The right place (Joana Bernardo | Radar)

This must be the place © Rita Draper Frazão 2019

Radio Series

A couple of weeks ago, I started a new project for my blog, and this is my first publication about it. This new adventure of mine, is something I had in mind for years. It's about my favorite Radio Hosts, and I called it Radio Series.

In the following times, I will publish some articles and drawings here, about each one of them.

I feel like the radio keeps me company, and makes me happy in a deep way, as music does.
Radio programs and music are something one can't grab or touch. One can listen (and sometimes see). Differently from other visual arts, the no images attached space these two provide, allows me to fill that gap with my imagination. The result is what you can find in these Radio series. May you hear the sound in these drawings and texts.

My first stop is at Radio Radar. Enjoy and join me in the ride!

One of those things

Way before I met Radar's radio host, Joana Bernardo, seems like our lives were already linked. 

While a child, Joana was friends with persons that used to spend Summer Vacations in a house owned by my family. We never met back then.

We've just found out about this, many years afterwards, when we studied together at the fine Arts School, in Lisbon. That's how we met.

Then, in 2009, Joana started to work with Radar, hosting the show Bairro do amor (in English, something like the love district). That's also the title of one of the most iconic Jorge Palma's album, a landmark in the Portuguese music scene.

Turns out, Palma, in different times, also went to that same house. He even wrote a song about it, and recorded it in his Voo Nocturno album.

In the end, the link between these unexpected and seemingly disconnected facts, between Joana, the radio show, Jorge Palma and I, is just one: music. 

Radio peek

Despite our friendship of years, I had never made before, a portrait just from her. This time around, it was mandatory for me, that this series, started with the drawing and article I did about her. She was the first person I contacted to do so, and the first one to accept my challenge.

Joana and I, didn't see each other for a while. Arriving to the radio, I was a bit afraid our catching up could interfere with my focus on the drawing. But, fortunately, things came across the other way around: the conversation flowed, with my ideas, and I think I must've done her portrait in minutes!

Type of Language

I need to mention this chick did a master in contemporary editorial and typographical practices. In that context, she made a book called 30 anos 8 dias. It's about the daily life of a group of creative people around 30 years old. I found it a true archive for the future. 

In the context of this radio series, that book's relevant to mention, to emphasize the curiosity of this radio host, in knowing different things, different people, and different ways of doing things, daily. I see that same openness in her musical choices in the radio - that can include, pop, new wave, rock, jazz, hip hop, reggae, folk, grunge, or r'n'b. All wrapped up, in that clear voice of hers. Worth to mention her diction, that reminds me the finest porcelain.

Nowadays, one can hear Joana at Radar FM , live from Monday to Friday, from 14h to 17h (GMT), in Comércio Livre - Monday to Friday, and in Álbum de Família - Wednesday at 14h, Sunday at 12h and Monday at 23h. Podcasts can be found here.

In the Radio's studio, there were some typography elements, that reminded me, of our common graphic design background. Somehow, I wanted a reference of it, in this drawing. So, I later stamped This must be the place, with types of several alphabets of my personal stamp collection - that I have been making, ever since I am a little kid. Loved playing with them, and still do! 

These typographic choices are, therefore, are an allusion to that diversity I find in Joana, to the text, and to our childhood - the period where our lives started to be connected, at distance. 

The right place

About the portrait, itself, I started to chose which color I wanted it to have, and why. For Joana, I wanted something airy, sweet, and unattainable (a cloud, a scent, a steam one can't grab, as the radio) - a hue almost confusable with the background white. Something reservedly mysterious and alluring, at the same time.

Here's someone who looks at things with sharp eyes, and makes them objective - as if that was simple! In my vision, that required a fast drawing with simple lines, to match.

During our drawing-talky session, I got to know Talking heads is one of Joana's favorite bands. This must be the place (Naive Melody), is both the title of the Talking Heads' song, and my portrait of Joana Bernardo. The song is 36 years old, and still so actual. It's also one of my favorites tunes of this band. I chose this specific song to her portrait, due to its airy, exotic & in vogue tone. I see so much of that in her.

