Snow week of February 11, 2010

We will read a couple of cantos in class. You will finish the remainder for homework. By next Monday/Tuesday, you should have read through Canto XI (11). Expect a reading quiz on cantos 1-15 next Wednesday/Thursday.

Also, start thinking about where your contemporary Inferno will take place and who will be your guide. Remember that your narrator is living. You will write in first-person voice. Your guide, however, must be someone who has died.

Locations can and do vary. Pick a place you know or would like to know better. It can even be a local place.

A Matter of Life and Debt - 1 Jan 10 - Part 1

A Matter of Life and Debt - 1 Jan 10 - Part 2

Part 2--and Pilgrim you look good.

"Watching You"--completed November 5, 2009. This is my first completed self-portrait. I did one earlier but ended up "improving it," only to destroy it. I am very satisfied with this one. In addition to my usual materials--colored pencil, oil pastels, oil sticks, and oil paints, I also used a palate knife and even some acrylic paint in a thin tube. My favorite part of the painting is the scarf. I started recreating the scarf I had worn and then, out of the blue, it started changing. I stopped before I went too far and it works! The headscarf I had worn was actually a sarong purchased in Hawaii. The Roman sandals came from my trip to London. The background, of course, is the botanical gardens. And the guy in the background? He was a photographer who was following around a bride-to-be, scoping out places for photo ops on her big day. We kept running into each other and courteously yielding so that we could both get our jobs done. I used the timer to take my own pictures and did not realize that he was in the background of one of the photos (in a slightly different location and wearing different colors) until I went to edit them.

Petersburg Art Show and a first place award

I won first place at the Petersburg Regional Art Center's monthly show for my portrait of Deacon McCommodore Charles. The painting is called "Pilgrim Soul," a take-off of a Yeats poem and the fact that Deacon Charles is the longest standing member of Pilgrim Baptist Church. I also have a show at the Petersburg Regional Art Center--132 N. Sycamore St. Opening tonight, October 9, 7 p.m.

New Painting and Opening Reminder

"Her Praise"

I named another one after a Yeats poem. It's Renee and Alkendrick again. I signed that I had finished it in July, but when I brought it to church on Sunday, I saw a couple of things that needed fixing.

I hope to bring it to the show on Thursday (Frame Warehouse--Libbie Place at Libbie and Broad, between 5 and 8 p.m.) The other paintings will be up for at least two months.

Change on Date of Opening Announcement

Hi Everyone!

Recently, I have been giving people the wrong date for my opening at the Frame Warehouse (next to the Vitamin Shop atLibbie Place Shopping Center--Libbie & Broad). It will be on Thursday, August 6th, 2009 between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Please come if you can.

Art Show at the Frame Warehouse

July 15, 2009

My recent body of works have related to the Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens, so I thought it only appropriate to do a "self-portrait"--in the photographic medium--there. As you can see, I had some fun.

In addition, you can see my newest painting of my new friends, Renee and Alkendrick. Renee recently gave birth to Alkendrick III, and both mother and baby are healthy and happy. I hope to take the couple back to the gardens soon.

I think I'll call this painting "First Love," after a poem by William Butler Yeats. I also like the ambiguity of the name. "First Love" could refer to the relationship between the couple. Or it could refer to the love for the child that is to come.

The poem is not a particularly happy one--like many of Yeats' poems related to Maud Gonne--but the title is still appropriate for my subject. You might notice that poetry has inspired the renaming of a few other paintings.

Art Show in July

I do not have an opening date yet, but some of my work is currently hanging at Frame Warehouse in Libbie Place (Libbie and Broad--across from the Barnes and Noble and Pet Smart stores). I'll let you know when the opening will be. I'm still working on a piece that I hope to include.

La Niña de las Orquídeas.

I took Raquee to the botanical gardens on what must have been the coldest day in January. It's okay, I told her, we'll just spend most of our time in the orchid garden. It's always summer there.

 Most of the pictures were taken there and the portrait at the top of the page comes from one of those photographs. I just came up with a name for the painting today (May 27, 2009)--with the help of my Spanish-teacher friend, Donna Bennington. I asked for a Spanish name in part to honor President Obama's choice of an Hispanic Supreme Court Justice nominee--Sonia Sotomayor. 

The painting's name is La Niña de las Orquídeas. Or "Girl of the Orchids." I have just been teaching the poetry of Neruda and Lorca and Lorca uses a great deal of flower imagery, particularly camellias and orchids. Not only was Raquee a lovely subject in her blue-and-white floral dress, but she was also wonderful company. 

Even though she was only eight years old, she knew all about how to act. We spent around forty-five minutes in the library, filled mostly with senior citizens. Raquee and I looked at a book on Japanese gardens. We whispered about the various pictures, and I explained to her what words like "asymmetrical" meant. 

Raquee told me that the garden cafe served "the best chicken-salad sandwich I have ever had in my entire life." I brought her home later that day. As she got out of the car, she said, "and this has been the best day of my entire life." It doesn't get any better than that. Raquee videotaped some of the images from Easter Sunday. I have yet to upload those to youTube yet, maybe because she also took some images of me. I'm used to being behind the camera, not in front of it.

