Crabbiness from the Archives

Remember Crabby Girl from back in March of 2009?  I wasn't sure what I thought about her when she was first created, but she actually means a lot to me since she was made partially from photos I took on a trip to the Oregon coast.  The trip was a difficult one…working out the dynamics of a fairly new relationship.  Making this painting was a way for me to process, memorialize, reframe & understand the trip.  My paintings don't usually have a back story.  Normally, they really are "what you see is what you get" – just sweet (I hope) images of big-eyed girls.  Because this one does have a story, it's always felt more dear.

As for the relationship – although it was a complicated time & things didn't go in the direction I hoped they would, the man I was traveling with became a close friend and remains important to me.  *And funnily enough he called just as I was writing that last sentence.  🙂
Anyway…I totally got lost in my story there.  But the reason I pulled her out of the archives is because she's part of the group I have hanging in a show right now.  And, another artist just texted me to let me know our local arts & entertainment paper gave my work a nice review!   And (as if that wasn't enough) out of several dozen works in the group show, my Crabby Girl was the only one selected to be printed with the article.  So nice!  I had no idea the show would be reviewed!  I just had a moment of realizing that the more public I make my work, the more likely I'll be to meet someone that thinks it's awful.  Which I'm fine with really, as everyone does have different taste in things.  But honestly, having been caught a bit of guard by the review I would have been a bit bummed if they had said mean things.  Happily, I was spared that experience for now. 

The reviewer described my paintings as "character driven acrylics" and further had this to say:
"In “Crabby Girl,” Tessandore presents a young female figure with four
pincer arms and text that reads, “He loved her even when she was
crabby.” Her paintings seem to center on the same bemused young woman,
albeit with varying hair colors and styles. These works tell fairy-tale
narratives within the deeper context of a character seemingly plunked
into odd or outlandish environments, sort of like Alice in Wonderland.  Bright
colors, text and a graphic quality make these pieces easy to dismiss,
but their tone feels deeply exploratory within a human story that’s
neither entirely morbid nor flip."

I like that.  It's not even a little bit mean ~ Thank goodness!  🙂

♥