To wrinkle... or not

journal page - 4/26/08

Within Us #6

From the wrinkle between my brows
You watch till day breaks
On my face

The waxen night
Is beginning to singe
The fingers of dawn

Black bricks
Have already tiled
The whole dome of the sky

- Vasko Popa (1922 - 1991)

After a long, delightful, but sometimes stressful week, I am almost finished with a painting I started weeks and weeks ago. I took a break from the big work this afternoon to paint a bit in my journal, hoping I would end up with something I could post for this week's Illustration Friday topic - wrinkles. I don't have much to say about wrinkles... I have a few I call dear friends and some I wish would disappear... but like everything else I have collected along the way, they are markers of where and who I've been. Even so, all that came to mind was the seemingly constant warning I got from my grandmother when I was a child - don't frown; you'll get wrinkles! It must have made quite an (ahem) impression on me, because to this day, I really do avoid frowning as much as possible! Somehow I got it fixed in my head that if I frowned or scowled too often, my face would freeze in that expression. So, I looked for inspiration elsewhere, and went with a wrinkle-free interpretation.

How cunningly nature hides every wrinkle of her inconceivable antiquity under roses and violets and morning dew! - Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882)

P.S. -  Please accept my invitation to stop by Wings 4 You Coaching and participate in my Weekly Wings challenges.  There's a new challenge posted each Sunday.  I'd love to have you along on the journey!

Comments

[studio lolo]

What beautiful, warm summery colors! I love the quotes you've chosen as well as your own wise words. Wonderful post!

[Chris]

I love the colors and the background pattern. Really nice work.

[andrea]

The colours are delicious and I can't imagine wrinkles on any of your women. They all look like fashion models with soul.

[carra]

Wow, this is powerful! You'd better not mess with this woman.
Love,
Carra

[Angela]

Beautiful painting!! I love the warm colors. :)

[Mick Mather]

I rather prefer women with a few wrinkles and and as many years as I have myself. It's usually said about men, I think, that we don't grow older, we get more distinguished ... well, for me, it's the same for the women I know; the wrinkles and the sands of time are meaningless. While the subject of your painting here is youthful, this is the way I see the women that I'm close to and, just as many that I'm not!

[AscenderRisesAbove]

your art is taking on a 3-d characteristic.
how ever do you get any art done with all the work and coaching you provide?

[kj]

haha! i remember hearing someone say along the way:

be careful: by the time you're fifty you get the face you deserve

i want my face to mostly be easy-going....

:)

[Shayla]

I'm especially taken with the honeysuckle-like pattern. It lends quite an exotic/ethnic look as do her eyes.

[andrea]

Love the warmth in this painting. The oranges and apricot colors are so alive. You have a wonderful talent to bring elements in nature and figures together.
Beautiful.
a.

[Ellen Byrne]

Where, oh where do you find the time to do all this fabulous, beautiful stuff?!!!

[Ginger Pixels]

This beautiful, thoughtful and warm painting has such an interesting quality. Those eyes are hiding a secret I am sure, and that skin, although it may eventually show a wrinkle or two will always have that wonderful goddess glow.

[toni]

What warm beautiful colors Carla. Before you know it summer will be here with less stress and wrinkles. ;)

[johanna]

oh wow! very pretty! and such good advice :-)

[Denise]

My mum has frown lines permanantly etched on her brow from the summer of 76 so she is less than sympethic about the fine lines I'm getting! Whenever I feel myself frowning the thought of those lines gets me changing my expression!

[forever young]

your art is so refreshing and vibrant, and there is nothing wrinkled about you! am still working at my challenges. hugs and wfs.

[Tony LaRocca]

You have such talent and a command of light and shading. Love it.

[valgalart]

My wrinkles are my friends :) my stepmother told me if i kept an even temprament i would have less wrinkles... Your beautiful lady is sunshine!!!

[Susan Tuttle]

Hi Carla,
The colors in this piece are so juicy and vibrant - I am so drawn to her dress and the blue hues you wove into it.

Here's to wrinkles!

Susan
xo

[Valaine]

Gorgeous!! I love these bold colors. You really help me so much. Everytime I visit I leave with something great in mind :)

Hope you don't mind but I tagged you :) If you you want you can check out my blog to see what it is all about.

[kateri]

Oh do wrinkles really exist? maybe I prefer to just not see them ;) She is gorgeous, wrinkles or no wrinkles...and such vibrant colours :) xo

[laura tm]

Lovely thoughts and journal entry Carla, and yes wrinkles in life are inevitable. Wrinkles add character and personality - at least I like to think of it that way :)

Off to visit your coaching blog....

Take care,
Laura

[Charlie]

Your painting is beautiful. Looks like a self portrait. I have decided I've earned my wrinkles and so be it. They are not going away no matter how much cream or serum I use. But your grandmothers advice is a good one to remember.

[Aravis]

I frown in thought more than from emotion, and so I've come to realize that I have frown lines, although not too noticeable yet, and I really am quick to laugh. :0)

This is a lovely painting. Hard to imagine her with wrinkles, but I suspect her wrinkles would merely show character and a visual marker of a life well-lived.

Beautiful color choices as well.

[Loni Edwards]

This is so lovely! You do very nice work!