucking do it and do it quick. I'm here to help - if my help's not
appreciated then lotsa luck, gentlemen… If I'm curt with you it's because time
is a factor. I think fast, I talk fast and I need you guys to act fast if you
wanna get out of this. So, pretty please... with sugar on top. Clean the
fucking car.” – The Wolf, “Pulp Fiction”
And the line he says later on in the movie:"Just because you are a character doesn't mean you have character."
I also enjoyed Harvey’s role in Thelma and Louise as the cop pursuing the two woman as they move
across the country and try to get to Mexico.
Even more hilarious is when he plays Satan in Adam Sandler’s “Little
Nicky.” All around a great actor and as
drawing faces go, a considerable challenge.
His face has a lot of character, and I did my best to capture it.
"Christopher Walken," by Dayna Winters. Copyright 2016.
Every once and a while I like to do a drawing and then bravely play the "Guess who?" game with friends and family. If the majority of people get who it is in the image, then I know I've done a fairly sufficient job in capturing the person I'm and trying to capture. On this go round, I showed several people my most recent drawing and the response was surprisingly the same..."I can't remember his name but he's the guy in the movie 'Joe Dirt," right?" Right they are...today's drawing is Christopher Walken, and while he was funny in "Joe Dirt," I remember him from an earlier film....Stephen King's, "The Dead Zone." (Loved the movie absolutely, but the book is better.) I also thought he was great in the Adam Sandler movie, "Click," and he's just an all around great actor. And I'll close from with a quote from Walken: "I don't need to be made to look evil. I can do that all by myself." Until next time...~Peace out.~ :)
The first time I ever saw Mick Jagger in a movie, it was in the 1992 film "Freejack," co-starring Emilio Estevez, where Jagger played the role of Victor Vacendak and honestly, I liked him in the role. The list of the Rolling Stones songs I appreciate is pretty long, but off the top of my head I can say I enjoy songs like "I Can't Get No Satisfaction," "Angie," "Beast of Burden," and "Jumpin' Jack Flash." Interestingly, we discovered one of our pugs doesn't really have the appreciation for the Rolling Stones that we do, and we made this discovery quite by accident. One day we were watching a movie featuring Denzel Washington and John Goodman - the supernatural thriller "Fallen." Great flick too - I highly recommend it. If my memory serves me correctly, the movie portrayed a demonic angel named Azazel, jumping from one person's body to another throughout the film, as he sinisterly and repeatedly defied and tormented a detective played by Denzel Washington. Definitely, it is a film I would revisit and recommend for anyone who enjoys a film with a few eerie twists. Anyway, as the credits of the film rolled, "Sympathy for the Devil," played in the background and Puggles, our male pug, began barking and squawking and putting up a protest like no other! Every time the song broke out with the chorus: "Pleased to meet you Hope you guess my name, oh yeah Ah, what's puzzling you Is the nature of my game, oh yeah (Woo woo, woo woo)...." I still think it was the (woo woo, woo woo) section that was freaking him out! LoL, and even now he acts up every time the song plays - sooooooooooo...if I want to chill out and listen to "Sympathy for the Devil," I have to do so when Puggy is out of earshot or I have to put my headphones on, unless I want to get him hooting and hollering! Anyway, here's my rendition of Mick Jagger. He really has a lot of definition in the face and his look is so icon I attempted, as best as I could, to capture every feature. And... here's a quote from Jagger to remind us all how important it is to dream big and to pursue our dreams as long as we are able: "Lose your dreams and you might lose your mind."~ Mick Jagger~
With the recent passing of Gene Wilder, I really wanted to try to draw the artist I remember from the original Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory when I was a kid (No offense to Tim Burton and his rendition, and yes, I like Johnny Depp, but I really didn’t care for Depp as Willy Wonka at all.)
Of course, I’m not big on remakes unless it is a real knock my socks of rendition. I didn’t care for the remakes of The Omen or Amityville either, bu t that’s another story entirely. I will say that Disturb’s rendition of “The Sound of Silence” is a remake of the Simon & Garfunkel classic that floored me and I walked away seriously impressed – I almost think it is even better than the original (dare I say it?).