This must be the place is said to be Talking heads' first love song. But not a common one.
They had had the genius of writing a love song, out of pure joy, without making it look tacky. So many bands trying to do now, what they've accomplished almost 40 years ago. They were breaking ground for the future to come.

And Joana Bernardo is also that type of being, who thinks ahead - as if that pinky steam in her drawing, could vaporize the world to come, and inspire it to be, the place to be in.
The better place I'd want you, Joana and me, to be in too. As in the lyrics of this song, Feet on the ground, head in the sky. I guess this must be the place. A match made in heaven.

The next Radio series

Curious to know who am I writing and drawing about next?
I am preparing some really cool stuff for the next chapters, and more exciting contents will come soon! Stay tuned, and don't miss a bit!

Prince João Figueira Nogueira

It was back in the days of Casa d'Os Dias da Água that I've first met João Figueira Nogueira, but it was only years later, that we became friends.

João passed away, days ago. 

We said the final goodbye to him today, in Portugal's day of Freedom, the 25th of April with a glorious sun shining, and flowers (carnation revolution) all over town. 

A day full of color and light to him. Sure deserved and appropriated.

João worked with costume and set design. I remember his set of different shoe laces, with several colors he combined according to his outfit. It was just a slight manifestation of his acute aesthetic sense, always present.

Still so vivid in my mind, his scratched voice, amongst his will to see things, until the end. Last time I met him, was a couple of weeks ago at the theatre.

Wherever he went to, even when he was most ill, João had an aristocratic countenance that led me to affectionately, call him Prince. 

Not long ago, I have made a portrait from him, and he took this picture of me, doing it. 

According to his visual precepts, I had to chose the majestic golden color, to wrap him.

So here it is, my tribute to a friend who will always be a bright star, for all of us.

My next Portrait, You!

New Self Portrait © Rita Draper Frazão

Hi everybody! A lot has been going on: new projects, new persons in my life, new me! Hence, I also felt the need to make a new self portrait.

I have so many persons asking me about my portraits.

So, I decided to do an article as a private tour of my drawings, my story and relation with portraits and new ideas I'm having.  

If you want to be my next portrait, keep reading. This is for you!

My Roots in drawing

For you to know the point I'm at now, I feel like, I need to share with you a bit of my personal story.

I love persons! That's why the tagline of this blog is, Ideas with people.

It was from early age, that I've developed curiosity about the other, the gusto of listening their stories, see the essence of the person, and try to convey that, in my artistic work.

I don't remember when I made my first portrait. But I know, that when I was about six years old, I've portrayed my Mum "officially", because she still has that drawing. I could barely write, but in that portrait, I drew her hairstyle, her glasses, her multiple color striped shirt with detail, her sandals, and even the sofa pattern where she was sat. According to my parents, I'd spend hours drawing, it was my favorite play. I think it still is!

Overtime, and regarding arts, I had several important teachers. Here, I will speak just about the ones, that, somehow, are related to my portrait practice.

Sweet Child of mine

Within drawing, portraits have a special place in my heart.
I grew up with it. I come from a family of artists, and my grandmother, Ildema who was a painter, did a lot of portraits too. She was my first real art teacher, during my childhood. And one I will never forget! It was with her I've learned all the drawing basics, for sure!
She was, also, the one that has taught me the importance of drawing daily, and to have a sketch book, always close, even beside my bedside table.
As a child, I was a model for some of her portraits, and later on, she was my model too (see here and here).
One of her wise advices was that hands and feet were the hardest to draw.
I wanted so bad to learn how to do it, that it led me to draw many. Ever since, I became an enthusiast of that theme. And it's kind of crazy to think how it's still, so very present in my work now!  Some examples of that are Helena Espvall's hands portrait, or Miguel Mira's foot.

Back then, and for a long while, my uncle Zé - that is also an artist - had his studio at my grandparents' place, where I'd spend afternoons after afternoons watching them (him and my Grandmother) paint.
I admired his obsession with painting, his surrealistic imaginary and his technique. I think kids are like sponges, and they can learn so much just through observing. 

