Candace in Athens

It's Not Easy Being Red

2010-02-01T21:02:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone.

When I was a kid, I thought nothing would have been better than to have been an Indian brave -- or what I knew in my heart I would have been -- a brave little white girl adopted by the Indians. They had horses. Bows and arrows. SPEARS. Sneaked up on any and everything without being sussed out. Made all their own stuff. They wore paint on their faces and painted their ponies' hindquarters with all sorts of symbols and cool stuff. They stayed up late by campfires, singing and dancing and smoking the peace pipe. Or the war pipe, in some cases.

Yep. Sad but true, as a kid, I fell for all that stuff crammed down our throats by Hollywood and sanitized textbooks before I found out about all the broken promises, not to mention blankets given to our brothers and sisters on the Plains and in the forests by our Pilgrim forebears, all of these blankets known by those good Christian folks to be infected with smallpox. And this was before I read Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee.

That certainly changed how I looked at things.

My internal landscape and my happy fantasies of a free and clear life turned a bit darker then. Reality does that, you know.

Now to see anything remotely and truly Native, one has to go into museums. And even then, I wonder -- is this real? Cleaned up? Prettied up for all the blue eyes?

Okay, okay, enough politicizing.

That's white war paint on his face, with faint black lines, and he wears a raven as his headdress.

As you know, ravens and crows are particularly important in most cultural mythologies, even our own.

I'll be back this weekend with the Rest of the Best from It's Not Easy Being Green.

Take care.

Candace in Athens.

It's Not Easy Being --

2010-01-13T21:09:00.000-08:00

Hi Everybody! Two sides of the same coin here. Hope you enjoy... you might have to click on the illos to read the 'captions'.

Take care.

Candace in Athens

Circle 'Round

2010-01-08T20:44:00.000-08:00

Hi Everybody!

I'm sharing a couple more images from "It's Not Easy Being Green", which is the name/theme of My Sketchbook Project pulled together by The Arthouse Cooperative. In a few short weeks, I will be in Atlanta at the premiere exhibit before it goes to Brooklyn, then on to Chicago, L.A., etc. I have promised Anne Gaal and Sarah Wallis, project colleagues and blogpals, that I will take lots of photos of everything.

I love circles. Spherical miracles. Most if not all of my images in the Sketchbook have some green in them somewhere, sure. But I always try to get something round in there somewhere! Is it because of that archetypal shape? Is it because it's one of the earliest geometrics and symbols recognized? Who knows and who cares! I just enjoy them the way I love the heart shape. It speaks to me. And I leave it at that and leave you with these....

Remember those peas on that kid's plate? Good advice from Mom...

And good advice always is below. I was thinking of Michelle, Chris and Devon when I did this one.

And I really love SPIRALS but that's another story for another time.

Stop by any old time -- I am posting till all the images are up from this Sketchbook Project AND the Atlanta Premiere. (Does that sound ridiculously hoity toity or WHAT???)

As always,

Candace in Athens.

And Here We Go Again --

2010-01-07T18:01:00.000-08:00

Hi Everybody!

This is the ToC in My Sketchbook Project for Arthouse Cooperative. The first chapter entitled "The Simple Period" is listed below. I wanted to tie the theme "It's Not Easy Being Green" to the fact that sometimes it's not easy being anything... including ages, genders, colours of people as well as colours we put on or try to, anyway... so there's this to refer to.

After that comes what some may consider a funny if mean-spirited illustration, considering what kids often have to put up with from well-meaning adults. You may have to click on the illos to read the print... and as in some plays (as well as real life, hello), the adults are talking over one another and TO one another simultaneously as they also (appear to) harangue the child.

Makeup is a running joke in this Sketchbook Project. Just letting you know. You might notice that on illos already over here.

Have a good evening. It's sleeting here, snowing elsewhere.

Candace, Still In Athens.

Another Shot

2010-01-06T07:40:00.000-08:00

Hi Everybody!
I already feel like 2010 is running at a gallop. This is probably because I have already committed and happily so to a couple of projects -- mine as well as others -- and am in the throes of "young love" with each of them. More info here.

