A Month of Strings 2

I’m still trying to come to terms with the health scare.

Patience - unavailable
Patience – unavailable

I micromanaged every move for fear it would be my last. I thought about a journal I’ve lost touch with, a girl who wrote about the “indignity of death.” How is she? Where is she? I cleaned my room because no one should have to clean it up. I started to take out the trash but I was tired. Then I thought, if I won’t be here tomorrow I should turn off the heat, ya know? I thought about doing my hair then realized it wouldn’t matter. I never thought, I need to throw away this or that so no one finds it.

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Some Things Aren’t Easy to Look At

Ariel knew d1 They just aren’t, some issues are so frightening that even in the line of the sun they are still pitch black, still frightening.

When I painted this child, I did so with full knowledge that she may not sell. I have a problem though, I can’t paint gentle art if that’s not what’s inside. So I did what I do. I painted what I know.

Little Ariel knew it would rain. How does a person with Fibromyalgia and /or Lupus know it’ll rain even without turning on the weather report? Our bones tell us. The pain level shoots up high. Our eye sight is affected. Our fingers, lips and toes get cold. The pain level shoots up so high and so fast that it’ll double the body over. What’s interesting to me is that I’m caught off guard every time.

I hold my side. I’m bending down, seconds from loosing lunch, but it hasn’t clicked. I don’t understand what’s happening to my body. When I try to get to the car I see its sprinkling, raining or even light snow. Now it makes sense. Finally I realize the weather system has changed  and that has affected my pain, my complexion, fingers, lips, eyes and my ability to think rationally. It’s as if I’ve been sucked in and can’t see my way out….  but not so fast. I can see my way out. Continue reading “Some Things Aren’t Easy to Look At”

The Hide and A Little While Longer

il_570xN.790567381_6p5vI look at the drawing called “The Hide” and question how much I should reveal concerning it’s symbolism. I’m sure if viewed long enough it will interpret itself without me or anyone else having uttered a word. However, if one word were to wrap up how I felt as the ink crossed on paper, that word would be vulnerable. Vulnerable is the dominant emotion felt when I display art that expresses Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Dissociative Identity Disorder.

My heart sinks with each intricate line that builds a fortress from the inside out. Figure after figure emerges with each level of lines. Though the staircase would appear to lead down to the central black figure, in my mind it leads up. The figure is in a fortress of her own making, and that fortress is….. I’m not sure how to end the sentence.

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Vibrant Sunflower. Graceful. Intimate

il_570xN.822739748_622vI’m trying to describe an art piece that is currently untitled. When I look at the piece I see Sundrip “signatures” such as edge to edge figures and a massive amount of detail and color. With signatures in place, does this art differ from the other work I’ve done? First and foremost, I know I created this work with the same purpose as most others; art is my one of my main coping skills.

Although there are numerous faceless figures, they all appear to be interacting peacefully. At least two groups are intimately engaged. To the left of the central figure, there’s a couple that appear to be dancing. To the far right there is a couple embracing as they look over their child who is reaching up to them. In every scene there is movement free of disparity and emotional struggle. Despite the Sundrip signature, this piece stands out as different than the others. Continue reading “Vibrant Sunflower. Graceful. Intimate”

What Remains – Surrealism and Recovery

What Remains fmaWhen I painted this piece I wasn’t necessarily thinking about natural disasters such as a hurricane, tsunami or an earthquake. I was thinking of the disasters of the mind. I was thinking about events that leave us feeling crippled and isolated.

What Remains is a painting with many brush strokes, strikes with a toothpick and with black ink. Everywhere you look there is something filling the space. It’s full, overwhelming the canvas with flowing color, splashing contrast and texture that digs at the heart of the matter.

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The Growing Process

Growing ProcessArt Title: The Growing Process
Art by: Faith M. Austin
Medium: Acrylic, ink on artist paper, size 8.5 x 5.5 , signed, sealed, unmounted.
The Growing Process is ready to ship today.

Monday afternoon I showed a friend this painting. He said,
“She looks sad”. I replied, “You would be too if you had the weight of the world on your shoulders.”

Yes, she does look sad, and yes great responsibilities are hers. There’s a lot riding on her actions or inaction. However, she has not given up, nor has she slowed the growing process. Continue reading “The Growing Process”

Gloria – The Other Child

Gloria ( Éponine ) fmaArt Title: Gloria
Art by: Faith Magdalene Austin
Size: 5.5 × 8.5
Medium artists paper, Crayola Crayon, ink
signed on the front and back, heat sealed but no acrylic seal.

NOTE: The watermark lines that go through her face are not on the original painting.

The character Éponine is my second favorite character in Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables. For me, she stands for every person who has fallen just a few inches short of glory. She’s the most obvious choice because she’s been there from the beginning but the other person can’t see. Her love is loyal yet silent. She is heroic, selfless and always second.

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The compliment

What is the best compliment you’ve ever gotten about your work?

I purchased your art for an unborn child. It’s her first art piece.

It gave me shivers and touched me deeply enough to make tears fall. Someone thought well enough of my art to make it a present for a child unborn. Does it get better than that? I’m not sure it does.

incredible image! so good its frightening!

That’s the kind of comment that tells me others speak my language. I said in color what I needed to say, and the viewer heard me.

Faith

Bruised Reed

Bruised Reed
Bruised Reed

When I posted this work on Etsy where I offer original art, I got a comment from another artist that really made me smile. Right away that artist recognized from where I got the phrase, “bruised reed.” I was surprised by that but it was a welcome surprise.

Her face is striking; I know.
She pulls at the heart; I know.
She’s stripped to the bone.
She’s bruised but not broken.

Art Title: Bruised Reed
Art by: Faith Magdalene Austin
Size and Medium: black ink, strikes of color on light grain sketchbook paper. 4.5 × 7, signed, sealed, mounted. * SOLD *

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Bruised Reed 2

 Reed II
Reed II

Art Title: Reed II
Art by: Faith Magdalene Austin
Medium: black ink, acrylic paint, light card stock paper 4 x 7 , signed, mounted, raw unsealed.

Details: Blue, yellow, orange, headdress, large eyes, strikes of paint, finger paint, complex simplicity.

Please see sidebar for purchase options in my Etsy shop.

Faith