Pearl Was Even More Nervous

"Pearl Was Even More Nervous" - oil on Yupo, 11.5 x 16.5 inches.  (click on the image to purchase)

“So, I’m awkward with actual humans. It’s not paranoia about my hacked governor module, and it’s not them; it’s me. I know I’m a horrifying murderbot, and they know it, and it makes both of us nervous, which makes me even more nervous.” - MURDERBOT, Martha Wells, All Systems Red

It's great to know exactly who you are, warts and all.

But it is a whole other thing to let someone else see you in all your unfiltered glory.  And there are some folks who do that so very well that it looks, well, elegant.  I aspire to such effortless grace. For now, I am an awkward, wart-laden bumbler.

Pearl Was Even More Nervous

Just look at this sentence in the quote - ​I know I'm a horrifying murderbot.  What if I created some I know sentences?

I know I am a snotty soggy bog creature filled with tears.
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I know I am a hand-wringing worry monster with an overactive amygdala.

I know I am myopic and often only see the blurred shapes of things both literal and figurative - blind and bumbling without tools.

It makes me nervous writing these sentences.  But also they are kind of funny, because just as Murderbot isn't really a bad seed, neither am I quite as warty as my inner critic says.    Just when I thought a murderbot had nothing more to teach me.  Hmmmmm.

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About the art:  If you ask the AI bot for "orb-headed ballgown-bots" and give it a few other parameters, I swear it jumps up and down and says "ME! ME!" and spits out a host of glorious images. It loves fabric, light and round shapes.  This piece is inspired by one of those images.  To begin, I murdered an old painting with gesso (creating glorious textures) and roughed in the main figure with thinned paint. Working from the outside in to further refine the figure by building layers of thinned paint.  Pearl is the result of 80 million layers (nearly) of paint to provide the many variations of color/texture in her outfit.  For the boots, RESISTING anything but those few highlights.  Hello, Pearl!  My, don't you look lovely?

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Thanks to all who participated in this month's reader challenge - Where Do You Hang Your Art?  Seeing the unusual places where art finds its home was quite delightful and eye opening!  Congratulations to reader Thea, whose video made me laugh out loud and garnered her the win!  Thea, send your mailing address to [email protected] to collect your original art prize.  I wonder where you will hang it? :)

Want to win original art for your unusual space?  Stay tuned to your email for next month's challenge! in the weekly blog announcement!