My Father's inspiration, artsy stuff at hand, in our place, and in his architect studio, were very important too. And I don't mean just paper and inks, but musical instruments along with other things as well. In fact, this self portrait you see above, was made with colored pencils, that once belong to him. His influence was absolutely crucial in my life choices. And a lot more would have to be said regarding that.

My grandmother, Néné, and my Mother, were another major influence on my way, and in my deep love for Art's History that, later on, would reveal to be fundamental for my portrait practice.
My mother's graduated in History, and my grandmother was a living Art, Literature, Poetry, Travel, Languages and History encyclopedia.

Mum's always handed me a lot of history books. But two of them were special. One was about Ancient Egypt in particular, and the other one was about Everyday life in Ancient Art. Both were packed with illustrations, and photos that kept me dreaming. Eventually, those two became my favorite childhood stories. One can see a direct reference to this in my Hamid Drake's Egyptian God inspired portrait.

Also, I grew up with family and friends from several countries always around. I think, growing up in such a multicultural environment, has helped me a lot with being curious towards what was foreign or unknown. And portrait also became a way to overcome that. All this was very important for me and, and also the literary inspiration I got from here. Another theme, for another story!

Smells Like Teen Spirit 

For four years, Dina Gimenez and Patrícia Fonseca were my teachers during high school, and both have been absolutely instrumental. 

It was with my teacher, Dina Gimenez, that I've found my favorite ancient portraits, such as Romans' psychological portraits, and Minoan portraits, just to name a few.
I had such strong Art's History basis with her, that I never really had to study it hard, when I was in college.
She also helped to plant the photography seed, raised the team working spirit, and made us try different painting materials.

Dina was one of the teachers that led and supervised our work, for the biggest school party at the end of the year (called the Smashing Awards), so that an artistic work of excellence could be done.
We were involved in the whole visual concept of it, working for months, in costumes, prizes, props and theatre settings. I have so many good memories of this art laboratory-factory classes! With us all happy working, like ants, and knowing that, in tiny pieces, we were all laboring for the big picture, for the common good. A remarkable experience for the rest of my life!

One can see a bit of the traces Dina left in me, through some works that relate particularly to experimenting, Art's History and Photography.
 Some examples are in the content of my exhibition in Zaratan, in my illustration from a text of Bataille, inspired by the Katsushika Hokusai's wave, in the photos I took for my article about Coimbra, or in my group work with And Lab.

In this other Art Subject we had, there was some sort of suspense in the beginning of the year, since we were with a substitute teacher and didn't quite knew what was going on with our real teacher.

That happened because Patrícia Fonseca lived in Macao (China) for several years, and I suppose that due to it, she had some extra time off.
I was so happy to meet her afterwards and I had no idea how this person and would later be a key figure to me. It was definitely worth the wait!

When her classes finally kicked off, she blew my mind with her instigating drawing exercises. It was a boost in my visual synthesis capability. She also instilled in me the possibility of the graphic narrative, which is not surprising, since she's a brilliant comics author! For years, she's worked for the Macanese press. And boy, was I fascinated by the Universe she brought from her China years! Won't forget the day I saw her book Um caso de Ópio (A case of Opium with Carlos Morais José), during one of our art classes, twenty years ago. It was an eye opener!

She was also the first one to commission me, works of illustration and writing about music for the School Journal. My first press collaboration! Funnily enough, back then, I wrote an article about the Smoke City band, with whom I would work many years later. Who would've guessed that?

Besides that, I loved her living in the clouds, kind of almost permanent, state! She has inspired me in a way, very few did. An example of that, is my Stars Driller drawing, made in my graphic diary, in one of her classes.

And speaking of sketchbooks... I feel like she genuinely believed in my potential, and it was also her interest in my graphic diaries that kept me doing them until today! In fact, that graphic-chronicle-narrative axis, is still one of the basis of my work, today. Having this blog, with all its visual and written content is a great example of that.

