I hope you all had/are having a wonderful holiday! We had a lovely time visiting family and eating sweets...non stop. I am going to pay for that next month, but that's another story. Today I wanted to tell you a little bit about my art. I have always been a dreamer, and loved to draw. As a child I would sit in my room for hours sketching. My favorite subject to draw was fashion models from magazines, so naturally I thought a fashion designer was my calling, not art. I grew up and went on to other things, but as an early "second act" in life I went back to art. I say early because I'm really too young to retire, but I left my 20 year job as a hair stylist and started a new career path.
About 5 years ago, I started selling pieces and doing art shows. At every show I would be asked by customers, Do I know who Margaret Keane is?.....or they would say this reminds me of...and so on. I had no clue. This got to be so common, that the last time I was asked this question I decided to "google" her. WOW. I was shocked. I looked at her art and it started to come back to me. I remembered a set of prints that hung on our bedroom wall. My little sister and I shared a room . I was maybe 6?? at the time. It was a sad big eyed alley kitten and sad big eyed alley puppy. Honestly, they were heart breaking and I hated them. Now, I'm still not sure if they were Keane prints or just a knock off of her style. We all know how that goes, but I wonder if the big eyes were an influence from my childhood that I never knew about, or remembered. It's funny how things happen, and the little touches in daily life can shape your future. I love to paint eyes, and I have always thought eyes are a window to your soul......the same thing Margaret Keane said about her sad waif children with the big eyes. I saw the movie last night, Big Eyes by Tim Burton. The story is incredible, and I am drawn to her work now, more than ever. If you get a chance to see this film or read the story, it is an amazing tale. Once again, real life is greater than fiction.
