I'd Sleep Under a Vermeer

My roommate and I are writing our papers, it's 1 AM, and we're jamming to Justin Timberlake. I'm in love with that girlll...  I didn't get a ton done at painting on Saturday, though I learned a lot through observation. I watched and listened as Darin helped Kelly pull the hood of his figure into recession, and as he helped Rosemary identify the sternocleidomastoid (anatomy anyone?) in her Mary. I did begin glazing color into the background, and I'll start on flesh next weekend, which means COLOR. You better believe it's going to be amazing.

I've been thinking about the kind of paintings I want to do after I've painted enough reproductions of master's works. What's my theme going to be?

Stories of Joy.

My train of thought: Friday night I attended John Lithgow's "Stories of the Heart" and it was incredible to say the least. For those of you who don't know him, he's a Tony, Emmy, and Golden Globe winner, whom you may recognize best as either the Reverend from Footloose, or Lord Farquaad from Shrek. I was touched by both the stories he shared, and his command of his craft. What I mean is I felt like he could read us, gauge our reactions and manipulate his act for maximum effect. He understands human nature, the person within the person, which allows him to access emotions that are rarely evoked. So that though his character was laughing, we knew we couldn't, and we recognized the darkness behind the facade of light. As I walked home I realized that an artist has the capacity to observe and recognize things that are not apparent at first glance. It is not enough to look, you have to understand how something came to be to capture it properly.

Anyhow, for you runners out there you'll understand when I say I do my best thinking on long runs. While on my run Saturday morning, I contemplated the kind of art that has touched me the most. I decided that the pieces that touch me the most are works that illustrate a raw and universal part of humanity. Usually a part of humanity I can relate to. So often, however, these depictions are dark, somber. Which I figured I could try and capture but I wondered why, instead, wouldn't I try to capture joy? Why wouldn't I try and capture, in my model, a vision of joy as they relate a sweet memory.

I mentioned this idea during art, and Jen mentioned that we paint how we feel, which Darin affirmed. Your emotions will show through your painting and in the story you try to tell. But, he said, it makes sense that you would want to portray joy, because you emanate joy-- which I was so grateful to hear.

If I can garner command of my craft the same way John Lithgow has command of his, I want my paintings to tell a story. It can be a simple story, but that story must be there.

Love // Christelle

P.S. The title is a quote by John Lithgow.