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Friday, April 12, 2013

Chelsea Bednar's artwork for Day 12


"Of all the arts, abstract painting is the most difficult.  It demands that you know how to draw well, that you have a heightened sensitivity for composition and for colors, and that you be a true poet.  This last is essential."  -

Hello toadies and roadies...wishing you a happy Friday and a good weekend, while we choose a piece of Chelsea Bednar's artwork, provided for our inspiration by Margaret on Day 12 of our April poem-a-day challenge at the Imaginary Garden with Real Toads.
I can't help but wonder how many of us have been regular, daily contributors since this not-an-April-fool's-day-joke began. I've thought of going back and making a list, but that sounds too much like work. I'm sure, by month's end, someone (much smarter than I) will be able to tell us who hung in here, who skipped a day, who doubled-up after missing a day, and who dropped out altogether.
In the meantime, we have had several pieces of Chelsea's art from which to choose, plus a quotation Margaret provided, which blurs the line between artist and poet. Distilled, it says "in order to be an abstract painter, you must be a true poet"! I'm glad it didn't say "in order to be a poet, you must be a true abstract painter" because that would have left me out.



Original artwork by Chelsea Bednar

the girls sat at the river's mouth
and contemplated nature
referring to a heavy book
"Botanical Nomenclature"

they made a list of all they saw
and entered it on a cell phone
and made a drawing of each leaf
and flower and stem and rhizome
  
it took them days (they had a tent)
to draw each plant they saw then
but on they drew, and on and on,
for a whole long weekend

publicdomainpictures.net George Hodan
exhausted,
they
trudged
home, on
Tuesday
morning,
waking
parents,
siblings,
dogs,
with
hardly
any warning,
but they learned well,
and knew full well
they didn't like botanical-ing,
but they are well-known artists now
with a large botanical following
Kay Davies, April 12, 2013








13 comments:

Margaret said...

Yes, This reminds me of a leaf imprint.... or a river's ripple...

I loved your comment about not having to be a painter to be a poet, but flip it around and I believe it to be true.

...makes me think of Mama Zen's prompt the other day ... there was someone who enjoyed detailing nature.

Kerry O'Connor said...

I like the story you wove around this interesting black and white image.

Maude Lynn said...

This is really clever, Kay!

Jenn Jilks said...

I'm afraid I've been bitch-slapped, Kay. I tried to contribute, but found many prompts have not inspired and my recent bout with depression, and arthritis, demanded I write to heal my pain.
My poetry links were deleted as margaret told me I lnked to the wrong challenge. I guess it was another post, the official NaPoWriMo site, that said we should feel free to contribute what were were inspired to write.
I'm so sad, Kay. Such a tough week.

Jinksy said...

Lots of snappy rhyming - yay!

Helen said...

Aren't we glad the girls did not lose that passion .. AND ~ you got me! I'm an April double dipper and then some.

Fireblossom said...

Funny how that works! ;-)

Peggy said...

I enjoyed this story of the girls drawing the plants! And I hope no one is really keeping count of who's keeping up because already I have missed a day--but I put up two on one day so does that count? LOL

Gattina said...

There is just a huge exposition of Kandinsky in Brussels in the Museum of Modern Art I haven't been there yet but will go when Claudie (ex blogfriend) will arrive on Sunday and stay 5 days !

jabblog said...

This was fun - and I could see the girls in the image. Well done, Kay:-)

hedgewitch said...

You take me back to my Plant Materials classes, Kay. Though we didn't have to draw, thank goodness--no one would ever have been able to tell which plant was which. I like the way you illustrate how one discipline may lead to a totally different place than expected.

Grace said...

What a challenge to draw and capture those botanical gems ~ Good for them if they are well known artists now ~

Ella said...

I agree Kay this was very clever ;D
I loved reading the story around it~