Elle Goes Artsy

I’m going to share a little secret with you. Shhh – don’t tell anyone. See, I’ve always wanted to be a visual artist. Not instead of being a verbal artist. Oh, no. I want to be an artist with many hats, a modern-day da Vinci, if you will. (Well, minus the science and anatomy stuff. And the scruffy beard, of course.) Thing is, I don’t have a lot of visual-artistry talent. My latest theory is that my mother only had so many artistic genes. She gave half of the writing ones to my oldest sister, half to me, and she tossed all the visual ones at my younger sister.*

So, no drawing, painting, sculpting, or other fun visual artistry in my future. However, I’ve often wondered if, buried deep within my psyche, lurks a talent for pointing, shooting, and Photoshopping. I have no evidence to back me up, but in this realm, and much like Nicolas Cage and acting, I refuse to let lack of talent hold me back.

Given my secret desire to be the next Annie Leibovitz, you can understand my excitement when I heard my editor and friend, Frannie Zellman, say we needed pictures for the cover of our forthcoming poetry anthology, Fat Poets Speak II. (The first edition, Fat Poets Speak, is available and chock-full of awesome, body-celebrating poetry. You know it’s a quality selection when it features seven or eight of my poems in there.) :)  I’m currently on vacation in Florida and North Carolina, but I shoved aside sorta-in-laws, teaching duties, and romantic obligations, grabbed a cheap-but-usable digital camera, and started snapping shots like a boss. I manipulated lighting, I used angles, I tried to leave lots of blank space or pack it full of diagonals. I mean, hey, two years ago, I totally dated a photographer for a month. I must have picked up some moves, right?  

Whether or not we fat poets use any of the pictures I shot and edited in very basic photo software, I had a blast doing it. I may not be exceedingly talented, but why let that stop me? And if I also get to share my attempts with the world, how much of a bonus is that?

Oh, and before you ask, no, I am not the model in the pictures; I’m not even remotely adept at taking time-delayed shots. No, I am the creative madwoman behind the camera.

Enjoy!



* You can see why I eschew the science-y stuff.

Comments

  1. FrannieJune 22, 2013 at 11:10 PM

    <3

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lauri J OwenJune 22, 2013 at 11:12 PM

    Gaw-geous pics! You DID get some artsy genes!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Elle HillJune 23, 2013 at 11:22 AM

      Thanks! I definitely got me a heapin' helpin' of them literary genes, but I'm kinda dubious about visual stuff. Maybe with some practice and studying...

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Public Peeing: A Case for Gender Desegregation

Image
I just wrote a scene about a topic near and dear all our hearts: public bathrooms. Below is an excerpt from my book. “Yeah, so how come girls and boys have different bathrooms?” … Josh thought for a time. “I don’t know for sure,” she said. “But I read about it in the Twelve’s* books. I think they did it and we inherited it from them. You know we live in buildings they built and use sewer systems they fashioned.” Garyn shook her head. “Well, we do. We owe our infrastructure to the Twelves. They were great builders and developers. Not so great at taking care of each other, but you know that…I guess they thought women and men should pee separately.” “Why?” Garyn persisted. “We don’t eat in separate places.” … “I don’t know, Garyn,” she said finally. “…I do know the Twelves thought a lot about sex. I think they were worried they wouldn’t be able to control themselves if they knew the person right next to them was only half-clothed.” Lynna snorted. “What about onesex or
Read more

Bustin' Some Welfare Myths

Image
In my classrooms, and sometimes on Facebook, a topic comes up so predictably and with such frequency I can almost mouth the words as they begin to emerge from students’ earnest mouths: Gotta watch those those welfare recipients to ensure they don't  Abuse the System© . The thing is, I don't know if they know they're the very recipients we should be watching. Yeah, you heard right: welfare. I’m not going to pretty it up by saying “recipients of social assistance” or “family assistance.” I’m going old school and using the most emotional language I can: Welfare. Recipients. Full disclosure, as bloggers are wont to do: I grew up on welfare. When I was four, my mother grabbed my two sisters and me and fled a violent situation. We slept in our car, bounced among various relatives, rented tiny trailers. Finally, we landed ourselves Section 8 housing , which meant a constant roof and our own beds. I’m not going to lie: The highlight of our month included waiting by the
Read more

The Fat Twin Phenomenon

Image
My identical tw-- uh, best friend (left) and me Did you know I have a twin? I do. Lots of them, in fact. Or, if not a twin, at least a sister. Millions. My poor mom. Picture this: Two women sit next to one another on a shuttle to a hotel in Chicago. The shuttle driver grins at them in the mirror and asks, “Are you two twins?” They get the same question a few days later. A few years later, while one of them visits the other’s workplace, several people approach the smiling duo and ask if they’re sisters. They’re not twins. They’re not even sisters. In fact, they are separated by years (nine), hair (one has long, straight, blonde hair, while the other’s is curly and brown), height (the blonde is two or three inches taller), and body shapes (the blonde is more hourglass). Their eye colors and face shapes are completely different, and no one would ever confuse their voices over the phone. However, they have three things in common that automatically, and apparently, render t
Read more