Everything in its right place

My experience of entering the Fine Arts Faculty in Lisbon, was kind of surreal. I remember in the first days of college, it strangely felt like home. There was this weird, unexplainable, and really strong feeling of belonging to this place, where I had never entered before as a student.
My grandmother Ildema, my uncle Zé and my Dad all studied there too, and who knows if there was some sort of relation to this fact. Anyways, I simply felt I was in my element.

There, I was extremely lucky to have Américo Marcelino, as my drawing teacher. He is simply a true master in motivating students and conveying drawing techniques in a graceful way.

Funny, that his Phd thesis theme is the relation between optical devices and drawing, because one of the major things I feel I've learnt from him, is how to look and see. Or how to see and have a vision. Know what I mean?
(By the way, take a look at his impressive amount of inspiring drawings and portraits in the second part of his online phd thesis, here)

Also, he's pushed me to look, and find inside my personality, things I didn't know I had, and could bring to my drawings. Those drawing exercises changed my personality awareness. It pretty much changed my life, I have to say. I find this last aspect, regarding portraits, extremely important. 

I think that, that was the time I truly understood the psychological potential of drawing.

He's also found a way of making unforgettable our last day of classes with him, since he did a movie, with classical music and all of our best works. This was such a success that, he later told me, he started doing it every year. No wonder we loved him so much, and affectionately nicknamed him Superman ! 

Be my next Portrait

Writing about all those key figures and moments in my evolution process, can make you understand my work now, a bit better.

I'm truly passionate about depth and the conjuncture of people, things, and places. That being said, it's obvious why I mind so much about the personality of the person, and to what is happening in the moment that I'm making the drawing. So, for me, and depending on the circumstances, the personality and the moment are two ingredients that really need to be in a portrait.

When I think about drawing someone, I think about which drawing expression I want the portrait to have, which colors, textures, and senses that person carries in her soul. I feel like I need to adjust, all that, to the person standing in front of me.

I have been drawing lots of people, in the street, in public transports, in school, while traveling, during shows and now I feel an urge to draw people in other contexts too. I feel like there are endless possibilities here! 

A portrait is something that lasts and that doesn't resemble to anything else! It's a unique and unrepeatable moment.

Whoever's been portrayed by me, and feels like commenting it, please share your experience here!

And if you are interested in being portrayed by me or in having a portrait of someone else made by me, you can order it to me. Please send me a message for more details.

The portrait can be of yourself, to mark an important moment of your life, to make timeless a certain phase of your children or parents, to have your idol represented in a different way, a special gift to surprise your girlfriend, husband, best friend, or can even be a reminder of that special someone that's already gone. It's up to you!

My core concept in these portraits is that together, we can make unforgettable what we have best!

From chaos to a dancing star

The colors, the type, the places, the flavors, the sounds but most of all, the persons. 
All you're about to read and see, summed up here: vISual impro.

Welcome to my first post of the year!

Yes, I know it's already February, but I have been "cooking" stuff in January, to present you guys this, now.

I was invited to draw an event at the Bimhuis in Amsterdam, in The Netherlands. This event was their Carte Blanche series, where the referred venue, invites a musician to host and chose the line up of that night. This time, the musician given Carte Blanche was the American drummer and percussionist Hamid Drake, whom I have drawn live 2 years ago, in Jazz em Agosto Festival. That was, to me, one of those inspiring moments in life I won't forget. 

The Beginning of Chaos 

The stakes were high, and I couldn't be more excited about this trip.

While packing (what a chaos!), my suitcase had two thirds of overcoats and sweaters and a third of painting material. I wanted to have my colors ready for whatever situation popped in. Turns out, that as a matter of space, I just had my black pen with me during the flight (the rest was in the airplane cargo hold). I need to mention this so you can get into the story I am about to share.

It was midday, the sun was shinning, the light was incredible, and we were floating. 

That was my thought. 

