When I last went to Goodwill, I found a huge canvas for $2.99. No, seriously.
This is how huge. (That’s my younger brother, helpfully providing a size reference during a recent visit.)
This huge canvas appealed to me because lately, I’ve had my eye on this enormous $120 dollar sign that says
BEAUTY
FULL
At first, I thought, “I’ll make my own and save $117!” But I couldn’t bring myself to take another artist’s idea, even for my own personal non-commercial use, so I scrapped that in favor of painting a rebus, by which I mean the sort of “puzzle” in which an illustration of a bee stands in for the word “be.” Remember those?
I planned to paint BEE + EWE + TEA, at least until that idea stopped speaking to me. Instead, I settled on BEE + EWE, after which, as you will see, it became a sort of message from my subconscious to myself.
Gesso + base coat
Bee!
I love this damn bee! So fuzzy!
Here’s the part where my subconscious jumped out. I tried to paint this ewe’s face many different times. In the end, she just had to be sad. I don’t even know if you can see it in this picture, but she is extremely sad.
This is the point when my husband walked up and said, “Oh baby! Is it okay to be you even if you’re sad? Is it okay just to be sad and not put on a clown nose and a party hat and pretend everything is great?” I looked up at him with giant eyes of wonder and revelation. I have been incredibly sad lately, because 2015 is dumb. Honestly, I hadn’t even thought about what I was painting in those terms, but he was exactly right. I need to give myself permission to be sad. I don’t need to dress it up, for myself or anyone else. I’m sad.
And look. I tried to put up party flags and they fell down, because that’s what happens when you try to pretend you’re not sad: It doesn’t work.
After changing the scalloped sides to curtains, I felt finished. Bee Ewe, little sad pants! It’s okay!
Now the salespeople who come to my door with annoying frequency have twice as much to look at!
Also, it’s like a cute, quirky cafe that serves two.
So I’ll just bee mee, and you just bee ewe.
7 Comments
Cindy Dauer · June 20, 2015 at 2:48 pm
BEST BEE! I love this fluffy bee. Also how you changed the scallops to curtains. Great move! Look at you with a giant painting. OMG I have to do a giant painting. Or any painting. BEEE! (Mine won't be a bee, I just wanted to say that again because it deserved it.) 😀
AnnDAngelo · June 20, 2015 at 3:41 pm
Hahahaha. You are so fun! I was ridiculously happy about the fluffy bee, too. And yay – I'm glad you liked the move to curtains! Painting a large canvas is crazy fun. You should definitely give it a shot!
Sal Scheibe · June 22, 2015 at 7:08 pm
Wow, that's fantastic, Ann! I sooo love it! The bee is amazing!
AnnDAngelo · July 3, 2015 at 3:57 pm
Yay! Thank you so much, Sal! The bee makes me happy. 😀
M Mathey - POMI · July 2, 2015 at 10:52 pm
This is just about the most wonderful canvas ever – love the change to the curtains from the scallops and I'd love to stand on your front porch sometime! Be you!!
AnnDAngelo · July 3, 2015 at 3:58 pm
Thank you so very much! At first the scallops felt so right, but then they felt allllll wrong. LOL. You are welcome to come and stand on my front porch any time! 😀
sarah · August 6, 2015 at 10:22 pm
That BEE!!! So fuzzzy!!!! I absolutely want to come smoke on that porch.. ;))
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