Pilgrim Soul, a Portrait of Deacon McCommodore Charles

The image directly above is a picture of the portrait I did of Deacon McCommodore Charles. You can also find his words of wisdom and his stories on youTube. When you get there, just type in: cynthialosen

Inspired by William Butler Yeats’ beautiful poem, “When You are Old,” I renamed the portrait of Deacon Charles, “Pilgrim Soul” because it is the best description of this ordained Deacon and most long-standing member of Pilgrim Baptist Church. It is also one of Yeats’ lovelier and happier love poems to Maud Gonne.

When You are Old

When you are old and grey and full of sleep,

And nodding by the fire, take down this book,

And slowly read, and dream of the soft look

Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;

How many loved your moments of glad grace,

And loved your beauty with love false or true,

But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,

And loved the sorrows of your changing face;

And bending down beside the glowing bars,

Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled

And paced upon the mountains overhead

And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.

Self-Portrait with Aspiring Photographer at Church

This young man, Nicholas, seemed enchanted with my cameras. Nicholas talked me into using the camera's timer (something I had not done since I finished my photography class, and a reminder that if you don't use it, you lose it) and taking a picture of the two of us. Unfortunately, and because I was out of practice, I forgot to set it for indoor light, so it turned out a little orange and it is a little blurry. Photoshop helped a little, however.

I am drawn to certain faces and I remember Nicholas' face as one of the ones I photographed in those first two or three weeks of my attendance.

This photograph was taken when we were celebrating "Black History Month," and, more specifically, "Black History Sunday 2009."

Story of Chelsea Hill

I moved this information today, so that the blog would start here.

When I first seriously took up painting—about 8 years ago, I began with a portrait of Patrick, a friend dying of AIDS. I followed with portraits of literary and historical heroes—namely, William Shakespeare, Virginia Woolf, Collette, and Maud Gonne.

As I struggled with something I was writing one day, I gazed up at the paintings around my desk. I became conscious of how my colors and lines resembled the stained-glass windows from my Irish-Catholic childhood. I’ve surrounded myself with saints, I thought. Inspired, I finished an essay that would culminate in a National Endowment for the Humanities award to study Irish mythology at Harvard University.

I don’t consider myself a writer or an artist as much as a senachie (SHAW– nah-kee)—Irish for “Storyteller.” There are several in every Irish or Irish-American family. We’re always looking for an audience; we can’t help it. Everything I paint comes from a significant experience. Each painting has a long story behind it.

This story began as an article for the Regional Governors’ Schools’ annual newsletter. Our students had renovated a playground in Whitcomb Court, an area of the city with historically high crime rates. Uncomfortable with exploring on foot, I looked for a church as a segue into the community. Pilgrim Baptist Church stands at the corner of Whitcomb and Mecklenberg Streets, across the street from Magnolia Gardens, a public housing community. Three years ago, a woman was murdered there, within hours of Sunday school and practically in front of the church. I saw Pastor Moore’s name on the sign outside and wrote it down. When he returned my call, he said he did not think he could help me with the story. Pilgrim, founded in 1909, used to be a neighborhood church, the one at the top of one of Richmond’s seven hills, this one called Chelsea Hill.

Many of Pilgrim’s members no longer live in the adjacent neighborhood because many of the homes on Chelsea Hill were torn down in the late 1950s in order to make room for Whitcomb Court, Mosby Court, Magnolia Gardens, and the now defunct juvenile-justice facility that stands where the church used to stand.

Some of the older members of Pilgrim remain in what was probably the city’s first African-American--then referred to as “Negro”-- subdivision, Eastview, erected in 1954. Many of these residents either went to college or sent their children through college. Postal workers (many of them veterans of World War II and Korea) and teachers predominated. Many members live in other areas of the city or even the counties, scattered by the winds of “progress,” which was a nice word city officials used back then to cover up their racist intentions, intentions that were fueled by the impending reality of the Brown vs. the Board of Education decision.

Among the actions taken was the building of multiple public housing communities (segregated—whites were sent to the south side) and the juvenile justice facility. Erected in 1960, the courthouse and its housing units have been closed for 8 or 9 years. Pastor Moore, who is also a prison chaplain, and therefore has a lot of credibility, told me that the church had purchased the property with the intention of turning it into a community outreach center, one that would address the great needs of this area—for members and non-members alike. That sparked my interest.

“ I don’t know why,” I said, “but I still want to come to services on Sunday.” Pastor Moore called back the day before I was to come and I feared that he had changed his mind. Instead, he asked about the spelling of my last name. As it turned out, Pastor Moore had been a student of Dr. Carl Losen, my father-in-law, who taught for years at Virginia Union University. Carl had also been his academic advisor.

Besides Pastor Moore, the first person I spoke to at length was Mary Charles. She started talking about what the area used to be like, telling me about the house where she grew up and the church that used to stand where the defunct juvenile center now stands.