I immediatly remembered PJ Harvey's song We float, and had the urge to draw it. Wanted the typography to convey the float flow, and that was what took me longer to draw. Blinking in my mind was the we float, take life as it goes verse part of the song.

But I didn't have my colors, so I asked the TAP stewardess for color crayons, that they usually have for kids. 

The Cloud Carer

I sure must've seemed a kiddo when she brought them to me, as I smiiiiiiiiiled...!

She inspired me to do a portrait of her and, in my drawing, she is The Cloud Carer - my color and dreams provider :)

I felt so comfortable on this flight. Lucky me who had my friend Júlio helping me out with a special seat!

Lib(e)ri

This was my first drawing in Amsterdam. 

I did it before sleeping. Or rather, I could not sleep! 

All was so visually inspiring, I wanted to draw everything! 

In front of me, there was a shelf full of books. The book's spine colors and the book's placing order are both real and accurate.

I thought about the colors that books set free. how books might set a person free, and then was wondering about a word in a language that could possibly mean both free and books, and remembered that Libri (books) and Liberi (free), in Italian, sound and are written almost the same way, and hence the title Lib(e)ri.

 I no longer was interested in the shelf. Since its content molded its form, I felt no need to draw it and books prevailed. I could go to sleep now.

Rotterdam

I had some busy days ahead, and still wanted to visit my friends Constança, Mariana and Louise in Rotterdam, where I had been before so many times, and I love it there.

I got lost in public transports and Dutch language and was late enough to catch a train that just allowed me to have a quick tea with them. But it was worth it! And speaking of tea, it is funny because I have learned this new word for me in German: Muckefuck. No, it's not motherf*****, it's a barley drink! 

During my train trip to Rotterdam, I met Ameneh ( آمنه) Deljoo. 

Ameneh is an Iranian citizen doing her Phd in the Netherlands. It was funny, because we just had a one hour conversation, but it was so powerful, I wanted to draw her straight away, in the train. 

From the very moment she told me her name, I loved the sound of it, and wanted to know its meaning. Ameneh comes from the word Amen, and means safety, trust, devotion, guardianship and loyalty. Uau! I wish I'd have such a meaningful name!! Inspiration knocked my door right away! 

That led us to a really interesting conversation about Languages, Traveling, Arts, Music, Psychology, Computer Science, Cuisine, and Portuguese Pastry. Santo pastelinho de nata! (Holy custard tarts!)

I felt Ameneh as a person full of life, and I wanted to register that. This portrait is about what she had brought within her soul and the thrilling things she is looking up to reach now.

I wanted to have a visual metaphor for that, so I chose the brown to represent her soil, her roots and the yellow represents the light she wants to attain in life. 

This last color was made with Saffron. Using a bright and meaningful color with taste (and a delicious Persian rice with that spice made part of our talk too!) made, here, all the sense to me.

These two concepts, were the starting points for the poem I wrote about her.
I asked Ameneh to help me out translating it to Farsi, so I could include it in the drawing too.
So, here it is:

آمنه

 آمنه از عشق تو به اين سرزمين 

كه به تو معناي معنوي اسمت را داده است

آمنه و تو با خود عطرِخورشيدِ شرقي را داري 

از روياهايي كه تو را دور كرده است از ان خورشيد

  زندگي از نزديك تو را حفظ خواهد كرد آمنه

Ameneh 

Ameneh, from your love for this land,

that gave you the grace of your name, 

Ameneh, it is with you the East flavor of the Sun 

From the dreams that made you far,

May life bless you closely, Ameneh.

It took me many hours to finish this image. Of this series done in The Netherlands, no doubt that, this drawing, was the most laborious one.

Back in Amsterdam

That same night, I met my dear friend Ryoko Imai. 

I will talk a bit more about her later in this article, because she was very important during this trip. Ryoko plays percussion and comes from Kawasaki (川崎市), in Japan. She currently lives in Amsterdam. 

Usually when I'm doing a portrait of someone, I need time to do it (to feel, to perceive, to think, to draw, to paint...). Very rarely happens such a thing, as finishing a whole portrait in 5 minutes, which was this case. Her brightness, beauty and inspirational attitude were immediate triggers for a "must draw now" urge! 

