stomach flies

I leave for Perú tomorrow.

I could not be anymore excited.

I could not be anymore

Nervous.

Nova Direção

A painting that I have admired since my first art history class. It's big, It's really big and it's very telling. The title of this painting is "The Stonebreakers" and by the French and handsome artist, Gustav Courbet. I've always liked him and in some ways he could be my art history crush. Sure, he is totally full of himself (have you seen his most famous self portrait?)

My work is taking a nova direção. I have been interested in working on a grander scale and I am forever interested in people. I have been photographing anything and everything about my brazilian life here and it's time to start putting these references to better use. I live in a simple neighborhood, I have a farm in front of my house, children roam the streets in their diapers, all of the doors and windows are open, and my clothes are currently on a clothesline- baking in the sun. I am happy to be here. These people teach me more than what I am learning in school and they tell the best stories.

I want to retell their stories.

Although, I believe that Courbet was presenting a more political statement in his work- I am not too interested in that. My interest is in the individual characteristics and lifestyles of the people I have encountered during my travels.

for more information on this painting:

http://smarthistory.us/site/realism/courbet

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustave_Courbet

Happy Mother's Day & Elizabeth Gilbert

Today is Mother's Day. After my fifth attempt of trying to contact my mother through Skype I finally called it quits. On days like these It's hard to be content here.

I wish that I could drive to Birmingham and give her a hug and flowers, but I know that I can't do that and I know that it's wishful thinking. I also know that it means I would be in Birmingham and not in Brazil. I don't want that yet.

I am perfectly aware of my situation, but that does not keep me rational.

Nothing would, I don't think.

I have recently picked up a book (in english) that is titled "eat, pray,love" by Elizabeth Gilbert. I have been completely surprised by how much I enjoy reading it. The book is about a woman in her thirties who is traveling the world to escape the inevitable-- life. She is a very honest narrator. I love her for the same reasons that I loved Holden Caulfield when I first read "The Catcher and The Rye" at 15. She tells her truth about what it feels like to travel. How it sometimes feels like your heart will explode from joy and pain simultaneously and how you miss everything and absolutely nothing at the same time

It's a tug-a-war. always.

"I am loyal and constant in my love for travel, as I have not always been loyal and constant in my other loves. I feel about travel the way a happy new mother feels about her impossible, colicky, restless newborn baby--I just don't care what it puts me through. Because I adore it. Because it's mine. Because it looks exactly like me..."

-Elizabeth Gilbert (eat, pray, love)

J.B. Fernandes

Today, I showed up early for class. This is an unusual happening for me and apparently for most of Brazil- I was the only one there. However, my solitude did not last for long because I was soon approached by a friendly student.

His name was J.B. Fernandes and happened to have been a political cartoonist for BlueWater Productions. I was a bit interested and he was eager to tell me all about it, so I listened. It wasn't until our conversation was close to an end (40 minutes later, and where is everybody?) that I realized that he was specifically illustrating the conservative political commentator, Rush Limbaugh.

I was humored by this, especially when the expected question arose: "Brandy, do you like Rush Limbaugh?". A million not-so-fond memories rushed into my cabeça (head). I remember being a kid and hearing my radical-right uncle proclaim "Brando, you better not grow up to be one of those commi-libs!". I of course did not understand this at all. My uncle was constantly talking politics and I knew that he was at least a little crazy, but I did not know who Rush Limbaugh was. I only knew that my uncle had bobble heads of him EVERYWHERE and that if Rush Limbaugh was anything like my uncle- he was probably crazy too.

Kids can be really perceptive.

It's funny how just a mentioning of one person can remind you of many different things. In response to J.B's question I kindly smiled and replied "No, not really".

Class was cancelled.

more info about this comic:

http://www.bluewaterprod.com/news/bioweek.php