Frida Kahlo Owl and Art that tells a story
What I love about art is that it can tell the most wondrous stories and let the artist interlace his personal feelings and experience into it, enabling viewers to uncover them, guessing what the meanings may be hidden behind the work. It allows viewers to layer their own stories on top of what is said by the author. It’s my favorite part! I'd love to know what people see while looking at my paintings and what surfaces in their minds, at that particular moment.
Each Owl I create has a story behind its feathers and its own unique personality. Some of them represent famous people, others reflect moods and emotions. I decided to tell their stories here one by one to get you to know them better. Maybe you will see yourself in one of them someday.
I love all of my feathery fellows, but one of them always has a special place in my heart. It’s Frida Kahlo Owl. She is the first owl I’ve ever created and the one I have framed and put on my wall. As I type, she is catching the soft afternoon light in my living room, my favorite kind of natural light. Not surprisingly, Frida Owl is the most popular item in my shop, many people love the artiste extraordinaire behind it.
When I think of Frida Kahlo I see her bold unibrow and mustache, fiery temperament, headband made of bright flowers, full body cast she painted to occupy her long recovery time, a playful little monkey sitting on her shoulder, an ocean of pain and mad love with the man who was one of the biggest joys and tragedies of her life. Her father named them The Elephant and the Dove. Painful life and love forged her into a strong woman and amazing artist. She was one of the painters whose stories are intense and flow loudly from her paintings. I’m captivated by the way she translated the complexity of her feelings and experiences on the canvas.
I usually write the Owl stories myself, but this one was tough. Because her character is so dramatic and complex the task seemed daunting... And so I've asked for help. I am blessed with a very talented friend. She is a dreamer, who travels the world and the seven seas and knows how to make the words sing. She put it all together and gave my Frida Owl a story, which spotlights her unique features and individuality. I fell in love with the result.
“There are many ways to tell a story. Some stories hide on book pages, some dance around in songs, and some come to life in your favorite movie. And then there are stories told with a little paint and a paintbrush. Frida Owl is a painter and she lets her brushes do the talking. Frida has always had a big voice and a lot to say but found it difficult to be heard sometimes, so she turned to her paintings to speak for her. Not afraid to show her colors, this owl wears her heart on her brightly colored canvases. With flowers in her hair - and sometimes in her feathers - Frida may be wacky but she is the most honest, brightest and truest of friends.”