Day 269: Another crown of flowers

I started making another flower crown thing. So far so good. I need to sharpen my craft a bit, but whatever the case, they're fun to make. I'm planning to make several, even though by the time I start posting them on Etsy it won't exactly be flower crown weather. 

Day 268: Noodling

 

After several, several, months of not playing guitar, I got out my precious Naomi and attempted to play some of my old songs. I can only remember one of my songs all the way through. I guess this is what happens when you don't play for ages... Still, it was nice to play again. My fingers hurt and I feel good from singing again. I played around for a bit. I played in the bathroom, mostly because the acoustics are amazing when you play in a small, tiled, area. 

Day 267: Unproductive Productivity

I know that I promised that I wouldn't post about things that I do for Etsy, but I really didn't do anything else except work on a custom order that's been waiting for a long time. I mostly finished it, which pleases me. Still, not much else for creativity. It was a nice lazy Monday. Lazy in a productive way, but involved a lot of background TV watching. Still, work was done. 

Yeah, kind of like this.

Day 266: Foxes and boxes

Finally! I am officially packed and moved out. Sweet relief. In other news, I drew some foxes. Some other stuff happened, but I'm not going to elaborate.

I also attempted wolves. That's about it. I'm exhausted, so off to bed with me. Tomorrow is going to be a rich full day of making things, cleaning, and then looking at apartments. Hurrah.

Day 265: Flower Crown

Hoorah! I made my first flora crown. This one is made up of lace, more lace, cotton, wire, and fake flowers. Oh, and ribbon and thread. I'm quite pleased with it, especially for a test. It took me a few hours, all the while watching Supernatural. 

I think more of these beauties (or some similar to it) can be expected soon. I like trying out new things, and it's such a joy to make something new, and something tactile, especially a midst all of this moving and wedding planning and crazy madness. It's also nice when I remind myself that I can make things for myself. Bonus that such things turn out well.

Day 264: Graphic Histories Of Buildings

For the past few weeks, I have been tasked with creating a graphic history of two centennial buildings in Calgary. The two buildings are the Deane House and the Hunt House. I researched the buildings, and then spent a great deal of time drawing and inking and changing and re-doing illustrative pages that describe the history of the two buildings. Today they were put outside on the centennial home signs, and now they will be displayed to the public. I am quite pleased with them, and I would love to do be able to do more things like this.

Posting about something that I was getting paid to do might be cheating... but to be fair, when I started this I said that it had to be separate from school and Etsy. It's also not really in my job description to draw. It kind of just happened because I was asked to do instructions for something and I'm not a boring person, nor do I enjoy using word processors to make instructions or signs. And so, I was eventually asked to do this fun project of writing about the history of buildings using my drawing and hand-written typography skills.

Any ways, if you happen to be in Calgary in the next two weeks, be sure to check them out. You might be dazzled.

Day 263: You are a galaxy

The phrase 'you are a galaxy' popped into my head yesterday or the day before. I'm really not sure what it means, if anything. It simply made itself known, loudly and full of certainty, and I have adopted it as a phrase that I am quite fond of. I have been quite fascinated with the notion of tattoos and imprinting oneself with ink, and I like the idea of words being on skin. Simple phrases that are open to interpretation... That and dates. Years, particularly. Such a large part of me wants to get a tattoo. I'm just adamant that I should have an important event or occurrence in my life in order to get something so permanent. It's not like my snake bites that I only had for a few months. Though I admit, I miss them. Not enough to get them re-pierced... but I do miss them. I'm probably a lot more employable without, but nonetheless.... At least tattoos you can hide depending on the placement. Whatever the case, phrases like 'you are the wilderness' (a phrase from a song that I am quite fond of), and 'there's a wolf in my heart' (from the same song, I believe), and 'you are a galaxy' and so many other phrases and dates... They are things that I want to be part of me forever. Oh, late night musings. I would be asleep by now, but we had to drive back to Airdrie after my fiancee left his backpack at a coffee shop. I didn't want him driving alone because it was storming. Worth it. We had some good discussions. Even better, we felt at peace. We had spoken to his roommate beforehand, and everything is calmer. Life finds a way of being interesting, but it also finds its way of being a little less stormy. Thankfully.

