I’m a creative, experienced, multi-purpose artist and art director
who can take projects start to finish in a variety of styles.

Good designs sell –
my designs sell out!

Friday, December 2, 2011

"Brigade"

I’ve been thinking about the Occupy Wall Street movement a lot lately. I don’t know how much people outside the US are aware of this movement, but the basic premise is people camping in public places in different cities as a nonviolent protest against the extreme wealth of the top 1% and the resulting anger of the remaining 99%. Well, I’m definitely in the 99%, but I really don’t want to camp in the cold to point that out. Various cities have started clearing out these encampments, often with harsh methods including spraying tear gas in the faces of people quietly sitting with their heads down. If the police wanted to shake my benign, hands-off attitude, they’ve done a wonderful job of it. I still don’t want to camp in the cold, especially if I could get tear gassed, but I’m feeling more motivated to express my moral support for the people hardy enough to do it. Something has to change.

The problem is, I really don’t know what to do. The playground bullies have a firm grip on business and politics, and they aren’t going to let go. I don’t have the money or influence to fight them with their own weapons, and I don’t want to let them drag me into that kind of a fight anyway. All I can do is say what I think and hope that others will agree and start speaking up.

My class was eating lunch in the cafeteria when I was in second grade. A girl demanded my apple. She offered to trade something insignificant for it. My hand was in motion when I realized I really wanted to keep my apple. I said “No”. All of the faces of my classmates snapped in my direction to see what would happen next. This wasn’t the first time Rosalyn had extorted food by charm and/or implied force. I could feel the hopes of my classmates riding on my resolve. Rosalyn backed down. When she tried her move on another kid the next day, she was met with another refusal. When she chose the weakest member of our pack, the rest of us stood up and told her to back off. Rosalyn learned to play by the group rules, and I was blessed to have the nicest class in our school.

In a way, this was a really insignificant moment in time, but it changed me. I learned to say “No”. I learned that the rest of the class was just looking for someone to say it first. They just wanted to hear the drum to know which way to march. I’m listening for a drum too to show me what I should do next. We are the majority, and whatever happens with the Occupy movement, at least they’re trying to lead the brigade by beating the drum.

Anatomy Correction

I have to admit that I didn’t really put my heart into my drummer. I was thinking about my general despair about the state of the world, but I really can’t ignore lazy anatomy. Instead of just fixing it and pretending I had it right in the first place, I decided to offer a basic lesson…

The size of the head is a standard measurement for the entire body. Despite what you might see in magazines which stretch bodies to 9, 10, or more heads tall, the average adult is 7 ½ heads tall. Basic points of measurement are the waist and elbows at 3 heads from the top, the crotch at 4 heads from the top. Keep in mind that we’re just talking the size of a bald head without factoring in hair or hats. Babies have bigger heads in proportion to their bodies.

I stretched my boy into less dwarfish proportions in PhotoShop, and narrowed his shoulders so he looks a less like a linebacker. I probably ought to fix his hands too, but I never meant this to be fine art in the first place :)

29 comments:

  1. Nice illo! I'm with you. I heard they are talking about taking out yet more taxes on the ones that are lucky enough to have jobs. I too saw that on the news, of the Occupy group being pepper sprayed or tear gassed. I wish I knew how to change things. I think this movement will grow and continue. People really are feed up.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Very true Linda and I also am not sure what is to be done by us "ordinary" people. We still have protesters camped outside St Paul's cathedral but when you truly look to see who they are most are a bunch of hangers on who have nowhere else to go and are enjoying a free ride at our expense. So they are not really any different to the bankers from the 1980s and 90s then!! Ouwch, that was a below the belt from me! At least this has got everyone talking. Love the illo, he certainly does not look like the school bully. We do need to stand up to all the bullies in life! Jane x

    ReplyDelete
  3. Bravo, Linda, I understand your sentiment, exactly. I'm willing to let the young folks get on out there. I had my time to do that, but I wholeheartedly support them in the background and on the sidelines! :) Hey, I like that drummer boy, especially his feet! :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. A wonderful narrative and if the boy looks right to you, that's important.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I liked your drummer boy, but your narrative really touched me. What if you sent your senators and representatives an email with a link to this page? Couldn't hurt.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This was wonderful- thanks for sharing. Don't worry about the Occupy movement being known outside the US. Our mainstream media is being forced to show only one side of things and downplay it. This is a GLOBAL protest in over 80 countries and the first time modern man has had the means to organize such a thing through the power of the internet and wireless communication!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks everybody! It would be interesting to know how the history books will talk about this period of time 50 years from now. I kind of like the idea of sending this link to my politicians, though to tell the truth, do they really pay attention to what "we the people" have to say? I saw a program last night where people are camping out at foreclosed homes. Interesting times we're living in, aren't they?

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hey, Linda! I like your seasonally festive header. :) And your little brigadier looked just fine to me. He looked young. But when you stretched him up, he looked like his grown up version! Sure wish I could stretch myself taller.

    I don't know how I feel about the Occupy movement. Whenever I read what they have to say, so many of them sound scattered and uninformed and unorganized. At least they have this nation, and the world, talking, and that's always a good thing.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I agree with Bella. The occupiers are wasting their time with these unorganized demonstrations that I see as only temper tantrums. They need to get involved in politics if they want to really change things.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Bella said while the OWS message that gets reported may be scattered, it's a good thing that they're getting people talking, and obviously we are talking about it. That's more than what was going on before people started camping in the cold.

    I think I'm starting to prefer my original drummer. Sometimes it's the young'uns who beat the drum. Of course that might be because they haven't learned yet to be afraid of being at the head of the charge? "With age, wisdom" and a remote control and a La-Z-Boy...

