Artwork & Play: history

Each year we hear that heavy phrase on this day, and it brings images of Shakespeare's mysterious soothsayer warning Caesar of his impending doom.This is probably where the superstition came from that it was an unlucky day, which brings me to this awesome Books by Her Side bauble featuring the Cassius line to Brutus:

Books By Her Side on Etsy

But every March 15th, I've always thought more about Brutus.

This is probably due to the influence of Shakespeare's work, as Brutus is essentially the protagonist of this work.

This TED Ed animation is actually a perfect illustration of my mood when I think of Brutus.

Here's a fun, brief history of the Roman empire and Julius Caesar's role in it, if you'd like to learn more.

Even if the Roman patricians are technically like the current oligarchy, you have to admit that plebeian voting is a better deal than a militarized emperor.

Anywho-

No matter what your political leanings may be,

enjoy these finds and then make sure to

do your stabbing with a pen, on the ballot, in the voting booth this year.

Click here to see these items on Etsy.

Beware the Ides of March.

An Owl Furze Wisdom

Most of you know I love painting animals not only for their beauty and unique characters but also for their interesting and rich symbolism.
I'm sure you also know that most plants and trees have an abundance of historical meanings, as well.

In my latest watercolor, I have paired the wisdom and intelligence we associate with the owl to the gorse, or furze tree.

: Work in progress.

This shrub, or hedge tree, is also sometimes called furze and is native to Europe and northwest Africa.
The bright yellow blossoms have a very long flowering season.
Between all of the different species of gorse, there will most always be sunny flowers to admire, hence the saying,
"When gorse is out of blossom, kissing's out of fashion".

The gorse has many layers of symbolism.
I won't bore you with more dry botany facts, but it's a fascinating plant and understanding its history and many facets can help you understand why it represents so many different things. Look it up sometime. :)

Here's a quick rundown of the powers or the furze;
Intelligence, protection, healing, love, vibrancy, light, industry, independence, fertility, symbiosis, intuition, hope, courage.

: 12" x 16",
Watercolor on Arches Cold Press

While the furze does represent intelligence (because yellow is the color of the intellect), I choose the gorse blossom because its meaning is so much deeper.

Wisdom is not intelligence quotient.
Wisdom is a culmination of the head, heart, body, and soul.
Wisdom is discerning when to use what and just how much.

Just like most of my paintings, it was a personal reminder to seek balance and nature is where I find it most. :)

Kiss Me, I’m Irish (sort of)

I’ve added another wet one to my watercolor kiss series as my annual March/ St. Patrick’s Celtic tribute.

The popular colloquialism actually stems from the legend of the Blarney stone.
The ‘Cloch na Blarnan’ is a stone built into the battlements of Castle Blarney in County Cork, Ireland. Kissing this stone is said to endow one with the gift of gab (excellence in flattery and persuasiveness).
The legends are varied and many regarding the stone’s origins, but one says that Cormac MacCarthy, the castle’s builder, asked the Irish goddess Clíodhna to help him win a lawsuit. She told him to kiss the first stone he found in the morning on his way to court. He did so, and won his case very successfully. He then placed the stone into the parapet of the Blarney castle. There are other legends that attribute the stone to the Holy Land, but the first legend has more of a Celtic flair, so that’s the one I’ll stick to. As a sidenote, the staff at Blarney castle believe a witch saved from drowning told the MacCarthy family about the stone’s power.

Kiss Me
Watercolor

Whatever the source of its power, heads of state, literary giants, and Hollywood stars have gone to Ireland to plant one on a rock with the hopes of being supernaturally blessed with great eloquence. Millions of people from around the world have traveled to Cork to kiss the famous stone. If someone mentioned wanting to kiss the legendary stone, an Irish person would jokingly say, “Kiss me, I’m Irish”.

That’s how the phrase, and its proliferation, began. Whether from the mouth of a full-blooded Irish citizen, or a tipsy lass whose great, great grandmother was from Ireland, <em>sort of</em>, those words are now part of our vernacular, and we love ‘em. Even if you aren’t Irish, who could blame you for saying that bit of ‘blarney’ to get a kiss?

The colors of this kiss painting represent the national flag of Ireland;
Green represents the Gaelic tradition of Ireland, orange represents the protestant followers of William of Orange, and the white middle bar is the hope for peace between them.

The original watercolor painting has already been spoken for,

but you can order a hand signed print by clicking the buy now button below,

Until next time~

It's in the eyes...but why?

I am not a girly girl.

I went to a make up party.

I felt somewhat out of place and awkward. The products were actually pretty cool,

But why do we wear this stuff?

Details and some nerdy science and history stuff below.

I used a fancy mascara.

Nefertiti bust ~1320 BC (3,334 years ago) with eyeliner applied

This post is about make up, and I know very little about actual cosmetics. I can apply them when I need to. Color is color, and I'm decent at painting. (I'm just not too fond of spending precious time on my face when there's so much other stuff to do.) I've owned the same eyeliner for several years.

(Gross, I know. I'll go throw it away, now.---- Okay. Done.)

I do, however, find it really fascinating that we have painted our faces for millennia.

In fact, it's impossible for me to write about a make up party without throwing in some nerdy stuff. So...