Day 262: Glorious

Not much room for creativity when life is throwing challenges your way. When you're depending on something and that goes out the window... it's rather difficult. Still, keep calm and carry on. As much as you  can. Though, even when there's not much room in your heart, soul, or mind, for creativity, you can still appreciate beauty. While we were driving around trying to clear our heads of this unfortunate situation, we saw a beautiful piece of sky. Naturally, photographs don't do it justice. The sky was lavender-blue-grey, with bright rays pouring from a bit of open clouds. Pure radiance. It's in those brief moments when you have to tell yourself that everything is going to be okay, and that maybe, just maybe, that glimpse of sky is a sign to just keep going, and that no matter what, things are on your side. Even if it seems like the complete opposite... It will still be okay.

Day 261: Determination

Today I learned that I am good at drawing two things. The Deane House and fancy faux-calligraphy (if that counts as drawing). Both skills came from determination and practice. I'm sure that some kind of moral can be pulled from that.

As for the phrase and drawing above... It doesn't mean anything. I just liked the phrase. Which I made up. It sounded good in my head, and everything looks lovely and entrancing in faux-calligraphy. 

Day 260: Techno Fox

New experiences spawn creativity, right? Sure. Any ways, I played laser tag for the first time ever. It was a fun and bizarre experience. It was like a first person shooter video game, only real. Real-er. More real than usual. And yes, I know that real-er isn't a word. It was smoky and smelled of human and vanilla. The darkness and the fog blurred my vision, and the smattering of mirrors made for the sense of a carnival-esque apocalypse. It was so bizarre, and I would probably play again. I didn't do very well (probably because of the lack of experience), but I am proud of the code name that I created. Techno Fox. Because why not.

Day 259: Lazy Sunday

I slept! I slept soundly from about 10 PM to 8:30 AM. Happy days! Still a bit tired from lack of sleep, but I feel way more rested and happy about life. I think that being outside in the fresh air and sun for about five hours made a big difference. 

After having such a good sleep, I surprised my fiancee by taking him to the Deane House for brunch. I was stealthy and refused to give any indication of where we were going, other than I asked him to dress nicely. We had a wonderful brunch, and I highly recommend the Deane House for eating out. It's really no more expensive than other restaurants in Calgary, but it has the wonderful ambiance of being in a house that was built in 1906, and offers the nice location of being next to the Elbow River. It was a great meal, and a nice getaway with my man. 

After brunch, we went to Ikea to buy a dresser (hooray! We have drawers now!) and a couple of small things. Then, in the evening, we went to see The Conjuring with a couple of my fiancee's friends. I must say- The Conjuring was a great horror movie. It is based off of Ed and Lorraine Warren's case files. The Warrens were paranormal investigators for about thirty years. Their methods were very good, as were their views on the paranormal and how to approach different situations. This film was based off of two of their case files. One is about a possessed doll named Annabelle, and the other is about the Perron family, who lived in Rhode Island. The film primarily follows the Perron family and the disturbances that occur in their home. I really enjoyed it, and it was definitely terrifying. It felt like a 1970s horror movie with more modern effects, which was really nice. Particularly since it does take place during the late 60s, early 70s. It was scary, suspenseful, beautifully made, and it was also a biography, so it had more depth than your usual horror flick. Very good, and I recommend it to horror lovers. Especially those who do enjoy classic 1970s horror movies and haunting or possession films.

So. After all this, what did I do today that was creative?

This is a terribly blurry photograph, so it doesn't do it justice, but...

I dressed as time and space! Or attempted.