Anyway, here’s my rendition of Gene…admittedly I had some trouble with the chin and perimeter of the face, but I don’t think it’s too bad. Results: I'm mildly satisfied with at the moment.
This piece is done with Derwent and Prismacolor pencils.
Thought I would give Steven Tyler a try, with his iconic looks I figured I'd either do it right or miss the mark entirely. I think I did okay here and feel he is recognizable, even if I didn't say who he was right at the start. I'd be giving away my age here when I say I first listened to Aerosmith on a cassette tape - that's right, I said it (lol). A cassette tape, which at the time was a real pain in the ass to reward to get it right on the song you wanted to here. The tape was: "Toys in the Attic." Here's a great quote from Tyler for those who need a bit of inspiration or deep insight: "Every life has a measure of sorrow, and sometimes this is what awakens us."
With that being said, who of my generation would have thought Tyler would eventually start writing country music? Amazing. Absolutely.
"Alicia Silverstone," by Dayna Winters. Copyright 2016.
I remember Silverstone in her roles in Clueless, which I wasn't overly crazy about, but found it mildly entertaining, and The Crush, which a found a lot more entertaining and dramatic than Clueless. I also remember her appearances in the Aerosmith videos Cryin';Crazy; and Amazing, all of which are songs I love. Quote: "I think I can deceive people. I'm like, the nice, sweet girl when you meet me. And I don't have any bad intentions. But I'm a bad girl too." - Alicia Silverstone This is my attempt to draw Alicia Silverstone, and admittedly I found her iconic pouty look a bit of a challenge. Otherwise, I am satisfied with the piece.
"Meryl Streep," Graphite Pencil, by Dayna Winters. Copyright 2016.
So, the 29
Faces September 2016 is here, and I’m back at the drawing board again in an
effort to try and meet the challenge. Of course, doing any art at all and
blogging about it is the real challenge, whether or not you actually meet the
29 Faces count. So without further ado…my
first drawing is an attempt at Meryl Streep.
Streep has
always been an actress I’ve appreciated, especially for how flexible she is
with her acting and roles. I liked the movie She-Devil where she
co-stars with Rosanne Barr, who plays a Ruth: worn out, tired housewife trying
to please her husband Bob (played by Ed Begley, Jr) any way
possible. Streep
plays Mary Fisher, the glamorous writer and mistress who ends up getting her
just rewards when the Bob ends up cheating on her and treating her just like
his wife.
I also
enjoyed the reincarnation/live evaluation theme in the 1991 film Defending
Your Life, where she is a woman in limbo trying to get into Heaven; here she must go through a trial to review all she
did in her life. Those who are on trial have their life actions evaluated. If
considered exceptional, those living good lives could move onto heaven while
those who had lives that were less than extraordinary or wholesome would reincarnate
in an effort to get it right.
Even better
was the 1992 release of Death Becomes Her where she costars
along with Goldie Hawn and Bruce Willis; this film is a hysterical dark comedy
where Streep is an aging actress having considerable difficulty accepting the
fact that she is getting older and that age is affecting her looks. She takes a
potion given to her that promises to keep her young and alive forever, but not without
later being forced to face dire consequences for defying the natural order of
things.
The
Manchurian Candidate, where so
co-stars with Denzel Washington, is a film featuring Streep as a vindictive
senator and mother of a son running for vice president. The film is one of many
showing Streep’s extensive acting skills and how easily she moves from a dark
comedic roll, to a more dramatic one, all without missing a beat. I’ve also seen and appreciated The Devil Wears Prada, Mastering
the Art of French Cooking wear she played the role of Julie Child, and
the most recent film I watched was It's Complicatedwhere Streepco-starred with Steve Martin and Alex
Baldwin (A great film if you are looking for some highly comedic moments).
On a final
note, one of my favorite quotes by Streep is: “Everything we say signifies; everything counts, that we put out into
the world. It impacts on kids, it impacts on the zeitgeist of the time. - Meryl Streep.”
