A to Z Challenge: Day 2 - B

BFF and my creative partner by Linzé

Today I want to share a portrait I recently painted of my best friend, Vanessa Wright. I have drawn portraits before, but never painted one.

I am busy experimenting with gouache paint on gouache paper. So why not paint my best friend?

Fortunately for me, she liked it!

Vanessa Wright

A-toZ Challenge: Day 1 - A

I ... "do" ... art by Melissa Adendorff

I ... "do" ... art. I don't paint, or sculpt with tangible media, but I move in such a way that I sculpt a story with my body and paint and draw movement combinations in the air, in three dimensions for a very short time, and hope that they become imprinted on the eyes of those who watch.

I am art. I have always been … 

And while my embodied art is potentially a bit outside of the general palatable and consumer-directed mainstream … I am still and have mostly been artistry embodied.

My current incarnation of artistry embodied is that of a dancer ... an artform I deserted a lifetime ago, and returned to because I just wasn't myself without its particular form of expression. 

My permanent incarnation of artistry embodied is the art in my skin, as I am a walking canvas to some phenomenal tattoo artists ... which upsets the Royal Academy of Dance instructors and examiners to no end ... and yet, I am a dancer.

My previous incarnation of artistry embodied martial arts, where, while there is definite competitive satisfaction in a knockout or a submission, the magic happens in the performance of forms, open-hand, unbladed weapons, and bladed weapons … where you dance with “deadly” intention. That is where I shone.

Now when I think about embodied artistry in all the forms which impact my life, a vital aspect which comes to mind is anatomy … and for the artist who draws or sculpts or paints, this matters too … and for the artist who writes, there is an anatomy to a text … so it makes sense in most, if not all artistic contexts.

Now, originally when I was presented with the opportunity to partake in this collaboration, I wanted to use the letter “A” to talk about the artistic journey of learning a classical variation named Aegina’s Monologue from the ballet Spartacus, but in the meantime something more meaningful has happened for me in the ballet world, and that’s why I shifted my focus onto “anatomy”.

An incredible dancer, named Katherine Morgan, has been openly discussing the ballet body and the impact of traditional perceptions of bodily ideals on mental health. And this resonated deeply, because I do not have the ideal ballet anatomy, and yet, I identify as a dancer. I do not have the ideal balletic skin, considering my modifications, and yet, I identify as a dancer. I have directed my current academic research into this phenomenon as well, and this is another platform to bring attention to the fact that every body can be an embodiment of the artistry of dance.

Melissa Adendorff

Now, I had ambitions of potentially dancing professionally once, but then my anatomy worked against me, alongside a good dose of metal health issues, and my anatomy was pointed out to be unsuited to classical ballet … when I was a teenager … and that did some damage. I was a thoroughly competent and proficient dancer; I scored well in exams, my ARTISTRY was complimented, but my anatomy was shamed. When I moved into martial arts, my anatomy was praised because I developed a lot of functional muscle, and I could move with it. I maintained my flow. My highest martial arts achievements came from executing dance-like forms, with all of my body. But, when I hit my 30s, I missed ballet, and I regretted stopping, and I regretted what I had lost … so I promptly put on a leotard, and stepped into a space of shame.

Injuries, depression, and bad mental health habits had left me overweight (yet fit enough to perform in martial arts and climbing), but the ballet aesthetic was very far away from me. And I made the decision to alter my anatomy as best I could to be the best dancer I could be.

Now, the aesthetics of my anatomy irked me enough to question my decision to start this journey, but the functionality of my anatomy gave me the determination to be better for me, and the aesthetics were a perk … let me explain. After a nasty knee injury that required surgery in 2018, I knew that I had to make a lifestyle adjustment to work with my anatomy. I needed to work on what would work for my knee … and that meant to lose weight. The PRIVILEGE that I had in this decision was that I could choose it for my own wellbeing and acknowledge my own agency in that decision. The locus of control was within me.