As I told my fiancee to dress nicely, I donned a black dress, my Jeffrey Campbell Litas, and a cardigan. I also wore a pocket watch necklace and galaxy leggings. Thus, the pocket watch is time, and the leggings are space. Time & Space. I'm so clever!

More importantly, I was able to wear my Litas for the first time in ages. They are seriously the most comfortable shoes I own, and they make me as tall as my fiancee. They're just so nice to wear. Finally nice to get to wear them! And as part of time and space, no less. 

Day 258: White Rabbit

Today was the Wonderland Tea Party with all of the beloved Steampunks. Because it's summer, I opted for a 1920s inspired White Rabbit, wearing a white dress and shirt, pearls, and my oxford style shoes. Ultimately, I could have been the White Queen, but the pocket watch alludes to being the White Rabbit. Ish? I had hoped to have kid gloves and a fan, as that seemed essential, but no luck. Still, art deco era White Rabbit is just fun to do. It was also fun to be completely different in how I was dressed. Still period correct for the most part, just not Victorian era. So, not really steampunk... Nonetheless...

I found a white drop-waist dress and a fringey white embroidered top at Urban Outfitters in the sale section, and the other bits are pieces that I either had or found at Claire's and Ardene's. My makeup was inspired by a couple of things, but ultimately included a white band of makeup across the eyes and face, with a bit of red lip liner as eyeliner (tis a white rabbit, afterall! White Rabbits have pink eyes! Often enough...), and I drew a red heart on my face, using the same red lip liner. Simple, but quite effective. 

Two types of editing at work here... But they give an overall sense. Just for your information, I am bending over in the right photo because I found a white moth and it was so calm. Maybe too calm, because an ant was crawling all over it. I was trying to safe the moth from the annoying discomfort and possibly absolute downfall of having an ant crawling over it.

Now... bed. I think I might actually sleep tonight. Maybe because I got fresh air for over five hours and lots of sun (without getting sun... I was well covered in sunscreen, and stuck to the shade) I will sleep well tonight. Here's hoping! I was virtually useless for the four hours that I was at work today (I had booked the afternoon off a few months ago because of Wonderland... and I almost didn't go because of the anxiety and exhaustion. I'm glad that I did... but I just barely attended).

Day 257: Curve Ball

Pre-work, CBC-listening, doodle.

It seems like whenever I'm lacking sleep, life throws a curve ball just to see how I handle the stress. I haven't been sleeping well for the past two nights. That is, if I sleep at all. I keep going to bed late, and then I can't fall sleep. If I do, every single thing wakes me up. Then I have weird nightmares that wake me up and I have these weird half-awake delusions where my dreams carry into my awake world, sneaking around as the shadows in my room. I'm not enjoying it, and now it's catching up to me. Today my work was the most stressful it's been, right off the bat. Being exhausted, I almost broke into a panic attack after nearly snapping at some tour chaperons. I didn't, but I came close. Being without solid sleep makes me an unstable person. It makes me an anxious person. I could feel my anxiety kicking it. Then random other stresses presented themselves, even now as I prepare to go to bed. Now I'm angry, mixed with anxious and mixed with lethargy. For me, lethargy is what I call hopeless exhaustion, where I just want to give up for a day and not do anything. Just sleep and read and stay in bed. Tomorrow is the Wonderland Tea Party for the Steampunks, and even though I've been excited for months, I now just want to go to work for the full day, instead of half a day, and then be alone. I don't want to be around my friends and extended social group. The idea makes me too anxious and almost afraid, and at the same time, I feel like if I skip out, I will somehow be letting people down. I just don't want to be around people that I like. I hate feeling this way, where I'm just so exhausted that I want to break apart my world and burrow away for a little while. I can only blame myself, really, because I stay up late, trying to both pack and do something creative for the day, and try to figure out my life. I don't even know what it is that I'm trying to figure out any more. I guess I should go to bed... and maybe I'll feel better in the morning. I'm letting myself sleep in for ten extra minutes. But I still don't know if I'll even want to bother going to Wonderland. Which would be really too bad, and I've promised too much to the organizer to not go. And yet... A big, depressed, part of me is telling me to just put myself first... but through some kind of cruel twist of conscience, I can't do that. 

