at last, an update
I had a few people inquiring about the status of the project in the last weeks, a couple of them, sponsors that, much fairly, wanted to know where their money went and when finally they were going to see their perks.
I released the fundraising on early 2013. The plans were to spend the second semester and first semester of 2014 working on the portraits. The second semester of 2014 would be dedicated to put things together - movie, zine, book, show. By now I should be taking care of my sponsors, sending them books, artworks, prints, and everything else I promised in exchange of their generosity.
That is, IF I had raised all the money I needed to make everything come to fruition. That was clearly stated on the campaign description. The timeframe was subject to change depending on how much funding I would be able to raise. Through my major fundraiser, the Indie Gogo campaign, I collected only 5% of the total budget, estimated in $29,000. Added to a few other ways to raise funds, after all the fees, the value collected for the project did not get to $1,500. Chin up - that would be enough to buy supplies and start working without worrying about the utilities bill for one month.
In all my planning, I confess I made a mistake. I imagined myself immersed in the Changing Woman project for over one year, painting, interviewing women, drawing a zine, shooting, photographing, designing a book, putting a show together, dealing with printers, packing and shipping stuff, and all the myriad of things in between, alone. Within. Eighteen. Months. Not mentioning keeping life outside all that going. Because it exists, and it is a single mother’s life that often times has to struggle to have rent paid in time.
Call me crazy. I know I am. The good type of crazy, though.
I know I can do all these things, with a bit of help here and there. I was just not fair to myself, or maybe not realistic enough, as I quickly found out. Starting by defining a style for the stars of the show, the art portraits. Split between other artistic projects, commissions, shows, etc, took me months to finally define the creative process. For the non-artists that think we just have to press a button to make stuff, think again. I would say that time has been a positive force, though. Honing a technique, maturing ideas (and ideals), knowing until where I can go, meeting people with the potential to contribute positively to the work - all these things can only make the end result better and more beautiful.
To the ones who have contributed to the project and wish to see results, I have only one more request: just a little more patience. The wheels might not be turning at the speed we all wished for, but they are steadily moving. Don’t forget the person who drives the car is passionate about the arts and helping people, just like you. That is all I live for and there’s nobody in this world more eager to accomplish my goal.
Also, I promise I will be updating this space more often so you can have a better idea of how things are unfolding. Don’t be afraid of connecting and don’t lose hope if sometimes I take too long to write a response. That usually means there’s a lot going on.
And last but not least, for all that you do, a heartfelt THANK YOU.
Yesterday’s progress: adding some coloring to the face’s shading and work some more on the acrylic splatters, enhancing the color. I thought I was going to be able to finally present the completed piece. It is almost good enough as is, but I need a little more time to ponder if there’s more to be added. I am also coming to the conclusion that following the face tattoos exactly as the tribes wore them is a little limiting, so it is better to make use of my artistic license and decorate away. And I will fortunately be able to show the finished artwork next week! What a journey that has been, and this is just the beginning!
What a relief - I think i finally got there! So many attempts to end up with something so simple, a graphite drawing with watercolor acrylic splatters. I also gave Angela an Inuit face tattoo. Little more treatment on the background and we’re finally ready for the next portraits! so glad!
Portrait of Angela, 3rd version. I feel like i am close to something. Of all the versions, this one feels more comfortable, maybe because I am more at ease with a more illustrative approach. We’ll see. Anything is possible.
Although I am happy with the face, the background is killing me. Could not find a satisfactory solution so far. I am afraid I will have to start over since the paper can only bear so much paint. Decisions, decisions… I need to move beyond this first portrait, there’s so much yet to be done…