Carte Blanche to my imagination

The next day was the big day. 

The scooter ride

The day where the 3 concerts included in the Carte Blanche to Hamid Drake initiative would take place at the Bimhuis. I had a very special scooter ride, on my way to the venue. 

I had so many layers of coats, I felt like a Panda! It was windy, and the city crossed my eyes in frames with a beautiful speed, as in a movie. 

The canals, the water, the trees, the clouds, the boats, the ducks, the typography, the flowers, the people, the bridges, the bikes, the windmills, the markets, the old houses and buildings mixed up with De Stijl, Art Deco and Modern Architecture; the diamond factories business, the delicious restaurants, the arty cafes, the great painting, the stunning graphic design, the hip fashion brands, the great improvisers, the great punk scene, the different cultures melting pot - all, of Amsterdam's busy life was music to my ears. 

This little tour, with the (almost) full moon ripping a blue-grayish sky had the taste of freedom - alike a butterfly coming out of a rock. 

Already at the Bimhuis (and therefore I drew its logo), I wasn't expecting to come across with a live incarnation of one of Pompeii's Female figures on Villa of the Mysteries! 

Good to remember, these frescos were done around 60-50 years b.C.!! 

(If you don't know what I'm talking about, take a look at this video here) 

Yes, it could've been her, Ludmilla Faccenda, posing in another life. Reincarnation believers or not, on this life, she sure seemed to me, the perfect sample of the Italian Beauty (La Bellezza Italiana), worth making a portrait of. 

She was, definitely, my muse that night. Ludmilla's a sensitive woman, a force of nature with an intense presence. Yeah, things might not be perfect, but she is a fighter, a believer that will work hard to make things done, the best way. So, it made sense to me, that red was present in this portrait. 

This is the color of energy, of battle, of work in progress and of confrontation. Red is also the background color of the Villa dei Misteri's Frescos (Unesco's World Heritage), recently restored.  

Ludmilla is Hamid Drake's manager and was one of the responsible for making possible all this event, including having me drawing there. 

Indigenous Dragon

This one above, is Hamid Drake's portrait. The main reason to be of this whole trip!

I made it live, during the first concert of the night, while him and Pasquale Mirra were playing.

His long dreadlocks are, in my drawing, a poem I wrote on the spot. I called it Sol, the 5th musical note, but also in Portuguese, the Sun.

Sol

The channel of all the above

all you got, shines still

all you give, sees through

the spirits are high 

and thank you back,

and so do we

it's life and love

The entrancing joy

of Life

Life!

Life!

There's something about Hamid that redirects me to the generosity of the being, the group consciousness, and its power to built or destroy, as dragons can do, as drakes do. This has a relation to this dragon I have made some time ago, and to the story I told there, too.

And well, I called this Dragon Indigenous, because Hamid's chants reminded me of some American Indian Chants. Tribal, spiritual, brutal, deep, he's got a sort of childish creative power in the present now, that might pretty much change your life in a blink, while seeing one of his concerts. Or, I felt it so. 

Moving, to say the least.

The second concert gathered members of ICP Orchestra (Wolter Wierbos, Ab Baars, Michael Moore and Ernst Glerum) and had Kaja Draksler, as a guest on piano. 

The image above is the Dutch trombonist, Wolter Wierbos.

I was amused with his performance and his shoe laces were key to the concept of this portrait.

There was some roughness and stiffness with movements stuck to the ground of what he knew best (portrayed by the all brown safe outfit) and at the same time, there was some fun element within him (the red laces).

From his feet there was the connection to where he treaded, and to this unexpected element - his red shoe laces. I also didn't mark the horizon line on purpose, I wanted to keep the feeling that his figure might've just arrived!

And I didn't come up with the red and brown, they were indeed real. They just happened to be the perfect visual metaphor to what I was feeling.

This one is the pianist and composer Kaja Draksler, while performing with the referred ICP Orchestra members.

