I’m revved up and ready to paint.
This time, I’m gonna do my girl, Helen Folasade Adu (a.k.a. Sade) as Goddess Tara.
Once again, I’m using a thangka by an unknown artist as a reference. If the lamas who did these paintings got a paycheck for everytime I copied their work, they’d be very rich men.
The first time I remember drawing this lady was in the car, on a road trip to Texas to attend my cousin’s wedding. I was just turning 9. Anyway, we listened to my sister’s “Stronger Than Pride” cassette a lot on the way there, so I decided to copy the cover of that tape, with the picture of her in a red dress at the beach. Man, I wish I still had that drawing! I can picture it now, in my head. It looked a mess lol…
I’m having soooo much fun drawing this right now. But this is just the beginning. It might take more than a month to finish – there are so many details. Check back to see the progress…
I think I’m ready to start painting now. The drawing part was actually fun and easy. It’s a little asymmetrical because I am lazy and don’t want to use a ruler. This would be frowned upon by my Buddhist master artists, because in traditional Thangka paintings, symmetry is very important. You MUST have perfect proportions, especially on the diety’s face and body. But since I’m just an artist, and not a monk, I feel O.K. doing things the way I do. As long as it looks pretty, I don’t care.
For the clothing – I was really inspired by Aishwarya Rai’s wardrobe in Umrao Jaan, so I think I’m gonna make her outfit turquoise and bright blue, with a lot of gold embellishments. (If you haven’t seen that movie, you should watch some of the songs from it on youtube. I just watched it the other night – and tears came to my eyes when she danced. She puts me under a magical spell!!)
Also, while drawing today I was wondering if I should include the other band members in the piece. Because Sade wouldn’t be Sade without them. And I hate overlooking people. Anyway, there are Thangkas of a central diety with other Gods surrounding them, so I thought maybe I could draw Stuart Matthewman and Andrew Hale and Paul Denman’s faces on an ascetic’s body, but I opted to keep it as it is. Because I love it just like this. Sorry fellas!
Check back often… The painting is gonna be fun to watch. I haven’t worked with oil paints in a few years because I love colored pencils. I’m a control freak about my mediums and I’ve gotten accustomed to the precision of the sharpened pencil. But I think this piece should be done the way they’ve been doing these paintings for hundreds of years. Typically they use something similar to guoache, with pigments made from red coral and other precious stones. But since I only have oils and acrylics I’m going to use oil paints. I’m also painting on a matte board, which is probably another no-no, but I don’t care. I don’t really like the texture on canvas… Paper is smoother…
1/04
I know, I know, she looks NOTHING like Sade right now. She looks more like Jada Pinkett. But I am having serious trouble getting her nose just right, so I’ve painted…
1/05
Sorry! Had to leave in a rush and couldn’t finish my sentence. I just bought a really fine paintbrush to try to get the nose right on. I hope it will work…
I know, it still doesn’t really look like her. But it’s not even close to done. Once I add the hairline, do her eyeliner and eyebrows, and lip detail… she will be recognizable.
1/06
I think I’m finally making some progress. I have to paint the eyes a little closer together – they’re too far apart. and then I’ll paint her hairline. I’m gonna leave the nose as is and come back to it later… If i keep messing with it I’m gonna ruin it…
1/08
Don’t be scurred… of her eyes lol. I will fill in the pupils today. Otherwise, it’s looking good to me.
p.s. My intent was not to sexualize her… that’s how Tara is usually depicted. And I like it that way!
1/09
It’s my Kameko-chan’s birthday… wish I could be there to celebrate with you guys! I’ll be up there soon…
I’m really into this painting right now, anyways. Sometimes I’m stuck in my chair and can’t leave it, not even to go su-su. Maybe that’s why artists are so notorious… for having those moody, withdrawn personalities. Sometimes we don’t eat, because we’re so deep into the creative process that we forget we’re human. And “a hungry mob is an angry mob…” as Bob would say. Got to keep those blood sugar levels stable…
1/12
I told you this detailing would take forever. I’ve cheated and used colored pencils in some parts, too.
01/13
If you think pimpin’ ain’t easy, try painting. I’ve been at this for hours and what you see below is all I’ve accomplished. Like they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day.
And in case you don’t know, you can see Sade’s video for “Soldier of Love” on amazon.com. A few more weeks and the album will be available for purchase.
Also, in a few weeks my newborn niece will have entered this crazy world. Please pray for a fast and easy delivery for my sister and that Miss Maya Devi is born completely healthy and happy. Thanx in advance. And thank you, God… Who/whatever you are. Cuz you always bring my loved ones home in one piece… and life is generally easy. Please give the people in Haiti, Tibet, Afghanistan, Pakistan and every other impoverished, war-torn country some kind of relief… Why do people have to suffer so long? I know I can do something, I just don’t know what. If you tell me what to do, I’ll do it. I promise…
1/15
It took me all of yesterday to do that sash and bell. And I still have so far to go. I am absolutely obsessed with this piece. I don’t know where the time goes when I’m working. I just listen to music and let the crazy thoughts in my mind run wild. If you only knew the things I think about while painting. I try to pray and meditate on people who are suffering, namely the earthquake victims, but I keep getting distracted by the lyrical content of the music I’m listening to – Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue REPEATEDLY, every Maxwell Album, Bilal’s Love for Sale, Earth, Wind & Fire’s Love Songs, and Sade B-sides. Maybe I should be listening to more gospel, or Bob Marley or something…
1/16
Happy Birthday SADE!!!!! Hope that somehow, at some point, you will see this. And when I meet you, I’ll give it to you. If you want it…
p.s. Happy Birthday shout outs to Aaliyah as well. One of the greatest…
1/18
Why do I keep waking up at around 5 am?? It’s the fourth or fifth morning in a row that this has happened. And the baby is still not coming. Maybe she’s waiting for me to arrive… Just a few more days. But for my sister’s sake, I hope she comes out tonight. Then she can say she was born on MLK day,2010, and the birthdays of David Ruffin and Cary Grant. Interesting…
So, as you can see, I’m starting on the background. That red is just the base color – I am going to paint over it with a more orangey-peachy coat. I am also waiting until the last minute to do the gold detail on the clothing and jewelry, because it involves brushing gold dust pigment over the top and I don’t want to ruin it by smudging or something as I work on the other parts. I’m still not sure about her eyes, either. Maybe I’ll try blue and if it looks too fake I’ll make them dark brown. I think I want to alter the head dress, too. Looks too much like horns or ears…
If you knew how many times I have listened to ‘Blue in Green’ and ‘Flamenco Sketches’ today, you might worry about my sanity. It’s so soothing, especially in rainy weather.
This is the great Mongolian artist Zanabazar’s Tara. I first saw this a few years ago, and I have to say it’s my favorite. I would love to go to Mongolia and see it one day…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zanabazar
1/20
Just touched down in Seattle. I guess Maya refused to be born until the time I arrived, or at least I would like to think that’s the case. It’s possible – I came 23 days after my due date, because my Mom wouldn’t let me out until my Grandmother came back from some trip she was on at the time.
Anyway, I’m gonna start back painting ASAP. Unless my sister starts having contractions again. We’ll see.
You know what I love to play when I’m here in the Northwest?? Teedra Moses’ Complex Simplicity. It’s a great album and it goes well with the cool, crisp Winter air…
