“I paint my own reality. The only thing I know is that I paint because I need to, and I paint whatever passes through my head without any other consideration.”
― Frida Kahlo
Frida has inspired many of us artists in countless ways, her legacy lives strong all over the world.
I remember my first Frida portrait piece, a custom made pendant for a client. It was so fun to make that I started producing and successfully selling a few more "Frida's" of my own. After a while, I started to feel as if I was using her image just for money, which made me feel terrible as an artist, to the point that I didn't want to make another Frida again.
Time passed and last summer one of my dearest aunts came to visit. We were talking about my work, and she asked me if I had ever asked Frida for permission to sculpt her. Yes, I imagine my face looked pretty much like yours right now, it surprised me, but as always her words remained with me. So one day I decided to ask Frida Kahlo's memory for permission (yes, as weird as this might sound) to sculpt her and honor her life... my new art piece would need to symbolize her life, passion, pain and legacy.
That's how my Frida's pendant was born. Even though I had in the past read about her life, I researched more, and tried my best to understand her complex life. Her feelings, love, frustrations, dreams, her passions and pain... the more I learned, the more I felt as if I was walking in her footsteps. I sketched until I was happy with the design. The concept worked great with my line of "Pod-pendants". It allowed me the freedom to have symbols that reinforced the concept and tied the design together.
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| Work in progress ClayCatShop® 2013 |
Even though I had completed the design by September 2013, I was only able to work on it in-between orders. Happily it was ready for its debut at the EuroSynergy Conference, that took place in Malta on May 2014.
My Frida pendant symbols explained:
-The paint brush, dipped in blue. Symbolizing her endless creativity and art work. Dipped in blue, a masculine color, the color of healing & understanding and the color of her Casa Azul. A color that helps ward off evil spirits.
-The Calla Lily with a tiny baby inside. Carrying the meaning of rebirths and new beginnings. Symbolizing major transitions and her inability to have children.
-The heart in her hand. Symbolizing her passionate life, from her sufferings to her love.
-The neck wrap stands for her many surgeries and aching body.
-Skull earrings, rooted in the Mexican culture of the Day of the Dead.
-Hair/Rose bud with thorns. This is perhaps the only symbol that the person that wears the pendant will feel, as the thorns will mildly poke you. Beauty, color and pain. Her life.
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| FRIDA pendant by ClayCatShop® 2014 |
This is a pict of Frida's pendant debut night, at the Malta-EuroSynergy conference. Here I am (wearing my Frida) with two of my truly favorite artists and people!!! Melanie West and Donna Greenberg, who kindly let me borrow her fantastic crown!!! :)
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| Melanie West, Me (wearing Frida) & Donna Greenberg |
Creating from the heart is always rewarding... Until next time!
Adriana
xoxo
