Life is full of hiccups and I've had my fair share these past couple of months, so huge apologies for not blogging for so long! But everything is finally sorted out for now and it's straight back into work and studies. Happily so, too. I'm working on my Negotiated Studies for college this year, and exploring the shadow and self-identity in fairy-tales (well, that's the plan) and have done tons of research -- and in the process have discovered Baba Yaga and her refreshing ambiguity ... a perfect 'shadow' character. She has much to teach me.
I'll write more later on about why I'm acquiring a fascination for this crone witch, the 'bogeyman' for Russian children -- although she's apparently now quite famous worldwide. She's also just right for my project, flying around in her mortar, wielding the pestle in one hand and a broom in the other to sweep away her tracks, and lives in a hut that stands on one or two chicken legs and dances around, how cool is that?
I've started on exploratory sketches of my interpretation of Baba Yaga and of course I've managed to merge her with my love for the raven trickster. Here are some of the in-progress sketches:
I'm using Shmincke watercolours for the first time, and they're wonderful. Experimenting on an Akvarel watercolour paper block from Tiger. One of these days I'm going to begin videoing the process, but for now it's photographs. As always, I'm thoroughly enjoying myself and it's so good to be back at my 'Mission Control' desk at home, working on my art. Cheers.