Portrait of a Strong Woman

Don’t worry about what other people do, 

Just Do You. 

Artistic Inspiration

Matisse Women

Turkish Princess and Woman with a yellow hat

I am who I am.

I was created to be me. 

I’m perfectly imperfect. 

I’m not the best artist, but I’m not the worst. 

I’m the best I can be, that’s me. 

I have an overbite, I have poor sight. 

But I can speak for what I believe and 

see beauty around me. 

I make the best of what I’ve got

And fill in where I have not. 

I’m strong,  brave,  driven, creative, 

Encouraging, positive, faithful, thrifty... 

I’m me. 

I could say what I’m not, but wHat good would it do? 

I’m me through and through 

And you are you. 

I use What God have me to the best of my ability. 

That’s me. 

Tabitha 

Modigliani Woman

Gypsey woman with baby and Woman in a yellow Dress

Like this poster?
Get it here
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Do-You-Poster-4047851

As I grow older, I am happier with myself. 

I remember when I was young, I was so lost and had no idea of my ID. 

I was looking to others to show me who I was.

 What was my purpose? What was I good at?

I was always looking up to other women who knew who they were and lived with confidence. 

My neighbors, my friend's moms, my teachers and even strangers helped shape my identity. 

In order to find out who I wanted to me, I had to know what I DIDN"T want to be. 

I found people that I have never even met that I identified with.  

I realize that when I admire something about a person, it is really a hunger to grow that part of myself. If I admire a characteristic enough, I try to find that inside myself. 

I really love Iris Apfel. 

She makes up her own style based on her own rules. She is an inventor of herself. 

She does what makes HER happy. She just does her own thing. 

 I drew these picture of her because she inspires me to be more... well, me!

I think once we find out who we are not, it is easier to find out who we are... 

That's why I love this song so much. 

JJ Heller

I'm not the money I make, I'm not the man I love, 

I'm not a photograph, I'm not 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnWU1s9QkdM&list=PL81E68F5A1F0FA410&index=17

I figured out a person can be multifaceted. 

You can have different styles depending on your moods. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ca8IrxcWlCI&list=PL6Q7H5pTvuHsA0-yXz62kYxH_T95Oj3p3&index=3&t=0s

Part of loving yourself is embracing your flaws that cannot be changed. 

It's about gaining confident in who you are even if it's not perfect. 

I have an overbite which makes me a mouth breather.

 But I love it. I embrace it. 

like this poster?

Get it here...

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Frida-Kahlo-colored-poster-4181739

Frida Kahlo had legs that wouldn't work right and were mis-shaped. 

Instead of feeling sorry for herself, she wore long skirts and fancy shoes. 

She had a slight unibrow, but accentuated it to make her unique looking. 

If you can't change it, embrace it!

She wore accessories as decoration to take your notice of the negative and see the positive. 

She became a strong woman fashion icon for this. He weaknesses made her stronger. 

Jeremiah 17: 7-8 Spirit illustration

 

Jeremiah 17:7-8

Amplified Bible (AMP)

^"[Most] blessed is the man who believes in, trusts in, and relies on the Lord,

 and whose hope and confidence the Lord is.

For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters that spreads out its roots by the river; and it shall not see and fear when heat comes; but its leaf shall be green. It shall not be anxious and full of care in the year of drought, nor shall it cease yielding fruit."

 

Above 1: After Sharpie doodle

Above 2: After colored pencil shading and highlighting

 

Usually I get ideas by being inspired by music, quotes, my surroundings, or other artists work. 

I was very inspired by this Del Barber poster I found online...

I loved the layers of the subdued colors stacked together with the texture defining brown lines on all the objects. I was fascinated by the way they exposed the layers of dirt below to show the roots and it reminded me of how we should root ourselves in Christ... or we will be fearful & fruitless.

So, I used the verse in Jeremiah for my Biblical Inspiration.

 

As an art teacher, I just got done teaching my students about Paper Cut-Out method done by Henri Matisse. So, I decided to use the paper cut out to get the layers I wanted of the background paper to doodle on top of. 

I started with manilla for my foreground (tree trunk and dirt), 

then brown (leaves, nest, grass, and roots), 

pink (bird and fruit),

baby blue (water), 

and finally sage green (background sky). 

You can see some of the Matisse lessons we did here if desired on my LostSock Art Teacher Blog...

http://tabithaannthelostsock.blogspot.com/2014/04/matisse-inspired-lessons.html

After I glued down the paper cut-outs, I then used Sharpies (brown, green, and rasperry) to doodle the texture on each part. After the doodle, I used colored pencils to add shading and highlights to the landscape. For the final step, I used this iridescent paper that I have been hording since childhood to cut a piece just right to layer over my water. 

I enjoyed this process so much I am planning on making more in the very near future!

Now you can too!