Jumping the Shark With Style

Shark, 18x24 acrylic                                 ©Lisa Berry

This is a very different subject matter, and style, for me and it was a lot of fun to do. The source photo is from the 70s, a family trip to Universal Studios when the Jaws encounter first opened. The studio tram drives out onto a pier that collapses, and the mechanical shark snaps up at the tourists. My sisters and I were terrified (more so than when we saw the movie!). 

Here is the source photo, taken by my Dad:

Looking back over my posts, I worry that my style is inconsistent and I'm not building a cohesive body of work. But when I'm at the easel, these are the last things I'm thinking of--I use the style that most suits my subject matter and the intent of the painting.

Belly of the Beast

Belly of the Beast, 22x28 acrylic             ©Lisa Berry

This was a fun painting to create, done mostly with fingerpainting. Inspiration came from these interpreted Goddess images by gislebertus, from a recent viewing of Cave of Forgotten Dreams and from examining my own body image issues. 

It is in moments of illness that we are compelled to recognize that we live not alone but chained to a creature of a different kingdom, whole worlds apart, who has no knowledge of us and by whom it is impossible to make ourselves understood:  our body.  ~Marcel Proust

Brains (not brains)

Brains (not brains), 20x24, acrylic                ©Lisa Berry

Sometimes brains aren't enough, it takes courage and strength and faith to do the right thing.

Systems Check

Systems Check, 24x30, acrylic                    ©Lisa Berry

My body as gone off the deep end again, nerve signals short-circuiting and all messages crossed. Not much I can do but go along for the ride and hope any long-term damage is minimal. When I'm in the darkest part of the cycle, it's hard to imagine my body, and my life, can ever return to normal or that I'll be able to recover myself again. My doctor assures me this is "normal" for MS patients and just one of many bumps in my road. Feels more like a high speed crash to me.

I went from waking up perfectly fine to losing about 60% control of my left side in less than 3 hours. By 2:00 I was having trouble holding my head up and lost the ablity to follow conversations. By Saturday I was barely out of bed and had to admit to myself that this wasn't going to pass on it's own. Steroids make me sicker now so standard treatment was out. I just wanted to sleep it off but by Monday agreed to a round of prednisone to get me on my way. Pred doesn't make me as sick as other steroids but is still incredibly harsh on the body---disorientation, insomnia, imparied vision all part of the effects. It's a rock and a hard place when the treatment is rougher than the disease.

I finished the steroids two days ago, doc says it'll be 7-10 days before I stop feeling its sickness and can tell if the treatment worked. He thinks I should have done the standard infusion treatment even though it made me sick for four months after my last relapse. We disagree on approaches because he wants to treat the disease and I insist on treating the patient, the illness, me.

I've been painting every day this week as a way to reconcile my experience. I always think I know what I'm going to paint when I walk up to the canvas but I'm surprised every time. My images have been about accepting the body, acknowledging the illness and owning the experience. I'm a long way from grace in my real life but the life of my paintings indicates the healing has begun.

Studio Clearance Half Off Sale

Over in my Etsy shop, some of my original paintings (small works and studies) are 50% off through February 8. It's a good time to start your feltycollection or stock up on holiday gifts. (International friends, contact me and I'll add your shipping charges to the shop to enable purchase.) 

Pictured:  Little Swimmer, 8x10 acrylic. Was $50 now$25 through February 8.