Let me preface this a little bit. About a month ago, when I came up with the idea I turned to my plethora of wonderful, exhibitionist friends and sent them this email:
My dear, dear friends...
It's not often that I make such requests of you, and no, this time I'm not asking you to go out there and steal paint chips, but I need your help with a project...
I've decided that I want to do a series of traditional miniature ivory paintings. A little historical background: Portrait miniatures began to flourish in 16th century Europe and the art was practiced during the 17th century and 18th century. They were especially valuable in introducing people to each other over distances; a nobleman proposing the marriage of his daughter might send a courier with her portrait to visit potential suitors. Soldiers and sailors might carry miniatures of their loved ones while traveling, or a wife might keep one of her husband while he was away.
So how do we make this contemporary and where do all my wonderful friends come in, you say? Well, I've been thinking that we have a version of this: dirty cell phone pictures. You send a picture to a lover when they're away, or introduce yourself to a new lover, and they can carry it with them in their pocket and take it out to look at whenever they miss you. Yes. I want you to send me your cellphone dirty pictures so I can immortalize them in delicate watercolor on thin sheets of ivory (or real calf skin vellum since it's cheaper- I'm getting some samples to test out). They don't even have to be of you! Better yet, send me pictures that other people have sent you as little mementos to remember then when they can't be near.
No names necessary, feel free to take some new picts of yourself to have on hand in your phone to send out at the spur of the moment, send me some picts of you and your partner, picts of your partner, picts of whatever it is people send each other to illicit warm, happy thoughts (down there). And I know and as always appreciate that some of you over the years have already sent me dirty pictures just to make me smile in the morning, which they always do.
You know you wanna do it...it'll be like we're all high school kids sexting things that are parents would NOT approve of!
Thanks!
Katie
And the pictures started coming in. Oh my Lord, did the pictures start coming in. They're great. But I just wanted to share with you the first one (that looks good, there was one finished before this one, but I'm not happy with it).
So for your viewing pleasure, here it is! Miniature #1, it measures 3" x 2.5" and is watercolor on ivory.
OK, back to the studio to get working on the next one!