She showed great talent and sensibility, and I was very very pleased to hear what she was playing. It was really beautiful.

She definitely stood out, though I felt, as well, almost as if there was an invisible wall one needed to break to come across to the rough diamond she is.

Kaja comes from Kranj, in Slovenia, so I wanted to write about her (Poetický = Poetic) in the drawing, in her language, Slovene.

The typography I drew, was inspired by Slovenian type design (like this, for example). Its color is just a little darker than the paper's color shade: a color still to become bolder and a drawing that can look like a draft. Both, are signs of the flower to blossom, Kaja is. 

Also noteworthy, that this whole event was happening according to the Norwegian Punkt Festival's central concept, which is the live Remix. 

I regard the remix as a way to relate, to answer back, in a perspective of narrative with continuity.

This concept made sense, also because the third concert of the night, reunited key figures of the referred event in Norway, namely, Erik Honoré, Jan Bang and Eivind Aarset, who played along with Hamid Drake in this last musical moment of the night.

Bang Bang

Here's is my Jan Bang's first portrait (yes, I did other drawings related to him).

There were moments in this concert so thrilling, that I felt like jumping and dancing along, as Jan did.  His energy was contagious and he seemed to me, by far, the most excited of the group. Although, the most incredible thing about it, was that he never overshadowed the other elements of the group, by the contrary, he was at all times, sensitive to the environment, helpful and an important piece of the puzzle.

I envisioned his electronic paraphernalia as a city silhouette, his lego, his playground dividing the lower half of the drawing, of a constant moving Jan and a the higher half of the portrait of an attentive and still Jan. Double Jan, Bang Bang.

Too cool for school

Too cool for school is my Eivind Aarset portrait. This time I have done something different from my regular process: I painted before having drawn him and not the opposite. This was not about the structure and contour - the drawing - but about its expressive content - the paint. 

Since the moment he entered on stage, Eivind sure seemed to me the coolest thing on earth. His gestures, his pose, and his sonic-grungy playing, looked too good to be true. Everything kind of seemed so ethereal, so surreal, non-human, unbelievable, even.

An alpha being, with a double aa surname calls for a b side portrait.

He had such a strong impact on me, I drew harder on the paper (and the paint was still wet when I drew him), and this image is the result. It's his portrait's reverse.

Adding to all this, then - and in my musical awareness and unconsciousness - I found out he is the guitar player of one of my all time favorite records (will talk about it further below).

He's just too cool for school, in its best sense.

Another thing I have to mention about this event, is that sometimes happens that, the end of a concert catches me in the middle of a drawing, leaving it forever unfinished.

That was what happened with Erik Honoré. Hopefully, I'll have the chance to see him playing live some other time soon :) Anyways, I really liked his Heliographs, and I think they are worth checking out.

Post Concert

After the concert, nice conversations, at the Bimhuis cafe, followed.

Somehow, I often feel inspired with stuff others might consider rubbish, as napkins, like this one, above. It actually made part of a talk with Jan Bang.

I loved the colors and the drawing of it, also because I thought about the Dutch flag colors (I even used the exact cobalt blue and the bright vermilion), their amazing tiles, and the great inspiring flowers I saw everywhere there (not only Tulips).

Could link it to The Scooter Ride drawing because, much of what I drew here, was stuff I saw during that ride as well. Everything seemed like being in the landscape metamorphic process of turning things into free butterflies.

Tri Bang

The night ended up with me challenging Jan bang to make a drawing with me. He looked at me and said: "but I can't draw!"

In fact, there are many different modes of "making a drawing together", and at least in my concept, that doesn't necessarily mean that both persons involved need to draw. In this case, he was just being himself, inspiring me, posing and lending me his hands for the composition,  which was quite a big deal already. The result is what you see above.

Color wise, I wanted to portray, here, his vivid and energetic side (light green), along with a more caring, sensitive and watery mood side (blue) with parallel clear support, a structure, a ground (black and white). Regarding the drawing itself, I was sought to convey, in its technique and process making, the idea of multiplicity, that he's someone able to manage several things with precision and detail (and hence the number of layers and overlaps, producing new visual elements). It's my Tri Bang.