In the ballet world, people are told to lose more weight than might be healthy, otherwise they lose lead roles or are cut from companies … and that is devastating in terms of overall health and wellbeing. This external judgement and punishment of anatomical traits might make sense in a company with a very specific aesthetic, such as the Balanchine aesthetic, where ALL measurements were prescribed, but not everyone experiencing this phenomenon is a professional dancer. Pre-professionals, vocational, and recreational dancers are faced with this, and that is problematic due to the very nature of the dancer’s character, where perfectionism and a need for control are close to the surface … and they can play out negative in terms of constructing and deconstructing anatomy.

Research supports this, as there have been qualitative studies which unanimously presented findings indicating negative personality traits including perfectionism, high levels of psychological stress, being over-achievers, competitive, and having a need for control being exacerbated by pressures of aesthetics, leading to disordered eating and overtraining (Hamilton, Hamilton, Meltzer, Marshall, and Molnar, 1989; Petrides, Niven, and Moukounti, 2006; Zoletić and Duraković-Belko, 2009).

The point of all of this is that anatomy should never restrict artistry. Every body can be taught to tendu. Anatomy is incidental, if one is healthy, and happy, and embracing whichever art form speaks to the soul … I might not be a teeny tiny prima ballerina, but I am stepping into my own artistry by presenting a mature body, a string body, preforming a mature and strong piece of classical repertoire. I step into the studio and I have faith that my anatomy will carry through a day of dancing. 

Do I look at the teeny tiny prima ballerina and compare myself? Of course. But I also make a conscious effort to claim my victories. I can claim my strength and my recovery (from the knee injury, among other things), and I can claim the grace with which I move all of myself.

And even though my anatomy is drastically different today than it was two years ago, I still think that the face in the first picture draws my eye, and I still think that the second picture conveys incredible emotion. I did not lose my inner artist by losing weight.

And that is the message that Katherine Morgan is sharing as well … your body does not determine how well you portray a story when you dance. Your anatomy might determine turnout, but turnout is not everything. Artistry makes for magic in ballet, and anatomy is secondary to the art.

The message here is that embodied art is possible for every body … anatomy works with artistry to make magic. And that is what artists of all forms do.

References

Hamilton, L.H., Hamilton, W.G., Meltzer, J.D., Marshall, P., & Molnar, M. (1898). Personality, stress, and injuries in professional ballet dancers. American journal of sports medicine, 17(2), 263-267.

Petrides, K.V., Niven, L., & Moukounti, T. (2006). The trait emotional intelligence of ballet dancers and musicians. Psicothema, 18, 101-107.

Zoletić, E., & Duraković-Belko, E. (2009). Body image distortion, perfectionism and eating disorder symptoms in risk group of female ballet dancers and models in control group of female students. Psychiatria Danubina, 21(3), 302-309.

A-to-Z Blog Challenge 2020 Theme reveal

April is almost here and this year I am taking part again in the blog challenge. I have guest posts and books and art and art journaling to share with you. There are still a few spots left if you are looking to feature a new book or would like share your creative journey with me and my readers. The schedule is updated and posted to my Twitter profile if you are looking for some free promo.
Remember your name, last name, title or theme has to suit the letter of the alphabet, so make sure I still have a date/letter available to suit your creative post.

I hope to see you soon here on the Broomstick!

💜 Linzé

Art Journal 2020: Life

For my entry this time I chose to focus on Seneca's philosophy on life, and being present. The choice of colours was deliberate to bring a more joyful spin to the art and the text.
  

Figure 1: Leaves stencilled and outlined

Materials:
1. Art journal
2. Textured paste
3. Stencil of your choice (I used leaves)
4. Pallet knife
5. Sharpie Ultra Fine marker
6. Gel medium (gloss or matt)
7. Chameleon alcohol based markers (see each step fo the colours)
8. Sanding paper/block medium/fine

Step 1:
* Paint the pages with gel medium to seal them.
* Use the textured paste and pallet knife to stencil the leaves onto the pages. Let dry.
* Gently sand the leaves to remove any sharp points or unevenness.
* Use the Sharpie to outline the leaves to make them stand out.

