My Calliope

14" x 17", Colored pencil (some metallic) & metallic gold pen, February 2016
From a photo (I've taken liberties with) on this website: http://thc.utah.edu/lectures-programs/past-lectures/Allende.php

My favorite fiction author, Isabel Allende.  

The symbolism:

Main motif: Calliope Hummingbird.  Calliope = Greek muse of eloquence and epic poetry; the most assertive muse.  The male Calliope Hummingbird has a brilliantly-colored gorget.  This pattern of specialized throat feathers erects during courtship and territorial behaviors.  Although this is the smallest bird in North America and the smallest long-distance avian migrant in the world, and although males aren't usually aggressive toward other species, they are extremely aggressive toward other male Calliopes during breeding season and have been observed chasing large hawks!  Allende eloquently speaks her mind in epic style.  She's also a social activist, particularly in the realm of female issues across the globe.  In this drawing, there are two different Calliope gorget patterns repeated in the wallpaper, in Allende's skirt, and featured as a pendant at her throat. Her hair mimics some shapes in the gorget patterns (or do they mimic her?).  

Allende is way prettier than I have depicted (just wait 'til I gain some skill).  While I was drawing Allende's eyelashes in this portrait, I had memories of being late for classes  - while at university, nearly thirty years ago -  because I had "mascara accidents".  The only way to get your eyelashes to separate is to use a tool.  If you accidentally poked yourself in the eye, the eye would water so much that all the mascara you had already applied would cry right off, and you had to dab it thoroughly and wait for the eye to stop watering to reapply it, now a bit nervous about the tool.  After dipping into this memory, I realized too late that I had made the subject's eyelashes very unrealistic-looking.  Perfect.  This is what we women do... on purpose.  I think I'll wear makeup next Thursday (no tool this time)....

I changed the colors of her attire & background for symbolic reasons I'm sure Allende would like.  I made the way she is holding one of her books with its spine facing that hand, i.e., she is looking at the back of the book.  I imagine that she's feeling a surge of vitality after reading the words "crackles with action" in a comment from the Forth Worth Star-Telegram.  

I saw my rudimentary sketches of Calliope Hummingbirds as a chance to introduce layers of alternate planes of reality into this piece, since Allende's style is often described as "magical realism".  The bird above the quote at her right shoulder has a very assertive look to his eye and posture.  He appears to be part of the wallpaper, but also part of the wood-framed quote hanging on the wall.  The bird at her right shoulder is active, too, flying toward her with a more friendly eye, as if he is eager to tell her something (muse aspect, male voice).  The bird below her elbow is gazing directly at the viewer, at rest, as is Allende herself.  One commenter said it's an "'I told you so' look".  I like that.  There is a less-detailed (more in mystical realm) female (no gorget) incorporated into the wallpaper behind the direct-gazing bird.  She is active, but flying away and behind the scenes.  She is quietly carrying out the work of Allende's voice, both through eloquent words and her non-profit foundation.  The female (no gorget) above her left shoulder is whispering in my fave author's ear (muse aspect, female voice).  The male birds represent the yang way of working in the world (tangible, active, direct, using force, making things happen); the females represent the yin way of working in the world (mystical, subtle, indirect, using appropriate timing).  Both are needed; both are beneficial.  BTW this is about qualities, not gender.  Everyone contains both types of qualities.  Many people are born w/ physical qualities of both; see http://www.isna.org/faq/frequency to get an idea how common this is.  More on that later; this post is about this pencil painting.

BTW, it's meaningful/beautiful to me that I remember learning the word "calliope" (in reference to the music machine on wheels) from my father when I was a kid.  Many years later, I love the music from Baka Beyond!

MAY YOU HANG OUT WITH YOUR MUSES!