I'm going to sleep.

Day 256: Adventures

Not much to speak of. Drew quite a bit today. Then, after work we ran to a couple of places to get some last minute things for a tea party on Saturday. I picked up some fake flowers at the dollar store to experiment with making flower headbands (ooooh!) and at Value Village I found some old copies of Charles Dickens books (my heart!) and a corset. The corset fits me perfectly, is red and black satin with lace accents, has busks, and was a whopping $7 (the least I've ever paid for a corset from a thrift store! And it's steel boning!). I have lots of ideas for it, and better yet, I now have an example for how I can put in busks into corsets. Good to know, and will probably come in handy (ooooh! There are so many new things coming from the deep dark woods! This fall...). And finally... I have an overbust corset! High time!

Also while at Value Village, we ran into a friend/acquaintance of ours from the Steampunk Assemblage. We ended up going to wing night with him, and many good times were had. It's always cool to hang out with other steampunks, away from the big group, in settings that are less steampunk. Bonus, he properly tied my corset, which was good. Oh steampunks. They are valuable to have around. They are the folks who know how to properly lace a corset, make decorative prop ray guns out of lamps, create exciting hats, make goggles, and all of the other interesting skills that anyone could possibly want to learn. Wonderful, really. 

In related news, I missed wearing corsets. It's like getting a permanent hug. 

Day 255: Rabbit Heart

Makeup/photography inspired by Florence & The Machine. Specifically, the music video for 'Rabbit Heart'.

I wanted to do something dreamy, in a similar way to how the video looks and feels, and how Florence's voice sounds. I think that it does a pretty accurate job, if I might say so myself. 

I'm really enjoying doing makeup and photography inspired by different musicians, artists and icons. Even if in the matter of two days it's drastically different. A friend of mine compared my Rob Zombie inspired photograph/makeup as being 'Reagan from the Exorcist meets Charles Manson.' Probably not far off. But today is kind of... completely different.

Day 254: Rob Zombie

Have I been thinking about Rob Zombie and listening to his music too much lately? Hm... maybe...maybe not... Either way, I did Rob Zombie inspired make-up and took photographs in a way that remind me of his style. Mostly Dragula-era. 

I had a bit of fun with this, and I'm quite pleased how the make-up turned out, as simple as it is. I did a few versions and a few edits. I can't decide which is my favourite. I did the one above, plus one or two with colour...

Where the cut on the forehead looks a lot like a deep cut. Amazingly, it's just lipstick and liquid eyeliner. But, y'know. Photography editing... Even then, it did look pretty good in real life.

I also did a couple of versions where I completely removed the colour from my eyes. I was wearing white contact lenses, so removing the pupils was easy.

 

Without the pupils it strikes me as quite sinister. Kind of creepy. I'm still not sure which I like better. Both are a bit ominous and dark. Not terribly shocking, as I was going off of images like this:

Day 253: Foxtail Bouquet

Last day in the prairie. I took this last photo, featuring a prairie-themed bouquet that some good friends of my family gave me. It features foxtail grass, alfalfa, and sage brush. I couldn't keep it forever, but I documented it, and took a couple pieces of it to keep as a momento. What a great place to be from. I miss it every day. 

Day 252: Cow skulls and foxes

Yesterday, the fantastic ladies of my home town threw me a bridal shower. I'm still baffled by the amount of work that everyone put into it, and I'm so thankful for the generosity of the people I know. It's truly amazing, and it made me feel really special and cared about. I never would have expected anything like it, even if I had expected someone to throw me a bridal shower. I really can't express my appreciation and thanks. Still, today I wrote thank you's for everyone who gave myself and my fiancee gifts and sent us happy wishes and thoughts. The above are just a couple of the thank you's that I wrote, and the individual drawings that I did. There ended up being about 40, and I decided to draw a different fox drawing on every one. After all.. why not?