Figure 2: Coloured leaves and green markers

Step 2:
* Colour each leaf green.
I used GR4 (evergreen) on the left-hand leaf, and GR3 (grass green) on the right-hand leaf.
The small tip works best for the small surfaces of the leaves.
Chameleon alcohol markers dry quickly so there is no need to wait before continuing.

Figure 3: Coloured pages

Step 3:
* Colour the rest of the pages with bright colours. Avoid using dark colours since it will obscure the text.
I used YL2 (summer sun), YO3 (warm sunset), PK5 (fuchsia), BL3 (sky blue), and YG3 (spring meadow).
* You can use the Chameleon Blender to blend the edges where the colours meet, or you can use the lighter toned pen to blend. The gel medium prevents the ink from being absorbed into the paper, making blending possible even after the ink has dried.

Figure 4: The end result

Step 4:
* Use the Sharpie to add the text to the two pages.
* Sign your name and add the date when you are done.

On the left: "Why, indeed, is it necessary to summon trouble - which must be endured soon enough when it has once arrived, or to anticipate trouble and ruin the present through fear of the future? It is indeed foolish to be unhappy now because you may be unhappy at some future time."  ~ Seneca letters XXIV, 1

On the right: "... teach me something with which to face these troubles. Bring it to pass that I shall cease trying to escape from death, and that life may cease to escape from me. Give me courage to meet hardships; make me calm in the face of the unavoidable. Relax the straitened limits of the time which is allotted me. Show me that the good in life does not depend upon life's length, but upon the use we make of it..."  ~ Seneca letters XLIX, 10

~~~~~

In April I will again be taking part in the A to Z blog challenge, so there will be more creative posts coming your way.

Until then, when we will make everyday a creative day.
💜 Linzé

COVER REVEAL: Love, Marriage, and Other Disasters by Shilpa Suraj

~ Cover Reveal ~
Love, Marriage, and Other Disasters
by Shilpa Suraj

About the Book:

She believes in love, family and…squiggles!

Alisha Rana is not your typical single desi girl. For one, she is on the wrong side of 30.  For another, she is divorced. And last but definitely not least, she is still, gasp, a virgin!

Alisha doesn’t want much. But what she does want is that elusive thing all women search for – A man who gets her…but a man who gets her hot! She calls it “feeling the squiggle.”

Enter Dr. Vivaan Kapoor, cute, hot, squiggle-worthy. The younger brother of her cousin's prospective groom, he’s got the squiggle factor in spades. The only catch? He's never been married and is years younger than Alisha. Basically, completely off-limits.

And then there is Arjun. Widowed, older than her by the right number of years and a genuinely nice guy. He's Vivaan’s cousin and a so-called perfect match for Alisha. The problem is, Alisha’s squiggle-o-meter refuses to budge for him.

What will Alisha choose? A lifetime together with the 'right' man or a chance at happiness with the 'wrong' one?

About Shilpa Suraj:

Shilpa Suraj wears many hats - corporate drone, homemaker, mother to a fabulous toddler and author.

An avid reader with an overactive imagination, Shilpa has weaved stories in her head since she was a child. Her previous stints at Google, in an ad agency and as an entrepreneur provide colour to her present day stories, both fiction and non-fiction.

Shilpa on the Web:

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

COVER REVEAL: Murder in the Chowdhury Palace by Sharmishtha Shenoy

~ Cover Reveal ~
Murder in the Chowdhury Palace
by Sharmishtha Shenoy

About the Book:

What if someone you loved... was murdered? How far would you go to bring a killer to justice?

