Reaching

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The pieces above are oil on canvas (and some mixed media and cold wax medium thrown in there). I made them for a show this February 2008 at the Langdon Street Cafe in Montpelier.

They're reaching because I like the gesture. I got the initial idea from the Royal Canadian Airforce workout manual. I was interested in painting these gestures because it was the middle of winter and it was so wonderfully snowy, but i was at the point where I was reaching for sunshine, for that outdoor stretchy feeling of the sun on your skin. These athletecizing mamas resonate with me in an irreverent way too-- I studied ballet as a kid, so I really love the aesthetic of leotards, tights, legwarmers. I enjoyed making ladies with buff thighs in the traditional leo garb (so there, Ms. Nutso Ballet Teacher so-and-so). The pieces could be some kind of metaphor for growing and learning too (if you're into that kind of metaphorical thing, that is.)