Friday, May 30, 2014

In Memoriam: Maya Angelou

This week the world lost one of its most inspiring voices of the past century with the passing of Maya Angelou.  The author's work and message captured and encompassed both women's and minorities' struggles for civil rights in the United States and across the globe.  I am gratefully honored to have heard her speak in person when back in 1998, Dr. Angelou visited Austin Peay State University here in Clarksville.  It was my Senior year of High School that a small group of students and faculty took a bus from my home town to attend the event late at night.  I remember on the ride back one teacher commenting on how attending should have been mandatory for all the students who had troubles in our small town with race relations.  Her presence was tremendously inspiring but more than that- it was poignantly sincere and human.  Her reach moved beyond race and gender and to the human spirit in general.  In Memoriam, I drew a portrait of the author, poet and creative this morning to honor her memory here at DREGstudios...

Here are some process pictures from the DREGstudios Instagram along with some lasting words of Maya Angelou....

Initial Sketch
"Listen to yourself and in that quietude you might hear the voice of God." 

Line Work
"If you're always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be." 

Highlights


10 comments:

  1. Beautiful work! I love how colorful and vibrant it is.

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  2. Thanks so much for the nice compliment Alyce!

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  3. Very beautiful and informative website and we will add you to our weblink. Keep the torch burning .

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  4. AnonymousJune 01, 2014

    Your art work is lousy. You failed to capture the spirit of Maya Angelou.

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  5. Uninspired Anonymous- Please come back. I'll try harder next time.

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  6. Brandt, I think your work exposes the openness of Maya's spirit and personal unveiling of spirit for her audience, front and centre, clearing the clouds of doubt and lifting ideas toward new flight...thank you for producing such a wonderful memory of her alongside the words she used to crack the world right open with her. You have achieved a beautiful representation that no doubt for me, Maya would approve of wholeheartedly and with lavish love from her to you...keep up your work that speaks to many other souls, particularly mine! Thank you for sharing!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for your kind words today Kathy. They mean the world to me!

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