Orphaned in her childhood, Durga has always longed for wealth, security and, above all, a sense of belonging. She finds it all when she marries Debnarayan Chowdhury, heir to an immense, multi-crore estate. But the Chowdhury family has been under a curse that dates back to the British era. The first-born of each generation dies young, purportedly killed by the spirit of Kadambari, a young woman murdered by the notorious Shankar Dakat, the founder of the Chowdhury family and their Zamindari. When her father-in-law Birendranath dies unexpectedly, Durga and Debnarayan come down to the ancestral home in Kakdihi, a small village near Kolkata. The moment Durga enters her new palatial home, she crosses a threshold of terror. She loses her husband within a month of her marriage and finds herself a widow in a house full of strangers. Are Debnarayan’s and Birendranath’s deaths accidental? Everyone in her new family and the neighborhood appear to be friendly. Most of them have a motive to kill her. A well-meaning neighbor tells her, ‘Run from this place. You have no friends here.’ Is she, the current owner of the estate, now on the murderer’s radar?

Read an Excerpt from Murder in the Chowdhury Palace

The trees were denser beyond the pond on the northern side, and the area was unkempt and full of thorny bushes and nettles.  Debu remarked, ‘Not many people venture into the northern part of the woods from this point because the haunted house is less than a mile from here. So this part of the estate is in a rather wild state.’

‘Yes, I can see that nature has completely taken over this part. But still, let’s go there.’ I said excitedly.

‘Some other day…,’ Debu murmured. His face was slightly pale.

‘Debu! You really seem to believe in these ghosts and all that nonsense…,’ I said rather incredulously.

‘No… no… of course not!’ Debu exclaimed.

‘Then prove it! Let’s go and visit the house.’

‘Look… it won’t be very safe. The walls are crumbling, and I am sure that bats have made their home there.’

‘Please, Debu, let’s go, I have never seen a haunted house,’ I said, cajolingly. I gripped his hand and almost dragged him towards the house.

We came upon the abandoned temple first. The plaster was coming off the walls, and the aerial roots of a huge banyan tree had encroached upon the temple and gone in through the walls causing rainwater to leak into the walls and damage them further. The house was located a further quarter kilometer away.

There was a strange, sinister silence all around. Even the birds did not twitter in this part of the woods. The house with its closed shutters and peeling walls was a one-storey medium-sized building. It was dark and uninviting, steeped in shadow due to the jungle of trees that had flourished around it. Darkness echoed and folded upon itself. I walked resolutely to the main door, only to find it locked. 

‘Where is the key to this door?’

‘I don’t think anybody has it.’

I was in a naughty mood. ‘Then let’s break it open. I really want to see what’s inside.’ 

In spite of Debu’s protests, I picked up a heavy rock and hit the rusty lock with it. The lock broke easily.

We stepped inside a large hall. It was full of cobwebs and broken dilapidated furniture. Suddenly, a bat swept past my face. I let out a startled cry and drew back. I would have fallen to the ground had Debu not caught me.

‘Let’s get out of here. You shouldn’t be so adventurous in your present condition. The baby might get hurt,’ he said in a quavering voice. 

‘Oh come on... please Debu…let’s explore a bit more.’

I went further in and switched on the torch of my mobile to see better. At the center of the hall, were the remains of a havan done a long time back. The bricks used for the havan were blackened, charred and crumbling with spiders spinning their webs over the layers of dust. There was a portrait of Shankar Dakat and another of a woman on a wooden platform near which the havan had been performed.

‘This is, of course, Shankar Dakat’s portrait. And this must be Kadambari…,’ I said. ‘Who painted this?’ The painting of Kadambari mesmerized me. She was little more than a young girl in a green sari, worn without a blouse in the traditional fashion. Her big eyes were strangely life-like and sad and her long, thick, curly hair cascaded down her bare shoulders like a cloud.

‘I don’t know who painted this, nor do I care. Let’s go, Durga. I feel really uncomfortable here.’ Debu said a little impatiently. I started coughing because of the dirt. ‘Durga, you know you are allergic to dust. Come away now. I don’t want our baby to get hurt.’ He clutched my hand in a death grip, and almost dragged me out of the house.

The fear in his voice was contagious. Also, to be honest, the life-like painting had spooked me. We hurried back towards the pond. As we almost ran back and neared our home, there was a shout from the ground-floor east-wing balcony. It was Kanak. She shouted, ‘Who goes there?’