As promised, a shot from the Sketchbook Project every day till they're over -- some may have to be clicked on and enlarged to be able to read the writing.

The name of this is: It's Not Easy Being Yellow. My book's theme was "It's Not Easy Being Green." Well, sometimes it's not easy being anything was my point in the first "chapter".

Take good care!

Candace in Athens

Banzai!

2010-01-05T07:00:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone!

January 5th, wow. The last post was October 5th and I remember being so so so stressed because my sketchbook had not shown up yet. WHAT is it with the Athenian Post Office??

Yes indeedy, the Sketchbook is finished and outta here! Arthouse Cooperative extended the deadline for the Sketchbook Project to January 5th. Always fun to have folks who have real lives and see the necessity for giving us artists ONE more day till it's really over! Well, they are artists themselves so that's why, I am sure.

These are a couple of illos from The Sketchbook Journal. My theme was "It's Not Easy Being Green". I decided to make colour the myriad subject matter of the sections of my book (complete with "chapters", etc.) -- the first focus of the sketchbook a very understandable "It's Not Easy Being..." before taking off a bit to the Past, then the Fantasy Illos, and Reality (mostly) with occasional sidetrips... Well, that describes me perfectly if you ask me.

Ahem, yeah, this next is from the Fantasy Section -- "Portrait of the Artist" as a Green Lantern or somesuch. All those girls have such buxomy, curvy bods. I just HAD to have one of my own.

The colour spectrum I stuck to for the most part...

And yes, the medium. I used micron pens and brushes, as well as some colourful slices of backgrounds -- and Mod Podged and Xyron'd the TOC and chapter divisions too, with and without extras. I used some fantastic little bits from Ro Bruhn's Giveaway from last year. They look just gorgeous. Thanks again, Ro, for that!

There's a running joke throughout all the sections (Portrait of the Artist, etc) about makeup. Maybe I should do all those together... oh well, we'll see.

Enjoy and thanks as always for your visits and comments!

Candace in Athens.

The Wah Wah Club

2009-10-05T07:08:00.000-07:00

However.... I still do not have my sketchbook.
I am going to let them know and will of course pass the info on to you as well.

How disappointing to be in a great and fun project and yet not be "in" it, yet. My hands fairly itch to get at it!

Take care. Lots of rain here today. I hope you are having October's Bright Blue Weather wherever you are.

Candace in Athens.

A Note From Arthouse Co-op

2009-09-25T21:43:00.000-07:00

Yes, they are backed up but I received a very nice note just today that I should be getting my Sketchbook by next Friday, which is the 1st or 2nd of October. Whew, good thing I have my theme well in hand, so to speak. Also it's a good thing we have until December 1st.

Check out Gaal Creative and Circles of Rain for their Sketchbook projects. FUN!

I will be back next week to update you as well as ME on this work.

Take care!
Candace

The Sketchbook Project

2009-09-11T19:58:00.000-07:00

Yes, well, here I am, Very Truly Yours, ready to start another blog -- this one with the sole purpose of keeping up with The Sketchbook Project which I encourage you to read about, as well as separate this blog from EyeCandy, my original Art Blog.

While I do not have the Moleskine journal yet (it's winging its way to me as I type!), I do have the subject matter or the chosen theme. If you only knew how appropriate this Sketchbook Project is for me ...

"It's Not Easy Being Green"

Now more than ever, it seems that it isn't, eh? Overpopulation, overpollution, overspending, overdrawn, overdone... golly! It's gone from a sweet and funny Kermit the Frog song about acceptance and fitting in (or not) to a bittersweet rallying cry.

And green is one of my favourite colours so for Yours Truly, it is easy being green. Well, on that front, anyway... !

Here are some friends who are also involved in The Sketchbook Project. I am simultaneously humbled and thrilled to be included in this journey with them. Anne Gaal from Gaal Creative and Sarah Wallis of Circles of Rain. I first met both through Blogovia. Please visit their sites and see what great things they do.

Now if I could only talk Jeanne of One Day At A Time into this... I'd be set!

Check back next Friday. By then, I'll have some things hopping around here (no pun intended, Kermie!).

Candace in Athens.