In early November, shortly after our gallery show: Worthy Imposters, I began a blog series wherein I’ve attempted to convey some of the thought-processes behind my collection. It’s been a joy revisiting the work, the ways in which I stretched + grew as an artist, and especially the fun had with all the beautiful people who participated.
Today marks the last post in the series, as this was the last piece to come to fruition (the blog series intentionally followed the chronology of when the work was made)… how fitting that, in this final wrap up, we discuss the artwork featuring my show-partner/artist/friend: Stacey Walyuchow. ⭕️
Stace and I had intended to shoot specifically for Worthy Imposters (she had a renowned piece in mind and I had ideas of how to tackle it meaningfully), alas the stars didn’t align and I’d mostly resigned myself to the fact that it was not meant to be. However, in the weeks leading up to the show, as I readied the already-captured work (final edits, printing, framing, marketing…), I felt ever-more-drawn to ensuring she’d be ‘present’ in the work - as Stacey was pivotal in me even being there!
Alongside the internal nudging to secure her part in the collection, I was also feeling remiss that I hadn’t (yet) found a way to honour a Da Vinci that I’ve long loved and had hoped to include as inspiration.
As I sat at my desk, staring out the window onto the kaleidoscope of fading summer greens to new autumn golds, I contemplated - with a new urgency - if my collection was indeed: finished. I felt the need to revisit the archives and see if there might indeed exist a beautiful synergy between honouring my friend + the art.
One of my all-time favourite shots of Stacey is from a session celebrating her soon-to-be-motherhood, now many moons ago. Our time together that day was filled with laughter, but I also remember wanting to ensure we captured slices of the ‘quiet’ inherent in expecting a child: when we’re grappling with questions that span: what will life look like on the ‘other side’ - together with - the overwhelming (and impossible to articulate) LOVE we already feel for this little human we’ve yet to meet face-to-face.
La Scapigliata, Da Vinci
When I look at Da Vinci’s ‘La Scapligiata’ I feel many of the same emotions as when I look at Stacey’s portrait… an innocence, a longing to know, a pensiveness, a woman’s strength, and the beauty of a story not yet fully written.
I now had the inspo piece from Leonardo and one from my archive featuring my friend. In creating the final image I knew of two aesthetic choices I wanted to include: that it be aged in a way that felt congruous and to incorporate a nod to Da Vinci’s mirrored writing.
It’s widely believed that Da Vinci used a mirror to write his notes because he was left handed and didn’t want to smudge the still-fresh-ink of his thoughts. While not overtly obvious, I have always felt like his sketch of the ‘girl with disheveled hair’ seemed to carry the evidence of notes on the other side of the page, or maybe even smudged writing from the opposite page. And the romantic in me loves that.
I knew I needed to use text worthy 😉 of the mission, and quickly opted to incorporate the lyrics of a song that has been a companion of mine since I first fell in love with it at age 15: Codinome Beija-Flor, by one of Brazil’s most impactful artists* of the 20th century: Cazuza.
(*I’d be remiss to not acknowledge that I am in NO WAY an expert of Brazilian Art and Literature - which is robust and profound!… but I do believe that Cazuza (if you liked him or not) was a critical figure/provoker in the late 1900s… and, also, maybe it doesn’t matter if we’re ‘experts’ or not if the art is beautiful TO US. 😌).
Using software, I was able to render the original portrait into a hybrid-sketch; I then layered it with both a tea stained paper and the mirrored lyrics; all whilst trying to ensure my extraordinary friend was lovingly showcased.
While the finished piece was a departure from our OG ‘plan’… I am so happy that my friend, who lovingly encouraged my participation in this show, was honoured, and with a nod to an OG master!
You can peruse Stacey’s art here and she also has upcoming shows you should check out!
I so appreciate each of you who have taken the time to read about my collection AND for supporting my small business…
especially those of you who go out of your way to support me by hiring me, sharing my services, liking/commenting/sharing on line, and attending my events. 🙏🏼
You can peruse Stacey’s beautiful + thought provoking art here.