In childhood, I proved my bravery by watching horror movies like Nightmare on Elm Street. Settled onto the brown carpet littered with popcorn and Reese’s pieces, one arm clutching my knee like a life raft, I kept my eyes open the whole time. As we walked home in the dark, I’d chant One, two, Freddy’sContinue reading “the futility of criticism”
Category Archives: blog
“focus” is overrated
The other side of the paper has a note to self: I drew the one on the other side first while I was on the phone and then I finished it while still on the phone and afterwards I thought ‘What could I draw if I concentrated and focused?’ but this one was concentrated andContinue reading ““focus” is overrated”
my favorite self portrait
I love this drawing. It may not look it, but it’s really important. I made it shortly after I’d first discovered the magic of gel pens and water. At the time, I was mostly just doing blind contour self-portraits in sharpie, but I looked with this one—that’s why it’s so important. I did this oneContinue reading “my favorite self portrait”
Käthe Kollwitz study
Käthe Kollwitz is one of my favorite artists. She was born in East Prussia in 1867 and her work largely focused on social justice and concern for the poor. When I saw Kollwitz’s 1924 lithographic print Germany’s Children Are Starving! (Deustchlands Kinder hungern!) at the Dallas Museum of Art in January of 2020, it reallyContinue reading “Käthe Kollwitz study”
writing on a typewriter
I write a lot of stuff on typewriters now. It was a Christmas gift a while back. I had to learn to put a ribbon in it, and I still haven’t learned how to make all the text line up. But I never read the instructions. I might get around to that one day, butContinue reading “writing on a typewriter”
Karen Fred 