Monday, September 07, 2009

Am I done yet?

I worked all weekend on my challenge piece and got so much done, but I think she still needs "something" - I'm just not sure what. If I get some inspiration between now and when I have to leave for Retreat I will add it, but in the meantime she is pretty much finished.


This year's Retreat challenge is to create something with a Halloween or Harvest theme. My ghost was inspired by a project Lydia did for her college cultural anthropology class where they collected urban legends. Lydia focused on "white lady" stories and collected many from her international group of internet friends. (It was interesting how similar they were no matter what part of the world they came from.) That gave me the idea for my lady ghost, but she still needed a story of her own.


Last December there was a tragic drowning not far from here. A pair of young lovers were walking along the Coast near Neskowin, OR to a place called Proposal Rock when a large wave rushed up and swept the young woman out to sea. The gentleman had just been about to propose to her before she was carried away.


I've been haunted by that story since I heard it - it makes my heart ache as it's so very sad. So I dressed my ghost lady in wedding finery and posed her in the moment of falling into the waves. I tried to get as much movement into her body and clothing as possible to suggest the swirling currents.


I still think she needs something tough.

11 comments:

BumbleVee said...

eerie and lovely all at the same time... reading the story and looking at her gave me goose bumps on my neck and shoulders.... ....

I didn't realize there is clear Paverpol..where've I been? I absolutely have to have a go with that stuff some year....

Linda Fleming said...

Judi, she is amazing! Beautiful work! I remember that news story about the young woman being swept out to sea.

Jennifer Rose said...

o.0 really nice! love the sense of movement to this and the story should be shown along with the doll. really adds to the doll

Anonymous said...

I wish I was seeing her in real life, she looks incredible and the story behind her makes her even more tragic and that is a sad story...very haunting, wonderful work!!

Jean Bernard said...

This piece gave me chills ! Beyond words at the moment. You captured every emotion and motion Miss JudiA.
Jean

HElen said...

Gorgeous!Gorgeous! Gorgeous!
Amazing work!

Shashi Nayagam said...

Such a sad story and I can't add anything more to say than what others have said. It is truely an awesome piece. My thinking is if she was in her wedding finery then she might have had a tiny bit of gold in her finery or Diamonds perhaps but as far as I can tell from the photo Judi she just doesn't need anything more. The pose and everything speak for themselves.

MaryO said...

Very poignant and dramatic, Judi. One of your best pieces ever, I think. Can't imagine what more she would need, she's superb!

Jacque Uetz said...

Wow Judi what an art piece guess we see who won the challenge.Love the story that goes with her too..those hands you sculpted are fantastic!!

Bear said...

oh my - woohoo oh my Judi she is AMAZING absolutely 100% AMAZING _ I liked her at the beginning and I LOVE at the almost end- Shashi I agree maybe a bit more bling BUT she is so bewdiful Judi this is the best you have ever done so far I am so in love with her and shes the ledgend to a "T"

Norma Soulet (AZArtist) said...

Wow Judi, your art piece is Stunning!
Love it.