Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Bohemian Romance




I was thinking of putting together an event, a boutique art sale type of thing. So I googled "Bohemian Romance" since that's the sort of style I'm looking at putting together, and I found these gorgeous images....Enjoy!




I'm not sure that this is exactly the Bohemian Romance style I have in mind...but I love how cute and funky it is...




Please contact me if you're interested in participating in my yet unplanned event :)
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By the way, I love her combinations of style and color...I'm totally inspired to create some paintings based on her vignettes!


Posted by femme hesse at 12:44 PM 0 comments  

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Saturday, April 24, 2010

La Divina


I don't really know much about Opera. I can't even honestly say I like the opera. I do, however, love the arias (I think that's what they're called) and I admire the passion behind the music.




Maria Callas as a performer was so amazing. I just finished watching a few youtube videos of her performances and WOW! The range of emotions executed with such fluid grace is heavenly. She is most worthy of the title La Divina.




Five years ago, my daughter and I went to a play written by Terrence McNally, entitled "Master Class". The plot synopsis is as follows:

"At its core is diva Maria Callas, a glamorous, commanding, larger-than-life, caustic, and surprisingly drop-dead funny pedagogue of a voice master class. Alternately dismayed and impressed by the students who parade before her, she retreats into recollections about the glories of her own life and career. Included in her musings are her younger years as an ugly duckling, her fierce hatred of her rivals, the unforgiving press that savaged her early performances, her triumphs at La Scala, and her affair with Aristotle Onassis. It all culminates into a monologue about sacrifice taken in the name of art." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_Class

I had no idea how much of an impact this play had on my daughter who was 17 at the time. Though she was already involved in the musical programs in high school, she was moved to study classical voice in college as a result of this introduction to La Divina.

>



–”I am not an angel and do not pretend to be. That is not one of my roles. But I am not the devil either. I am a woman and a serious artist, and I would like so to be judged.” Maria Callas

Posted by femme hesse at 10:25 AM 2 comments  

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Thursday, April 22, 2010

The Voice


There is a little theme that seems to play in the background of my life. It's about finding our voice. Literally, figuratively, personally, etc. Here's a thought, maybe it's true, maybe not. Women had to shut up for a good while when the patriarchal society was established. I'm no expert on history mind you. Feminism, women's studies, well, like I say I'm no expert. Still, there's something about my own life, my own story that needs telling and I'm still looking for my voice. Somehow I'm connected to all women past and present and I want to sum it all up in a profound beautiful artistic way. I'm still struggling with the big picture.

"He's comin' in for the kill like I knew he would. I'm not gonna run even if I should. Little does he know I'm ready for the duel, I've gathered all my strength but I won't be cruel. He's callin' on a god that he's always known, makes ya kinda sad that he has not grown. I wanna' introduce him to a foreign lullaby, take him to a place where it's safe to cry...and bleed bleed heart bleed. Bleed bleed heart bleed. Follow me down to the bottom of the deep blue sea.

The ladies up above seem to need a voice. The patriarchal times left them with no choice. Fueling the aroma of a dead man's soul, hard to comprehend the color of control. I saddle up my mule and I hit the road, a few of us still lookin for the mother lode. Bring along a potion to reveal the way, an atlas of the world if you decide to stay...and bleed, bleed heart bleed. Bleed, bleed heart bleed. Follow me down to the bottom of the deep blue sea.

We were mermaids once upon a time. A deeper shade of blue aquatic dancers. Can't go back to what we left behind. Do the stars above contain all the answers?

They found him on the beach washed ashore they said. A garland made of pearls wrapped around his head. Standing in the distance you could see here there. A melancholy smile and a vacant stare...oh bleed, bleed heart bleed. Bleed, bleed heart bleed. Follow me down to the bottom of the deep blue sea." Words and music by Susan Brown

This painting is a tribute to Maria Callas...though it certainly doesn't capture her true beauty...

Posted by femme hesse at 9:12 PM 0 comments  

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Making a Difference....

Sometimes I forget what's important...I wish life would just come at me a little different than it does. The reality though is that life isn't a tidy little package that suits my every mood.

Where am I going with this? Well, heck I don't know. What's a blog for? I'm thinking it needs to be more than just a place where I post pretty pictures. I want to move and inspire others. So, even though I don't have lots of readers, I will try to bring something to the table that is...valuable.

Making a difference is important to me. I have a cousin, his name is Ray, and he has been in prison most of his adult life. He had a little penchant for burglary. He loved to break in houses and steal their valuables. From the time he was a teen into his early adulthood this was his way.

I don't want to condone what he did, but I want to tell you that he was the sweetest kid you ever could meet! Stealing aside, he had a caring heart.

I haven't seen him since he's been locked up. That's been a little over 30 years! He's been on my mind lately and I've been talking about paying him a visit. I have been attending a seminar series and during the course of this event we were asked to invent the possibility of "making a difference". I realized that I really want to make a difference with the prison system. I want to bring an education to the inmates that will truly "transform" their lives. I honestly know very little about what goes on in these institutions, but it seems clear that they aren't being reformed. Rather, it seems they are breeding more criminals.

I'm choosing to take this on! This is huge, I realize...but I need my life to be about more than just painting pretty pictures. There is another area where I want to make a difference and I will write about that in another post...

Peace and Love,
Susan

Posted by femme hesse at 11:52 AM 0 comments  

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