Also, this morning I went for a walk on the prairie with the dogs, and hunted for cow skulls. I knew where they were, for the most part. I have this idea in my head that I want to find a fairly intact one to hang in our home, or have on display in some fashion or another. But alas, the only ones I could find were ones that I had already taken teeth from. So, I took some more teeth, and took these photographs:

 

That's the natural thing to do... right?

Cow skulls fascinate me. So do their teeth. Not really sure why. I guess that it's something that's so familiarly unfamiliar. I have been around cows and cattle all my life, yet their anatomy and their bones aren't something that I see much of. The cow's bones are just so disconnected from how the cows normally look, and it always feels like they don't match up to each other. Especially when they are bleached white from the sun and laying scattered across dusty earth. 

I also marvel at their teeth. I've started collecting them. Which might be odd... but you never know when pockets full of teeth might come in handy. 

Also, Cap enjoyed the excursion. He found a nice jaw bone to chew on. 

 

Day 251: Bow ties and Prairie

I "helped"my mum make bow ties for my wedding. By 'helped', I mean that I sat and talked and visited while she drafted the pattern and cut fabric. I really didn't do much... but boy. Is it nice to be home!

I can never full express how much I love the prairie. Yesterday morning I walked out onto the prairie grass. The wind tangled my hair around the alfalfa flowers that I'd placed in my locks. I listened to the silence of the land, touching flowers and collecting sage. The buzz of mosquitoes and the mud on my boots are flaws that are barely flaws. I miss this place. It captures my soul and makes me want to have that ground beneath my feet forever.

Day 250: Long Drive

Day at work, and then a five hour drive to Saskatchewan! Now... total exhaustion. Bed time, and tomorrow there will be brand new excitement!

Day 249: Cesare

For those of you who don't watch silent films (i.e... probably everyone...), the above image is from a 1919 German film called (in English) The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. It is one of my quintessential and favourite films. I have watched it many times. I never cease to adore it, and it never ceases to amaze me. Today, instead of getting ready for bed, I covered my face in makeup, entirely inspired and influenced by the film. The result...

To explain...

In the film, there is a character named Cesare, who is a somnambulist. A somnambulist being someone who walks around in their sleep. A sleepwalker. He is displayed as an oddity at the country fair. The person showing him off is none other than Dr. Caligari. The frightening somnambulist can tell the future, and often times foretells the death of an individual. The film would have been a horror film, and understandably so. It kind of has a sense of Edgar Allen Poe stories, with some Expressionist art and lots of madness mixed in. 

Day 248: Attempting going to Round-Up

This time of year is the Calgary Stampede. I got tickets to one of the Round-Ups, which is basically a huge outdoor festival with bands and lots of beer. Because of my work, I got two tickets for free. It was extremely hot, so we got some free food (some very, very, good beef on a bun with BBQ sauce that was nice and spicy), and then managed to get some water and then called it a day. It was really, really, loud, with lots of sweaty people in cowboy hats. Not really my scene, though it felt strangely familiar. Ultimately, worth it for the free food... Though we didn't stick around for Def Leppard after all. 

Now it's hot and I'm tired... And I don't much feel like sharing any art work or any drawings. I'm just going to drink some refreshing beverages and re-watch Supernatural. 

Oh! Also. Excitement. Today I received a prize in my mail! Literally. I won this book for submitting a caption for a photo. On Facebook, I am a fan of Montana Historical Society. Because... y'know. I love Montana. And I love history. A combination of the two kind of makes my heart flutter. The photo that I captioned was a photo of Custer and his wife. Y'know. Custer of Little Bighorn fame Custer. This is a book on the Battle of the Little Bighorn. I've always felt like I should read more about Little Bighorn, because of the ties to Fort Walsh. It's also an important part of Montana  history. This book is a collection of essays about the Battle of Little Bighorn. I'm looking forward to reading it! Also, the book came along with all kinds of Montana Historical Society paper things, such as providing me with the option to subscribe to the Montana Historical Society and such. What's even cooler is the fact that the Montana Historical Society was excited that I was a Canadian, and therefore they had international entries. Neat!

