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Art By Mia in the NewZ letter… July 2010

by Mia Roman in Art By Mia NewZ
     

  Art By Mia NewZ… July 2010 –
What’s going on & What’s up in July?

We start the month with the commemoration of Frida Kahlo’s birthday. Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón, as her name appears on her birth certificate was born on July 6, 1907 in her parents’ house, known as La Casa Azul (The Blue House), in Coyoacán, which at the time was a small town on the outskirts of Mexico City.

On 17 September 1925, Kahlo was riding in a bus when the vehicle collided with a trolley car. She suffered serious injuries in the accident, including a broken spinal column, a broken collarbone, broken ribs, a broken pelvis, eleven fractures in her right leg, a crushed and dislocated right foot, and a dislocated shoulder. An iron handrail impaled her abdomen, piercing her uterus, which seriously damaged her reproductive ability. Though she recovered from her injuries and eventually regained her ability to walk, she was plagued by relapses of extreme pain for the remainder of her life. The pain was intense and often left her confined to a hospital or bedridden for months at a time. She would undergo as many as 35 operations in her life as a result of the accident, mainly on her back and her right leg and foot.

Her career as a painter

After the accident, Frida Kahlo turned her attention away from the study of medicine to begin a full-time painting career. The accident left her in a great deal of pain while she recovered in a full body cast; she painted to occupy her time during her temporary state of immobilization. Her self-portraits became a dominant part of her life when she was immobile for three months after her accident. “I paint myself because I am often alone and I am the subject I know best” reflects her inner feelings about both her art and her psychological state. Frida’s mother had a special easel made for her so she could paint in bed, and her father lent her his box of oil paints and some brushes. Drawing on personal experiences including her troubled marriage, her painful miscarriages, and her numerous operations. Kahlo’s works are often characterized by their stark portrayals of pain. Of her 143 paintings, fifty-five are self-portraits, which frequently incorporate symbolic portrayals of her physical and psychological wounds. While Kahlo’s paintings have a distinct unrealistic quality, she insisted “I never painted dreams. I painted my own reality.” It is evident that her paintings reveal a personal truth about her life, her experiences, and her inner personal emotion. Kahlo was deeply influenced by indigenous Mexican culture, which is apparent in her paintings’ bright colors and dramatic symbolism. She frequently included the symbolic monkey: in Mexican mythology it was a symbol of lust, yet Kahlo used them as tender and protective, even nurturing symbols. Christian and Jewish themes are often depicted in her work as well; she combined elements of the classic religious Mexican tradition with surrealist renderings. While her paintings are not overtly Christian they certainly contain elements of the Mexican Christian style of religious paintings. In 1939, at the invitation of André Breton she went to France and had an exhibition of her paintings in Paris. The Louvre bought one of her paintings, The Frame, its first work by a 20th-century Mexican artist.

My favorite quote by Frida…. Pies, para que los quiero si tengo allas para volar!!! (“Feet… for what do I need them if I have wings to fly”) A woman ahead of her time, colors and shapes that spoke volumes and told stories of hardship, pain, family and loss… she will forever inspire and be part of our creative history!!! Que Viva La Frida!!!

Don’t miss the Comemmoration Frida Kahlo Wearable Art pieces Designed by Mia at www.artbymia.etsy.com Free gift with every online purchase.

 

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The July Goddess acknowledgment:

Hindus believe that knowledge is an essential medium to achieve the goal of life as a human being. Saraswati Day is celebrated to honor God as source of the knowledge. God, in this particular celebration, is manifested as Saraswati Dewi, Goddess Saraswati. She is depicted as a beautiful lady with four hands holding a musical instrument, meditation bead chain, as well as palm leaf manuscript. Many times the Saraswati is depicted to be standing on the swan. The beautiful lady is a symbol that the knowledge is attractive by many people. The musical instrument symbolized the knowledge is entertaining, the more you are into it the more beautiful and interesting it can be. The manuscript (or book) is where the knowledge is kept. On the actual day of Saraswati, offerings are placed on the books and shrines. Worships are held at the temples in family compounds, villages, businesses and others from morning to noon. Prime worships are held in school’s temples attended by its students and teachers.

My dedication to Saraswati is in the Acrylic Paint form… The painting is an artistic interpretation of Goddess Saraswati, The Goddess of Knowledge and Creativity. You can see the painting at www.artsbymia.com

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 New Projects:

 Designs By Mia ~
A One Of A Kind Wearable Art Collection for every Woman

The One-of-a-Kind designer jewelry in my Collection features antique pendants, spiritual amulets, and a wonderful assortment of old trade and exotic beads from around the world. I have also incorporated leather, fur and natural fabrics to give texture and dimension to the wearable art. These unique pieces are designed for the passionate and adventurous woman, and are truly heirloom pieces which can be treasured and passed down through the generations.

Each piece is hand crafted in the USA using imported materials.

Stay tuned for the July Specials.

To get a sneak peek or snag a bag of the Goddess Warrior items log into the shop or website at www.artbymia.etsy.com or www.artsbymia.com we are frequently updating the shop and website so best to check in often. Remember most items are hand-made and one of a kind so if you see something say something!!!

Feel free to share the site with your family and friends.

 

Chamaca Arts on Facebook

I just launched the Chamaca Arts Facebook page for ALL women. Chamaca Arts is a safe, fun and creative environment where women can share, explore and get advice from your fellow sister. This page is frequently updated with inspiring poems, arts, photos, quotes, reading suggestions, meet ups, notes, tutorials and so much more. The members are so diverse that its one big melting pot of loveliness. The mission for Chamaca Arts is simple… Inspire, Support and Encourage. To become a part of the Chamaca Arts family is easy… just join Facebook, find Chamaca Arts and add as a friend. Hope to see you on Chamaca Arts soon… Namaste!

Teaching and Learning thru the Arts:

I teach once a week at this wonderful private art school called “The Children’s Art Carnival” every week I look forward to walking into class and greeting my tiny little students that range in the age of 4-8 years. We have worked collaboratively since September 2009 and have grown creatively as a family. We have worked on multicultural projects, landscapes, cityscapes, pop art and so much more. I know how imperative the Arts is in my life. I can’t even begin to imagine a world without rhythm, color, movement, shape or photo journalism to document and preserve the history and culture. If you know of a child that would be interested in attending a top of the line arts center that will encourage, inspire and advocate for a positive and healthy living check out the Children’s Art Carnival at http://www.childrensartcarnival.org . We are recruiting and are open to have you sit in a class with your child as a onetime test run. Let them know I sent you J.

Your suggestion, opinions and ideas are always welcome. You can either send them thru the website under contact me or directly to artbymamamia@yahoo.com

Until the next Art By Mia in the NewZ Letter!!…. Peace, Love and Enlightenment

 

“ The Brush is my Sword… The pencil my Septor…”… Mia

 

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