When
attempting to draw Meryl, I think the cheekbones and facial structure was the
most challenging, but overall I am satisfied with the result. I chose graphite
pencil for the drawing simply because I enjoy doing pencil sketches and
attempting to give the image some varying degrees of depth and shading with a
single color rather than multiple colors. Of course, I enjoy colored pencils
too J, but I am perfectly content drawing with plain pencil any
day of the week.
So I wasn't really inspired over the last few days. I just decided to draw some of my favorite television characters and I had a pretty relaxing time doing so. The first picture is my effort at a young William Shatner as James T. Kirk in Star Trek. Yes, I am a fan of Star Trek, and I can still remember when my grandmother brought me to the movie theater when I was a kid to see the first film.
Then, in a total stream of consciousness leap in which I cannot clearly connect the dots with, I decided to draw a character from American Horror Story (I love this show!!!!). So, here's my effort at Evan Peters.....
I hope that all who are participating with the 29Faces challenge is having a fantastic time drawing or using whatever medium of preference. I thank everyone for their kind feedback and comments as well :).
I find that some days I can produce three or four pieces, and other days I just can't even think about producing a thing. Today was a good day and I played catch up with the 29 Faces Challenge. With no ideas in mind, I browsed the Internet for some ideas. As one would have it, when you browse the Internet it is often like and act of stream consciousness where you go from one seemingly random thing to another.
My first image is an effort at drawing Stevie Nicks, my second, Carolyn Jones in her role as Morticia in the 1964 television series of the Addams Family, and Wednesday, in the most current depictions of the Addams Family in films where she is played by Christina Ricci.
First, I want to take the time to thank each and every
person that visits my blog, and I want to especially thank the people who take
the time out of their day, their busy schedules, and their ever so valuable
time to comment on my blogs and artwork.
I so appreciate the feedback, support, and kind expressions you all share
with me. I look forward to all the
comments I receive, and I love hearing what others have to say about art,
drawing, painting, crafts, reading, writing, and whatever topic is at
hand. Thank you so much for engaging
with me, and sharing your thoughts. I
appreciate you and what you share.
I was pretty quite over the weekend, and pretty tired. For anyone who reads the health portion of my
blog, you already know I am battling with a variety of health conditions, all
of which are culminating in gross fatigue. It is a fatigue that a few cups of
coffee or a couple of naps will not conquer, so I have to take it as it comes
and work with it as I work with doctors to improve my condition as much as it
is possible to do so.
This weekend I spent trying to catch up on a few things and
battling through intermittent periods of fatigue and energy. I decided I would
do three faces in one drawing to catch up quickly so I don’t fall too far
behind the 29 Faces challenge for the month.
I know quantity is not important but I am really sticking to the commitment
I made to myself to do it, and my commitments are more of a challenge than ever
before with the constant fatigue I struggle with. I am not necessarily thrilled with the piece,
but I don’t hate it either. It made me search
out a quote about art and frustration, and I found one that perfectly suits the
occasion…
“Art is challenging and frustrating but I don't linger in it. I work on
five paintings at a time so if I'm frustrated I put one down and begin another.
“ – Robert Bateman
I think getting over the frustration and moving on is the
next best step to the walk away and come back to it later technique when
handling artistic frustrations. Yes, I
walked away from the drawing when the rendition of the Halliwell sisters from
Charmed (the Paige Era) did not come out the way I would have liked. I came back to it and even considered
starting over, and when I made the effort to do so, it was a half hearted
effort because I felt like all the work on the original piece was going to
waste. I went back to the original
drawing and worked on finishing it off. So
after working on the piece for I while, I decided it was as good as it was
going to be, at least for now. After two
attempts at the same drawing and returning to the initial piece, I was what I
will call finished. Three times the charm
so to speak…or not. Anyway, onward
to other projects I have waiting in the wings of my imagination!
The result is the picture I’ve shared here…It’s not an exact
rendition, but it’s not half bad either.
Now I only need to do an additional drawing to be back on top of things and
on top of the challenge.
