The July collage of Darby for my Longhaired Dachshund Calendar didn't start out this way. The original concept was a nod to Magritte. This was the sketch I made last year...
I was going to make the apple a tomato. The leaves in the corner were going to be basil. The stripes in the background were going to be red and white, and Darby's tag was going to be blue with a white star. Get it? July 4th. I was inspired by this Georgia O'Keeffe painting...
But, I wasn't thrilled with this idea. It's kind of kitschy. And Darby wasn't kitschy or overly patriotic. He didn't really like tomatoes that much either.
Then, I saw this painting by Helen Frankenthaler...
"That's July," I thought. I see those colors in my garden and windowsill in the summer...
Then, last month I had this book on Tantra on my table...
I kept thinking it looked familiar...
Would that be weird to make a collage of my dog inspired by an Indian sex cult?
I did a little research and found out that Tantra is not a religion or a "way of thought." In fact, according to Philip Rawson, "Tantra sees thought as one of the chief causes for people gradually becoming disillusioned and miserable in what they believe to be their world."
Well, that spoke to me in my misery, still grieving Darby's death, and worried that the tears weren't stopping. Also, the word tantra means "to weave" or "web" and that "all is one and interconnected." Tantra is all about action and intrinsic goodness, not just sex. So, I thought, it wouldn't be so creepy to make a Tantric Darby.
I gathered some ideas...
I'm not going to lie. Tantirc Darby was creepy at first...
I didn't know what to do with it. So I shut the door to my studio and didn't look at it for about three weeks. Then, this Monday I woke up, went into the studio, and reworked it. I did it all, except for a few green leaves.
Here it is again...
I think Darby looks a little bit like Frida Kahlo, too...
Next up, August. I'm thinking sunflowers...
I started my Longhaired Dachshund Calendar in January 2011. I am hoping to publish it by September 2012. Prints of each month will be available too. It is inspired by my muse, Darby, who passed away at age 17 on December 3, 2011. See the Darby collages I have already finished here.
