“Sangria” stands in my Etsy shop full of surrealism and color. The terracotta tone woman with blue hair thinks nothing of the raven that flew in the door. Why should she, after all, she’s got a house inside a house, evergreen trees shaped like arrows and large sunflowers coming from who knows where. The painting is full of life, full of color and texture. And yes, I decided to wear her, too.
I’ve said it before, but I really wish to drive home the point that when looking at a stranger you can’t see on their face what they are going through in their skin. The purpose of putting my art on my face is to be that obvious, to say loud and clear that Lupus and Fibromyalgia can rot from the inside out. Art is one of the major tools I use to manage life with an “invisible illness”.
You don’t start seeing real signs of illness until the person collapses and finds himself/herself in the hospital with baffled family and friends. She looked okay. She looked “normal” What happened?  Lupus. Fibromyalgia. One of the illnesses listed as “invisible”.
Invisible no more. Sangria – My Face My Art  .
“Sangria” was created by layering heated crayon and Crayola markers. She is an 8×10 gem on heavy paper. She’s signed, sealed and mounted on black board. She’s ready to be shipped.
The updated Etsy gallery includes three black and white sketches. Two Zentangle, one dream and one surreal scramble of PTSD symptoms such as hypervigilance.
A. August