A newsletter from ya gurl, B |
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Hi friend, I'm going to keep this one short n sweet. I just want to say I appreciate everyone passing this newsletter forward to others, as well as submitting their anonymous thoughts. I use the time in between each newsletter to consider your words and questions, and try to address them in either my art or writing. You've been graciously supporting my words. Now, it would mean the most if you support my artwork. If you have a busy job life, I'll cut to the chase with the buttons below! If you're unemployed and having acute existential crises, take a read 💛 |
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Prints, Postcards and more for purchase Prints, postcards, puzzles and playing cards of my original paintings and illustrations are for purchase on Zazzle! |
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Consider getting yourself new fine art for your home office, or gifting someone a puzzle, or sending a postcard to a loved one! These are strange and lonely times - imagine getting just a sweet postcard from someone right now, knowing they took the time to sit down and think about you! Or write your thoughts on this moment in history to a friend, it will make for great primary resources for historians in 100 years, or amazing memorabilia for your great grandchildren! Ugh, I’m verklempt! | | |
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Working on a family portrait commission |
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Commissions are Open! I’m wrapping up my first major commission! I'm open to new requests for: - Digital Pastel Portraiture - Digital Illustration - Painted Portrait (Oil or acrylic) - Murals (Private or Public) I'm finishing a 75" x 50" oil painting of a family from South Korea who recently reunited in the U.S. just before COVID-19. They are torn between two cultures, they have a reverence for harmony in nature and art, and they want to provide the best possible future for their child. I am honored to have captured their story and sentiment. I would be delighted to hear from you how you would like to honor the people in your life with a commission in my style! |
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Early stage of the portrait / final stage of the portrait |
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Mural for Seeds of Solidarity |
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Seeds of Solidarity This summer I went looking for answers. When it felt like everything was broken in my reality, I thought of the oasis that is my Aunt and Uncle's farm in Orange, Massachusetts, called Seeds of Solidarity. They're rock stars and pioneers in their field, and their mission with their farm and education center is to "Grow Food Everywhere." I helped harvest their abundance of garlic, painted a mural for their new multipurpose, solar-powered building, and observed their life work in food and social justice. |
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I could go on about Seeds of Solidarity, but instead I'll just share a list of things I notice while with them, things that they have been living out for decades that I aspire to as well: - Their self education is ongoing
- They know why they’re getting out of bed everyday, and they work hard at it
- They balance the difficult work with joyous exploration of nature
- They respect each other’s different strengths and line of work
- Together, they uplift and mentor others around them
- They know themselves, their neighbors, their community and the land under their feet
- They define and maintain abundance outside of money
- They don’t make excuses to seek change; no complacency
- They laugh with each other
- They actively share and live out ancient and indigenous wisdom
- They love food! They love sharing food!
- They make new friends
- They stay the course despite distractions, negativity, judgement, or challenges
- They ask for help and rely on the constellation of resources within their community, to which they also give so much
- They upkeep integrity in everything they do
- They say “ I love you!” often and intentionally
- They inspire others to do all of the above and pass it forward
To me, they are the finest examples of what an artist can be; someone with a daily devotion, a divine relationship with what they create with their hands, and who make an impact on a wider community. |
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Recall that I was a subject in a documentary "Dilemma of Desire"? It's an exploration of "Cliteracy" and the clash between gender politics and the imperatives of female sexual desire. There are virtual screenings coming up, DO NOT MISS YOUR CHANCE TO SEE ME DIVULGE SECRETS! | | |
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EXTRA NICE THINGS - RUTH ASAWA STAMPS! Since you’re writing postcards to spread some tenderness, support the USPS even further by buying these SICK Ruth Asawa stamps. She's big inspo.
- Thief and The Cobbler is an extremely ambitious and underrated animated feature length film full of incredible drawing and imagination!
- SPEAKING OF SEEDS! The power of a seed is immense - Israeli doctors and scientists have succeeded in germinating a date fruit seed nearly 2,000 years old. *mind explosion*
- Tobi Ngiwe is making amazing art from home, and driving home the truism that BLACK LIVES MATTER. Listen and watch and share.
- Guddamn I love songwriter Kirby, funny and sassy and beautiful!
- Want a cathartic sob? I usually just watch Marina Abramovic have a surprise reunion with her old lover and collaborator decades later at her solo show at the Museum of Modern Art
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That's it! Bless your heart if you read all this. Don't forget to breath and tell someone you love them. If you loved this, will you consider forwarding it to one other person in your life? 'Til next time 😚 |
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