In the meantime, I’ve been visiting blogs of others who
participate in the challenge, and I’ve seen some images shared on
Facebook. I gotta say, the work is
breathtaking and inspiring. I love getting
a chance to look at all of the wonderful creations that everyone is
producing. There’s so many imaginative works
and incredible depictions, I encourage everyone to check out the contributions
to the 29 Faces Challenge, even if you don’t participate. The blog where you can access all other
bloggers participating is located at http://29faces.blogspot.com.
Sometimes I just cannot decide who it is I want to draw. I finally decided late last night to give a try to sketching Barbra Streisand. Everything about Streisand is unique and original from her career in acting and films to her vocals to her name and appearance, and I wanted to try and capture that originality in a sketch of her.
I have always liked Streisand as an artist because she seems to be able to move from one extreme to another, from dramatic to comedic roles with amazing ease and skill.
Barbra Streisand by Dayna Winters
I absolutely LOVED the romantic drama, The Prince of Tides, a film based on the book by Pat Conroy, in which Streisand not only played the role of the psychiatrist Susan Lowenstein and co-starred with Nick Nolte as Tom Wingo, but she also directed. Created on a $30 million budget and bringing in a final gross figure of $110 million, the film is a testament to Streisand’s directing success. I remember being so disappointed when, despite being nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, the film was not nominated for Best Director. However, she was still nominated for the Directors Guild of America Award as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Director in 1991.
Now, I also loved Streisand in the comedic role of Roz Focker in Meet the Fockers and Little Fockers, where Barbra co-starred alongside Dustin Hoffman (another absolutely amazing actor) who played her husband Bernie Focker. As Roz, Streisand is hysterical, while coming across as genuine. Meet the Fockers started out with an $80 million budget and grossed $516, 642,939, and the sequel had a budget that was $50 million less than the first, but still grossed $310,650,585. If you put Barbra’s roles in the dramatic and comedic films side by side, it is a demonstration of how she can easily move from a serious, dramatic role to a comedic role, and she does so without getting caught up in the typecasting trap.
Streisand is no different when it comes to her music and vocals. Barbra is a half-soprano or a mezzo-soprano and her voice easily spans a full three octaves and then some, and has sometimes been called semi-operatic. One of the best things I appreciate about Streisand is she is not afraid to be herself, to be distinct, and different.
At the age of 18, she changed the spelling of her first name from Barbara to Barbra because she did not care for her name, but she did not want to change it too much. The following quote is attributed to her: “I don’t care what you say about me. Just be sure to spell my name wrong.” And… in another quote, which I love, Barbra stresses the importance of self- discovery, and self-trust…“I learned you have to trust yourself, be what you are, and do what you ought to do the way you should do it. You have got to discover you, what you do, and trust it.”
And therein lies the struggle of every artist…finding him or herself, trusting the process and the result. Often, the inner critic stands in the way of the artist’s ability to trust in the self or the artistic process. Streisand stands as an icon representing the need to embrace one’s own uniqueness, to be one’s authentic self, and to willing to embrace the artistic process as it unfolds as well as the results thereof.
So I decided to go with Jack Nicholson this go round and
made the attempt to capture his image in the iconic role of Jack Torrance in
Stephen King’s The Shining. Only Nicholson could play such a role with
such creepy perfection…”All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,” was the phrase
that continued to run through my mind as I tried, (and I emphasize tried) to
capture that madman look in his eyes in one of the most unforgettable madman
stares on film. See the video below for
reference.
I don't think I hit the mark on this one. Something is way off with the drawing and maybe when I walk away from it and come back to it with fresh eye's I can put my finger on it. To me, the eyes aren't right and the jaw bone is way off. The mouth turned out way better than I anticipated though. Maybe next time I'll get it the way I want it.
Jack Nicholson by Dayna Winters
One question came up while I was doing the work and it would be interesting to look into...when, during the creation of a piece does that piece go beyond being two dimensional.....not physically speaking, but in the emotion it captures and evokes? When you are drawing, when do you know you have done the image in such a way that it captures the precise emotion you want to share with the viewer? How do you know you've achieved this? What do you feel?
