This weekend I experimented with crackle paste for the first time. As I look at my piece, I find myself fascinated by the weathered look the crackle paste gives to the picture (which is not finished yet).
Then, I ask myself when it became unacceptable to have wrinkles. I suspect, it was right around the time panty lines became a “don’t” and I was expected to wear the “devil’s dental floss” (aka thong).
I am not trying to be mighty and stand against any type of treatment/procedure that makes a person feel good about themselves, but where do I draw the line? Why aging gracefully has become unacceptable? Why getting old is so feared? And why can’t I be proud of the lines on my face that show that I have laughed from the gut, that I have cried the loss of the ones I love, or squinted in a bright sunny day?
I remember when the wisdom of the Great Mother was respected and revered. I want to grow old like the Great Mother. I want the lines on my face to show that I have lived a full life, with everything that it entails. I want to enjoy each season of my existence knowing there is meaning in each year I have lived.
7 comments:
your thoughts are beautiful and grace filled. i love your use of crackle in a painting leading to expressing such important pondering. i am not sure when the "outer" became so important and the character, heart and soul of a person lost its value in our contemporary society. yes for authenticity, yes for living life fully and embracing all the parts.
You express perfectly what every woman must deal with as she ages in this youth-obsessed society...our wrinkles show wisdom, I think, yet our culture deems them unacceptable. At 50, I'm still struggling to be comfortable in my own (aging) skin...your painting is beautiful and I love that crackle effect! Have a wonderful Tuesday~~ :)
Such a beautiful post and the crackle effect in your painting, for me, breathes life into it. My mom always says, "If you don't age, you don't live" and I believe this to be true. Our faces hold so much of what we've seen, been through and there is nothing wrong with aging gracefully. There is something so beautiful about a woman with wrinkles who isn't concerned with how she once looked. She embraces how she looks now. That is how the women of my family age and that is what I plan on doing. Youth is not the absense of wrinkles or lines, it is defined by our ability to live lightheartedly.
you speak to my heart! Somewhere facade took over character, silliness over wisdom.
Glad I found your blog.
Thanks for your comment over on Cinnamon.
another introvert
I am very blesses, because this blog is becoming a venue to meet some pretty amazing women.
Hi I.A., I just wanted to respond to your comment on my blog about photography: I'm sure you'll be taking amazing photos in no time! Believe me, all I have is a really nice point-and-shoot camera; I don't know anything about SLR cameras and take all of my photos on "automatic" mode! Where I have really learned is by using Photoshop Elements and Radlab - they allow me to make my photos look even better or change their mood with filters. Enjoy your class and I look forward to seeing your photos! :)
Thank you for the tips :-)
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