    Thanks for the comments!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Heisann!

    The measure; the average adult is 7 ½ heads tall, is not easy for students to understand... they fail over and over again. They draw the heads too huge...in spite of the magazine models they are exposed.
    I found out that the word brigade means fight. I might 'elaborate' the meaning for IF!
    Have nice days ahead;:OD)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Heck no, she can't have your apple - way to set the example, Linda! That was a nice story of liberation and fittingly goes with your drummer boy illustration.

    ReplyDelete
  13. It really was a little moment in time, but I've thought back to it so many times when it seems easier to just hand over the apple.

    As for the proportions of a normal human, the fact that people can't see that any more is part of why everyone seems so dissatisfied with their own bodies. Life would be so much better if everyone had an apple and was happy with themselves! Thanks for the comments!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Lovely illo! Even before the PS correction it looked great.
    And a great narrative, saying 'no' is sometimes difficult.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Oh my gosh. I'm illustrating my first book and size is such a tough one. My baby Jesus is always too big. Especially his head! Sorry Jesus. Thankgoodness for photoshop. And look at me commenting again. I updated my browser and my blogging world has changed. The rest of the world will take time.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Great drummer boy! I love the tassels on the drum (but I always like decorative bits). He has a great face, too.

    As for Occupy, I have to agree with the person who said that the world does know, and in fact Occupy movements have sprung up in many countries. No matter how much politicians want you to believe our media has a liberal bias, it simply is not true. The media will cover what the playground bullies, as you so aptly described them, tell them to.

    I could go on and on about this. It is infuriating that in Wisconsin, as an example, they actually tried to make public school teachers out as the bad guys! This kind of us vs. them thing is so crazy. I'm not sure the politicians will be able to ignore Occupy forever, but they will try. It's simply not going to go away.

    The fact that Republicans are currently the party of NO, and refusing tax increases on those who make over 1 MILLION per year (despite having the lowest tax rate they've had in over 30 years and a host of other factors) should be enough to convince the rest of us, but some are just not convinced. The country is ridiculously polarized by politics. Arrrgh, going to stop now. :)

    Interesting topic, but so depressing. I say speak up with your approval of the movement when you can. (And while it's true there are homeless folks involved in some cities, they have as much right to be there - if not more [particularly veterans!], than anyone.)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Interesting post as usual Linda. I like your drummer boy and sometimes get sloppy or creative with anatomy myself. If you get a free minute stop by the critter blog and let me know what you think. I'd love your input :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. Good luck with your book Sharon!

    The media is owned by big business, so "liberal bias" is a popular myth we're often told to discredit comments from the left. At least Fox News is upfront about its agenda. The media will say whatever brings them the most profits -- which is usually the extremes from both sides. It seems to me that most people are somewhere in the middle, and we, the sane and moderate people, need to start speaking up more often to keep the lunatics in line. And make them quit calling each other names. They're setting a terrible example.

    I appreciate your comments!

    ReplyDelete
  19. I always enjoy your posts so much, Linda..you make me think! What a great story of your childhood..the ability to say "no" and stand up for yourself and others is a huge moment in one's life. I dare say it took me many years to learn how to do this myself. Thank you, too, for the lesson re: anatomy!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Funny, how easy it is to loose track of proportions when we're in the middle of a drawing. I joke that I use my eraser more than my pencil! It's a wonder I ever get anything finished.

    Thanks for sharing your story, too. Most of us feel pretty powerless. I guess, until there's a better solution, we can at least vote with our dollars. That is, choose where we bank and where we spend carefully.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Every little drum beat makes a difference to the whole, no matter how small or out of proportion it starts.


    .

    ReplyDelete
  22. I can't say I always speak up for myself, but I know I can when it really matters. I also almost never use an eraser. I just start out light and darken things up as I feel more confident I've got things right. I guess that's kind of my approach to politics and other things too :) I like the idea that "Every little drum beat makes a difference to the whole". Nice concept. Thanks for the comments everybody!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Hey Linda, I knew I would get here eventually, well no we haven't really had much about the occupy thing here... mind you I am a media non-junkie and never watch the news, nor read the paper... it doesn't interest me, though it should.... as far as I can see we are just blimps in time and it is all irrelevant (like spelling)

    that said, of course it is relevant. we only get one crack at life. We are like the bee who stings an intruder and dies... just to protect his dna pool.

    So your story says to me "ordinary people stand up in extraordinary times"

    your first drawing is lively and emotive to me, I see him as a small boy and this is what draws me to the image, a small boy drumming the rest to war, a loss of innocence, there's a kind of blankness in his eyes

    sorry to be here so late !

    ReplyDelete
  24. Oh and I like the tassels on the drum too :)

    ReplyDelete
  25. Another great thought provoking post linda and a great informative illustration to go with it :)

    ReplyDelete
  26. Thanks! I'm thinking maybe I should've let well enough alone with my drummer. Sometimes the quick, direct expression gets the point across better than anatomical correctness.

    ReplyDelete
  27. First of all thanks for a well done post and interesting thoughts. Yes, sometimes we need to stand up and say "no". Our surroundings are only as strong as we make them. It's certainly about time to say not to the Wall Street bullies, they definitely have enough already. And yes, the rest of the world know about Occupy Wall Street, in fact people all over the world do the same. The little drummer is a lovely drawing. I actually like the anatomically incorrect version better than the other. For me it's much more expressive.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Thanks! I really appreciate all of your comments, especially since I lost followers for saying I feel empathy for the OWS crowd. I didn't think I had said anything that radical to tell the truth, but I guess it just goes to show that I'll never find common ground with some people. Alas! Kind of makes me feel like banging the drum a little more though :)

    ReplyDelete