Re: Proportional representation in dwarfism:-)

[Guest guest]

As an artist (no, Fred, I haven't gotten back into art like I keep promising

myself... " someday " never comes and I'm battling real life issues that take

precedence over art, needlework, etc.) I say " paint what you FEEL, not what you

see " !

When I do paint, it's what is inside me, not what is on that

snapshot/landscape/still life in front of me. It's what is in my heart, and as

a result it never comes out as I want, but it " feels " right, nonetheless.

(((hugs)))

~Nan~

________________________________

From: Fred Short <Fred@...>

dwarfism list <dwarfism >

Sent: Tue, February 9, 2010 2:27:19 PM

Subject: Proportional representation in dwarfism:-)

I've been painting for years and years now, and never really got round to

being brave enough to put people/figures into them....... until recently!

I enjoyed adding them, until...... my tutor came along and 'altered' them!

I was getting comments from him like " That head is too large " " Those arms

are too short " " His legs are a lot longer than that " etc etc etc

What I hadn't realised was that I was putting DWARF figures into the

paintings!

Now this is weird, since I AM dwarf, my wife is dwarf, BUT, other than my

reflection or looking at Lin, the ONLY people I see are average size! I

suppose, a bit like the duckling that only ever saw swans on the pond and

thought HE was a swan:-))))

So, you would think I would paint what I see, which is something I THOUGHT I

had always been taught to do!

But no! I could only, try as I might, paint dwarf type people into my

pictures!

Something, a bit like a " firewall " on my computer, something was stopping my

brain either accepting the information or converting it into dwarf terms.

There was no way I had ever studied the proportions of an average size

torso!

Now that I have realised what is going on in my head, I have found myself

consciously/ deliberately looking at the limb length and proportions of

average size people! And I have to admit, it has been something of a

revelation to this 65 year old Achon!

Soooooo, I decided to buy one of these wooden dolls with moving limbs and

torso joints. It can stand on my desk, and I can move all the body parts

into any position I want and then, hopefully, sketch what I see! I can see,

at close quarters how each part is proportional to the others and hopefully,

HOPEFULLY start putting average size people into my paintings:-)

Yes, yes, I hear you, why on earth does a dwarf want to put average size

people into pictures:-)) ))))

Cheers

Fred, who thought he could paint:-)