CHIMERA

this is what im working on for this year's Tinsel group show. there's no certainty that it will be selected but i grab this opportunity, as always, to indulge myself in making something purely just for the enjoyment of it. when the show theme is announced, and the dates and deadlines, i make myself aware and then wait for inspiration to come. and when it did it was SPIRIT ANIMALS

i think the first time i heard talk of spirit animals amongst my friends was when it was announced that one of us was a honey badger for sure - because he is so darned stubborn. so as far as im concerned we are just playing - its not serious  - we are just choosing "spirit animals" based on qualities they have that we see in each other, or in ourselves or perhaps qualities that we aspire to. for me, mine is just the first animal that always jumps to mind - the reindeer. and because im a visual person its really lovely for me to also think of my friends as animals

so an idea started to form: i love drawing animals - imaginary animals are best, you can choose your favourite bits, make up something awesome. and i love my friends. i had been filled with a deep sadness for a long time, when we were isolating, and i pushed it far far away because it hampers my being. but i feel ready again to dream of reunions

and im thinking let it be a way for me to spend time with the people i miss, the people i wish were around me. you see when im working on a project like this, im immersed, it truely is like spending time with them. let it be a way of bringing us all together. it already has lead to some wonderful conversations

some of us have animals, for some of us i chose the animals that represent them to me, some of us chose their own. but i don't think ill be able to include everyone. maybe ill just make more animals in the future.

so in this iteration (im still working on it) illustrated here we have:

the head of the polar bear

the front paws of the honey badger

the gills of a shark

the chin and belly hair of the english cocker spaniel 

the hind legs of a cat

the horns of the reindeer

the tail of the mountain lion

I think im calling it  the chimera of the ones i miss