Two Thousand and Eleven.

2011 has been a somewhat cruel year to me. But at the same time, it's also been very rewarding.

There were several breakdowns and break-throughs. I lost love, and found it again. Tears were shed and battles were fought too many a time. I guess I grew up a lot. I look absolutely nothing like I did in January. I am missing hair on the left side of my head. I have Morning etched onto my ribcage forever. My ears are now adorned with new piercings. I am still recovering from physical and mental sicknesses. I am still trying to be okay being me. My skin feels a little more lived-in. My face looks older. There are dark circles under my eyes and scars scattered along my knuckles. Things feel different. I am different.

mkp.

December.

December never felt so wrong

'Cause you're not where you belong inside my arms.

It doesn't feel like Christmas.

This year, the holiday season took me by surprise. My family and I decided to do something different, so we went to church on Christmas Eve instead of the actual day itself. I kept dozing off during the mass, thinking of the snow. It made me think of the white, snowy Nova Scotia winter, and I felt really sad. I wanted to leave for a few minutes to compose myself. Nova Scotia may be -40 degrees or less right now, but I still felt the wrathful cold of winter seeping through the layers of clothes on my back. I felt cold and empty. Jarrett is obviously not here with me for the holidays, and I think it finally hit me hard. I'm going to be honest and say that long distance relationships are really, really, really difficult, and its been rough lately. This winter has been the coldest winter for me yet. I'm tired of not being able to see or feel you. Especially on days like Christmas, when I want to greet you in person. I need your warmth. But since I can't have that right now, I need you to be happy.

I hope the rest of the day goes better. And to everyone reading this blog, I wish you a very Merry Christmas.

mkp.

Mouth-Taped-Shut.

"What is hidden in the snow, comes forth in the thaw."

[The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo written by Stieg Larsson]

If you've been following this blog for a while (or my tumblr) then you must know by now how important this book, and the trilogy as a whole, is to me. I bought the books over a year ago, but didn't read them until I saw the Swedish films. The stories were so carefully and meticulously crafted, and every bit of it was precise, unconventional, and the darkest dark. But the reason why I loved it so much was because of Lisbeth Salander. I was smitten with the character, and when I finished the books a month after seeing the films, it only made my obsession even more intense.

When I first found out that Hollywood was remaking the Swedish films, I was angry about it. Upon seeing the cast, I was even more upset. Daniel Craig as Mikael Blokmvist? Really? And who was this Rooney Mara cast as my precious Lisbeth? Those who know me well, know that Lisbeth's character is special and sentimental to me. I couldn't stand the risk of Lisbeth being handled without the proper care and sensitivity to nurture her character, with all her flaws, and pain, and strength, and memories.

With that being said, I saw the film last night, and it blew me away.

I won't say whether I liked this film better than the original, because its not all that simple. The rape scene was much more disturbing in the new film, but Lisbeth's revenge in the Swedish film is still so much more powerful. For the most part, the stories were very similar. The older one seemed much more wordy, which maybe felt excessive at first, but it certainly helped fill your mind with visuals that the newer version didn't supply, making certain revelations in the story not as surprising. There were other minor differences, and both films ended on a bittersweet note. But the 2011 film broke my heart into pieces.

[Noomi Rapace (top) and Rooney Mara (bottom) as Lisbeth Salander.]

I have no complaints about Mara's execution of Lisbeth Salander. It was unbelievably haunting. I won't be picking a favorite Lisbeth, though. In the original, she was much more secretive, cunning, and socially despondent. In the newer film, she is even more disturbed and demented. I will admit that I enjoyed the styling of Lisbeth in the 2011 adaption much, much better. But the actual dragon tattoo in the Swedish film was a haunting scar throughout the entirety of the film (and trilogy, as well).

[Noomi Rapace and Michael Nyqvist (top), and Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig (bottom)

as Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist]

The biggest difference among the two films was the relationship between Salander and Blomkvist. In the Swedish film, Blomkvist seems more intrigued in Salander than she is in him, but the exact opposite could be said about the 2011 film. I remember whispering to my friend, "This Lisbeth has a heart!" Lisbeth is selfish, cold, mean, removed, unpleasant, even. She walks in and out of Mikael's life (and anyone's) as she pleases. However, in the newer adaption, you see a side of Lisbeth that you never see in the books or the Swedish films. You see that under her damaged, abrasive nature, rage, insanity, undestroyed strength, and cold-heartedness, even Lisbeth Salander can feel both love and the hurt that comes with it.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, 2011

Directed by David Fincher

(photos from official film website)

mkp.

Body Work.

[104 of 157 rough drawings and sketches completed from August 30-December 19, 2011]

Earlier, I promised to post a compilation of the work I've done during this past semester. This post will be just that. I must apologize though, because it is not entirely complete. Two small paintings (an 11" x 14" plein air landscape and an 11" x 14" illustrative experiment) never made their way back to me, and I neglected to photograph them in advance. I don't grieve over their losses too much. They were nothing more than mere school assignments, and they hardly represent what I am trying to convey with my work anyway. A few posts ago, I mentioned the presentation I was giving about my artwpork: Divided. My professor told me that I delivered a flawless and excellent presentation, something she had never seen from a First-Sem student. It felt absolutely wonderful. So with that being said, I hope you enjoy my work!

Here are some favorite drawings/sketches.

















And here are the paintings.

There's Difference in the Shades

acrylic and graphite on canvas

34" x 34" (8" each canvas)

2011

Grace

acrylic and oil on canvas

24" x 20"

2011

Portrait of Stephanie

acrylic and oil on canvas

28" x 22"

2011

Cut Ties (You Know I Have a Heavy Heart)

acrylic and oil on canvas

40" x 60" (40" x 30" each canvas)

2011

Untitled (Yellow bird)

acrylic and oil on canvas

48" x 36"

2011

Lastly, here is the final paintings I chose to end my class presentation, as well as this composition, because it is in the direction of where I want to go with my next set of paintings.

Deep Cleanse

acrylic and oil on canvas

40" x 30"

2011

mkp.