About Sharmishtha Shenoy:

Sharmishtha Shenoy is the author of the Vikram Rana Mystery series. The books under the series are “Vikram Rana Investigates,” “A Season for Dying,” “Behind the Scenes” and “Fatal Fallout”. She has also published a book of short stories, “Quirky Tales.”

Her short stories have been published in efiction magazine and Woman’s era. She loves writing murder mysteries, the kind of books that she likes to read. Her favorite authors are Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie. She also likes the work of Satyajit Ray – especially the Feluda Series. 

Before starting to write, she had been an IT professional and had worked in TCS, Satyam, Infosys, and Microsoft. 

She is a big foodie and enjoys Biriyani (both Hyderabadi and Awadhi versions) and rasgullas like most Bengalis. She is also a lusty singer of the bathroom singing variety.

Though she is happily married to Mr. Shenoy in real life, in her fantasy world she is wedded to her creation Vikram Rana.  You can get to her blog by typing the word “Sharmishtha Rana” into Google. No, seriously, try it.

She was born in Calcutta. She is an M Tech from the University of Reading, Great Britain and had received a 100% British Government Scholarship to study there. She lives in Hyderabad.

Sharmishtha on the Web:

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * YouTube 

Art Journal 2020: Found Poetry (a guest post)

According to Wikipedia, found poetry is a type of poetry created by taking words, phrases, and sometimes whole passages from other sources and reframing them. I spent 2 days exploring this in my art journal, using random pages from a book bound for the recyclers. As a journal, I use a recycled, stitched and bound hardcover fiction book. I glued 3 pages together with acrylic gel medium as I was afraid that the black markers would bleed through. 

I used Dala acrylic gel medium. I usually gesso the pages, but this time, I needed the text. I used Stabilo coloured pencils in the colours pictured above. They are wax based and have excellent blending abilities. Artline 725 and a fine Sharpie were used for the design and the zentangles. Silver washi tape, married the two pages stylistically. Any HB pencil and putty eraser is a must for planning a design. The white pencil depicted is a blender. 

Step 1: Choose the poetry from the text of any book page. You need to know a bit about poetry, especially rhythm. Highlight it by drawing a thick, dark box around it. Next, I drew a leaf design in pencil on the page. I divided the leaf into 7 separate sections, you can choose more or less if you like. Now you are ready to choose zentangle patterns. There are literally millions of patterns with their step outs available on the internet.

Step 2: Draw your zentangles with your Sharpie and fill in the black areas with the Artline pen as they are much cheaper to use in large areas. Make sure that you have no tiny, white areas that are left open, for this you need good lighting.

Step 3: Colour the area around your design with coloured pencils. I used an underlayer of yellow in certain areas and to darken, I used the dark blue tone to depict shadows. The blender was used throughout when I went from darker to lighter areas. Avoid overworking a recycled book art journal. The pages are not high quality, it simply cannot handle too many layers. 

Step 4: Apply Washi tape around the upper and lower edges to marry the two pages. I stencilled the wording on the side of the page. The opposite page was done in exactly the same manner, I merely used coloured pencils within the design itself, as the found poetry got a bit lost. A word of advice- use zentangle patterns with black areas, this will make the found poetry pop. 

The important thing is to have fun with your designs and colours. There are no rules, just your creativity which has no bounds.

Hope you join me next month, when I will be painting a Koi in watered down acrylics, paired with a zentangle whale.

“The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul."

Have a super creative month!

💚 Vanessa

To see more of Vanessa's art follow her on Instagram

Until next time!

💜 Linzé