Margaret Keane, Dewdrops

Even though many desired physical traits are societal in nature, the science of what we find attractive is usually fairly simple. Clear, even skin. Waist-to-hip ratio. Youthfulness. Lustrous hair. Yadda, yadda, yadda. Certain features indicate health, and we are more likely to be attracted to a mate that possesses those features to create more little humans. Those same tiny little humans are born with tiny little heads and huge eyes, proportionately speaking.

Therefore, we love most things, and people, with big ol' eyeballs. It's programmed into our DNA.

It has big eyes?! Let me love it and hold it and take care of it forever!!!!! Amirite?

Powdered eyeliner, or kohl, was used in many ancient cultures, including Egypt and Mesopotamia, for several purposes. These included protection from the elements, that nasty old "evil eye", and for personal adornment. From the vikings to ancient Indians, people began applying kohl to theirs (and children's) eyes almost from birth. Kohl was made with lead sulfide and was smeared around the eye and eyelashes. It was like an eyeliner mascara combo that made the eyes "pop" and could protect you and either aid your immune system by stimulating the production of nitric oxide or slowly give you lead poisoning depending on the mixtures used. Tricky stuff.

But keep in mind, eyelashes are not a secondary sex trait. Females do not have longer or thicker lashes than males.

Because no eyeliner post is complete without Prince.

So why do women still cake on layers of mascara? Fast forward a few thousand years to 1913 where chemist T.L. Williams concocts a mixture of petroleum jelly and charcoal and markets it to ladies. Boom. Easy, sexy lashes without the lead. Making the eyelashes appear darker and longer giving the appearance of bigger eyes.

I admit mascara makes eyes look cool. I love lashes, and I especially love incorporating them into my watercolor paintings. I do not love mascara. There is nothing magical about sticking a wand near my eyeball. The faces I make when applying eye make up are totally crazy.

On top of my aversion to objects near my eyeball and spending time painting my face, I'm highly sensitive to smell. To me, (most) mascara has a strong chemical odor. I've tried natural mascaras, and for some reason they smell even worse. Then, there's always those awesome raccoon eyes. Waterproof mascara helps with that, but then my lashes fall out in clumps. Not cool.

When I was invited to this make up party that was actually centered around mascara, I was very wary. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love the lady that invited me. She's a fellow artist and she's a pretty rad person all around. I just wasn't sure about the whole make up thing.

I showed up to the Younique party and was met by this lovely spread.

Bold color was everywhere.

After some noshing and awkward introductions (I'm terrible like that), I began to wander around the product tables that Aimée had set up. I wasn't really prepared for the plethora of products, just the number of eyeshadow pigments alone was insane.
I quickly confirmed with Aimée that all of the products are cruelty free and vegan
(because bunnies are cute enough!) before I began testing any of the pretties.

While Aimée was giving the party host the whole work up makeover shebang, I tried some of the products. The lip liners were pretty amazing. That photo of my hand is after two hand washes with soap. It probably stayed on for another 2 or 3 washes. If I could be more decisive and pick a color, I'd definitely use that stuff.

The star of the night, Younique 3D mascara, was a little weird at first.

I was sort of freaked out by the word fibers. (The image of fiberglass insulation came to mind.)

I soon learned they are actually made from green tea fibers. No glass.*sigh of relief*

It's a three step process.

You apply a black primer layer, then apply the fibers to the still wet base coat, then you "seal" that layer with another application of the base coat. It's best to do it one eye at a time.

I did one full layer of the mascara, and it didn't feel heavy like falsies do but looked very dramatic.

(I successfully wore fake lashes and full make up on my wedding day, but was lucky enough to have a make-up artist bff to apply them.)

The fiber lashes are not waterproof, but I like this. It came off easily when I washed my face in the shower. (To be totally honest, that was the next morning. I do not remove make up before sleeping. I know that's just terrible, but on the bright side, I did not have raccoon eyes.)

Here's a few pics of the ladies that tried the fiber mascara. The top two have one coat, the bottom two have one coat on only one eye, the other eye has regular mascara.

I might not wear much make up, but there were several things about that night that I can get behind.

Animal testing is just plain silly, and I'm happy to support a product that uses cruelty-free, natural ingredients. I'm also happy to support a good lady that has found a venture she's really into and is helping to support her family after going through a year I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.

Our lovely party hostess after her Younique makeover.

The Younique 3D mascara is now in my bathroom, and I've actually used it a few times. I'm happy to announce it was way easier than gluing my eyelids together trying to use falsies.

All in all, that night was much more fun than I thought it would be.

I'm usually more comfortable with a group that I know or sitting home alone shopping online, so I think the virtual party and ordering online would be more my speed if I wasn't invited by a host I know.

If you want to organize your own party or browse her site, you can find Aimée here.

https://www.youniqueproducts.com/beyoutiful/business

(Here's her awesome mug and right eye all fiber lashed up.)

I wonder if ancient Egyptians gathered together to swap kohl mixing recipes and application techniques...

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Paris for Devils' Night with Les Gobelins?

Hello, boys & ghouls! It's almost All Hallows' Eve, and that means Devil's night is upon us.

Head over to Patreon to read more about Les Gobelins of Paris and see how you can get a download or a pdf printable of the line work to paint as you choose.

Beware the Ides of March

Beware the Ides of March

An Owl Furze Wisdom

Kiss Me, I’m Irish (sort of)

It's in the eyes...but why?