Then I met McCommodore (Mac) Charles, Mary’s older brother. As it turned out, Mac and Mary are related to a colleague, Irvin Charles, head of security at my school.

I started coming to church every week, and usually took pictures of various events. I even attended meetings of the Elizabeth Project, a program for pregnant teens.

The more I got to know people, the more I came to love them, and the more I learned about a history that has been largely ignored. Formal research has led to some amazing discoveries—confirmed in the stories I have begun digitally audio-recording and transcribing. I’m not sure when I will find the time, but I plan to write a book about this place.

The paintings just kind of happened, as they always do. I have taken well over 7,000 digital photos, and only 10 have translated into paintings—so far.

Because of the storytelling element, the titles are nearly as important as the subjects themselves. I tried to explain the reason behind some of those names here. Some titles are inspired by a subject’s name; others are inspired by the action. Several have Biblical allusions; one, “Covenant,” was inspired by a Sunday School lesson.

All but three paintings that have been entered into a show has won a prize—from honorable mentions to first place. As I have been transformed, so has my work.

This community has an amazing story to tell—one of strength, endurance, love, and forgiveness. Like Irish-American families, African-American families have plenty of storytellers and the stories are great—full of pathos but also full of humor.

And now some of these stories can be told by images. Committed Baptists refer to themselves as saints, and saints deserve an audience. Look at the images, look for the stories, and let them transform you as they have transformed me.

Petersburg Art Show

I'm trying to get a video loaded. Let's see if we can make it work:

Petersburg Art Show November 14-January 5

I didn't have as many as I had hoped to have, but managed to fill in the gaps with some old stuff. It's at the Petersburg Regional Art Center--the Old Butterworth's Furniture on Sycamore Street.

Here is a slightly blurred photo of my newest--sent to the printer's when it was still wet. I also did a photographic "Portrait of the Artist." The painting with the girls is titled "Goddesses of the Rose Garden."

As of July, 2009, I changed the name of this painting to "Tir-nan-Og"--Irish for "Country of the Young." Tir-nan-Og is a place visited by the Irish hero, Oisin (pronounced OO-sheen), when he married the lovely and immortal Niamh (pronounced NEE-ahv). Residents of Tir-nan-Og are young and beautiful forever. There are no wars. There is no sickness. There is plenty of love, beauty, music, harmony, and dancing. No one suffers. Tir-nan-Og is what the botanical gardens express, and that expression is enhanced by these lovely young ladies, made immortal in my photographs and in this recent painting.

November Art Show--Update as of October 19, 2008

I have an upcoming show at the Petersburg Art Center. It will open on November 14th and be up until January 5th.  So far, I only have four paintings. I have two that are in the works and am hoping to have them done on time. 

Right now I'm working on a painting of the three beautiful little girls that I saw when I was at Lewis Ginter with my good friend, Deacon McCommodore Charles and his daughter, Diane.  I took some great portraits of each of them and the two of them together.  McCommodore turned 84 just a couple of weeks ago.  He's one of the smartest and wisest and most spiritual people I have ever known.  He's also a born story-teller.

I saw these girls standing in front of the rose garden. I asked the woman accompanying them if I could take their pictures. Ever since I attended the journalism conference at VCU back in 2006, I have always asked.  I am always grateful when people say yes. 

The painting is about three-quarters done. I plan to call it by the same name as my show--"Goddesses of the Garden."  

"Tropical Garden"

This painting came from a visit to the garden with fourteen-year-old twins Sydney and Shertoria. Initially, I painted them in the colors of the clothing they wore that day, but I decided that there was too much pink. So I changed Sydney's shirt to more of a light magenta and Shertoria's to a warm light yellow. Not only are the girls pretty and photogenic, but they were also delightful company.

"Madonna of the Orchid Garden"

This is another painting from the series of photographs I took of Shantel and Baby Destiny, who is about to or has recently turned one.

"Waterlilies"

I just finished this painting on Friday, July 18, 2008 (I made changes today). It comes from a photograph session at the botanical gardens with Zhaniya and her grandmother, Valerie. Zhaniya was a great model and both Valerie and I had a great time watching her perform. She garnered an audience of her own when she picked up a hoola-hoop. Later, Valerie and I rested in the shade as Zhaniya ran through the water at the water-park part of the children's garden.

Shantel & Destiny at the Botanical Gardens

First, notice that I made a change in my previous blog. It was Kim who saved the brochure for the Lilly Oncology on Canvas contest.

Now, for this painting: Shantel, Destiny, and I went to the Botanical Gardens on June 30th and this is one of the paintings that resulted. I expect I'll get more out of that one visit. They are lovely subjects. Shantel turned eighteen the next day. Little Destiny will be a year old in August. Both Shantel and Destiny have sweet dispositions and are easy to photograph as well as paint. I completed the painting (except for fixative) on July 8, 2008.

On Wednesday, July 2, I took Valerie Battle and her beautiful grandaughter, Zhanyah there. I'm working on a painting of Zhanyah now.