originally published November 15, 2005.
I’ve basically completed Daisy’s portrait. Of the three done so far, it is probably the most intense. However, I’m beginning to see ways that I might modify the earlier portraits, especially Enid’s which I think now needs to have more quiet space, especially behind the mirrored tiles. This is not hard. Only the size of the file poses a challenge, nearly 2 gb. However, that is do-able.
It was rather exhausting to finish Daisy’s piece, physically and emotionally. Possibly influenced by the downturn in the weather, too. But the piece exhibits a more dramatic range of emotions and experiences than any of the others. Still, it is still a “draft” as far as I’m concerned. And it will require a bit more polish before I’m ready to consider it really “finished”.
I’ve decided to move on to Ida’s portrait next. I was looking for an emotional break. And, despite all of the personal challenges she has faced, Iona has managed to maintain a rather dry wit, a sense of irony in her humor. This was most apparent as she describes the fire that destroyed the house she lived in with the rest of her family that she cared for. No one was hurt but she found herself homeless, hobbling around with a cast on her broken leg (from an earlier incident) with no crutches and no bed. She slept on the floor of friends’ houses, and when she did find work, she was traveling to the ends of several bus lines then “walking” another two miles, all the while hobbling along. She tells this story with a cackling laugh of someone who saw the absolute idiocy of the predicament, yet didn’t lose hope for her future ability to recover from it.
Ida’s photos from her scrapbook and her interest (with samples) in drawing indicate a desire to make a record of her life and its various ups and downs. There is a wonderful lyricism to her photos. It will be interesting to see how this portrait all comes together.
Meanwhile, the weather is wet, cold, and windy. Winter is not far off, hours perhaps. And these days my daughter tans between classes at the University of Hawai’i. No matter what our standing in life, there’s always a place we’d rather be…
The third in the series of “graphic” portraits…
Daisy’s finished portrait
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Mara Jevera Fulmer
Mara Jevera Fulmer's Blog 