Day 247: Who needs sleep...

Today I wasted time on various forms of social media. I did pack up some of my worldly possessions, but other than that, I wasn't terribly productive. I thought about going to bed earlier, but it boils down to just wanting to surround myself with Hunter S. Thompson instead of sleeping or doing anything else. Silly me. I did draw Hunter S. Thompson (as you can see above), but I didn't particularly feel like posting about it, because I'm not terribly interested in it. I should be reading. Instead, however, I was posting on my Grimm By Design blog, and trying my hand at Tumblr. I came to the conclusion that I like what other people post on Tumblr, but as far as blogging and such, I'd rather use Blogger, and as far as sharing things that other people have posted, I'd rather use Pinterest. I like that other people use Tumblr, and post amazing things. But it feels constricting to me, and that is something that I do not enjoy. Thus, it is nice to return to my little protective shell of Blogger, which I am comfortable within. 

Any ways, I suppose that I will read. I am almost finished The Rum Diary, and then I will be onto Hell's Angels. Both are books by Hunter S. Thompson. I have been reading his books and writing almost religiously. Something about the way he writes just sits well with me. 

I also found a book on unknown serial killers and murderers, and I am looking forward to reading that. Oh, so many books to read, so little time. The good thing about books that are divided into short parts about different things is that you can pick them up at any time. Which is good for someone like me, where it has always been my curse to have the psychological and emotional need to read at least 10 books at once. Yes, I do that. Yes, I can remember everything that is happening in each book. But with books without a plot I don't have to!

I am going to write a bit more. It just occurred to me (yet again) that I have the most eclectic taste in books, and the type of reading/book material that I surround myself with. I have books everywhere in my room because I have this need to surround myself with books. I have books under my bed, books under my pillow, books at the foot of my bed, books under my desk, books on top of my desk, and even books on an actual book shelf (how amazing is that). I've stopped enjoying library books as much because I can't make them part of my habitat, so to speak. I actually get a little bit sad when I have to take a book back to the library. Unless it's a novel... but I don't really read novels anymore. Unless it's Charles Dickens, J.D. Salinger or Hunter S. Thompson (wow. Do I sound like a literary student or what... Good thing I'm not. That would be hilarious. And I wouldn't be reading these authors because I want to, and I probably wouldn't like them in the same way). Any ways. Ramble ramble... I have a huge array of books. Fashion reference, history books, books on wildlife, second hand fairy tales, several copies of Alice in Wonderland, books on human anatomy, books on the Old West, books on generally unfavorable topics (like serial killers and 19th century brothels), and the list goes on and on and never stops being eclectic. I just hope that I don't use up all of my eclectic and eccentric-ness while I'm in my 20s. If that happened I'd end up being a boring person in my golden years. That would be terrible. Especially since then I would have absolutely no use for all of these beautiful and wonderful books. 

Any ways... for real now. Tomorrow is going to be a crazy day. Ending with a Def Leppard concert. I don't even listen to Def Leppard... but I get to go, so I'm going. Mostly because it is Def Leppard.

Day 246: A real horror show

In the world of A Clockwork Orange, 'real horror show' means something good, excellent, so on. Today was a Clockwork Orange kind of day. And as Alex would say... a real horror show, indeed.

I think that I need to do one of two things. A) Watch A Clockwork Orange again B) Read the novel. Then again... why choose? Why not both?

Recently (errather... today, specifically) I have been thinking a lot about that film, and how much iconic it is, and how much I like it. Not that I agree with ultraviolence or any of the weird things that happen in the film. It's simply a very, very, good film. Strange, horrific, bizarre, but very good. It's just a bonus that I am quite fond of Malcolm McDowell.

Any ways, I drew the crayon drawing while out to dinner at Montana's. Good times. I had also drawn Alex earlier in the day. But I didn't photograph that one. Not to mention that it's a bonus that there is proof that I do leave the safety and security of my pens and sketchbook. 

Day 245: Lone Ranger

Today we saw The Lone Ranger. There has been a lot of flack over it, but it was one of the better westerns I've seen in a while. It was like Pirates of Caribbean with cowboys, Cavalry soldiers, Native Americans, Outlaws, and everything that makes the Old West what it is. The costuming, the set display, and everything was perfect. People are giving it bad reviews for reasons I don't understand. I recommend that you watch it if you like westerns and all things great. 

Even though we didn't have to, my fiancee and I dressed up to the nines as Old West characters. Mine was Dead Man inspired. We're pretty amazing. It may be Stampede week, but we still stand out, even in our Old West garb. Good times!

Day 244: Fox & Bison

How do I slack off? I spend lots of time doing pencil drawings of animals, that's how. If I'd finished the bison it would have been wildly disproportionate. But I like it how it is right now.

In other news, while I was at work, I accidentally drew a NWMP constable who looked like Rod Serling. Maybe I need more Twilight Zone in my life again?

Day 243: Sea Horse

Pre-bedtime doodle. It's a sea horse. I've been inspired by horse anatomy and horse movement lately. But, y'know, I'm sleepy and in bed. So I made it a sea horse. Check out that uneven scale action!

Day 242: Frida Kahlo

The above is my favourite painting by Frida Kahlo. I've always had an affinity for Frida Kahlo, at least since the time I was ten years old and saw an article about Kahlo in an issue of Vogue. The issue included the painting above, and I've always loved it. I'm not sure what it means to me personally, but it's like something found in a dream. Foggy and unclear in how it speaks to you, but it exists in your soul and clings to your thoughts. Even though I've always been fascinated by Frida Kahlo, I've never really looked into her very much. How odd is that? However, after seeing an article about her closet, I was enthralled and inspired. Her fashion sense alone, and the number of medical aids that she made her own. It's amazing. I didn't even know that she had a prosthetic leg, little alone one with a beautiful red boot. I've been thinking about her a lot lately, and today I decided to do a Frida Kahlo inspired outfit and portrait.

I was primarily inspired by this image. It is not one of her self-portraits, but something about this image strikes me as particularly appealing, and it just hits a good chord with me.

I also love the wallpaper. Heck, everything about this image, really. Frida Kahlo was simply a beautiful woman.

My outfit is compiled from various pieces in my closet. Interestingly enough, with the exception of two items, all are things that have been given to me. What can I say? I have interesting things, and my family knows me well. The flower headband is from Urban Outfitters. The earrings, both necklaces, and the orange woven shawl were given to me by my grandmother. I treasure everything that she gives me, and I'm always thrilled when I put them to good use. The black shawl (it's actually made up of black, red, and purple velvet, with some mesh, and white painted detail) was a gift from my mother, from when she ventured to Italy. It's one of my favourite scarves. The orange top is from a shop in Swift Current, Saskatchewan. It's a little bit too big on me, but it's easy to layer with tank tops.

I'm giving a lot of detail as to what it took to compile this outfit. But don't worry, I will explain. I just feel like it's important to give a shout out to the places and people that have allowed me to have such neat things in my life. Here's a detail of the items.

I chose everything based on 1) images of Frida Kahlo and her clothing, and 2) bright colours with interesting shapes and details. Bold and bright colours make me think of Frida Kahlo. Probably understandable, because of her Mexican heritage and her wardrobe in general. I chose dangly and eccentric jewelry because of the dangly and bold jewelry seen in many photographs of her. I'm not going to lie. Dressing in a fashion based off of Frida Kahlo is very enjoyable. I'll probably pull inspiration from her again and again. Likely in my art as well.