My drawing interview with Henning Bolte to All About Jazz 

The first initiative of inviting me to all this, was Henning Bolte's idea. So, none of this would've happened without him, and he was a key person throughout this process.
Along with Ludmilla Faccenda and the Bimhuis, a bridge between the Bimhuis and the musicians, the musicians among themselves, and me was made.

Henning presented the Carte Blanche to Hamid Drake event, and you can hear everything it happened that night, through the Bimhuis radio, here.

Henning is most known for being a writer and a critic (you can take a closer look on his work and read his review from Carte Blanche to Hamid Drake, here). But I think he's some other things too - he's an open spirit, a creative person and a provider.

This drawing was done in very special circumstances, since Henning interviewed me for All About Jazz magazine, and his portrait was done during the interview (the first part, you can read here and the second part here). 

His interview was inspiring, and made me think of many things in a way, I haven't done before.

Both, my portrait of Henning and Doris Day's Que Sera Sera share the same subject. This portrait of Henning, is about the things that get stuck in the way - the past; about looking at the present in the eye, and believing in the future - what will be, will be. It's about the snake in Henning, a skin shed, where one's standing and the metamorphosis in life. It's about what holds and what propels Henning.

His eyes gave me the blue color motto. As Theo Parrish once embraced, I wish that you never give up on finding new things and feel your journey - life - as if you're Walking through the sky.

Meet the Dancing Star

The next day was full moon night, and also my last night in Amsterdam.  The festivities program could've not been more auspicious, since me and my friend Ryoko Imai were about to meet again.

But this wasn't just a regular friends meeting. We had in mind drawing and playing together.

But I just could not imagine how deep and how amazingly important this encounter would turn to me.

From chaos to a dancing star

After a delicious dinner, Ryoko and I started our session. I had brought my painting stuff and we were at her studio, so we had everything we needed to start.

When Ryoko first improvised, I was observing and making her silhouette. When she played the Fuga from Violin Partita II in D minor by J.S. Bach, I was painting her silhouette, and when she finally ended up playing María Cervantes by Noro Morales, I was painting the background.

I just realized this, afterwards. We never spoke about any rule whatsoever before, during or after this session. The synchronized timing was natural.

In the end of the session, she mentioned the sounds I was making while painting and drawing (I used this special silver pen, that has a little moving ball inside). You can actually hear what she was talking about, since we recorded the session, and Ryoko edited a short sample you guys can listen to here:

The way Ryoko was playing, her commitment and the music she played made me feel really privileged to witness such a bright talent. 

I looked to her feet and to the floor of the studio, looked back at her and thought: 

Where you'd come from, what you might've lived and what you've become now: a shinning star, right before me. 

The connection in my mind to that One must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star quote, from Friedrich Nietzsche, was immediate. 

In the microseconds these decisions take place in my mind, the next thing I know, 

I was painting her portrait background, with Ryoko's studio floor color, that beige.

While I was painting her figure, I made sure I didn't paint the whole surface, making her a plain silver figure.  On the contrary, I wanted the silver lines to be perceived, as if some effort (the chaos) was required to fulfill the whole space.

When our session ended, the studio lit. Colors and fireworks bursted. We were so happy!

I was already delirious with the bunch of emotions I was feeling, but it would get even better, when Ryoko gave me two very special presents.

One was a Taiko stick, Ryoko made herself.

During a concert, she hit too hard with it and broke it. As soon as she showed it to me she said something like: "this is for you to make something out of it". 

I knew right away this would be the tridimensional extension of our meeting.

Painting the broken parts with silver color, was my intervention.

It was the ultimate metaphor for the whole concept of the drawing and this session.

It was from a chaotic moment where the stick broke, that urged the shiniest part. And that was just possible because we did it together, Ryoko and me.

I wanted to find a special scenery to take these pictures too, since I wanted to find a place where the floor, or ground matched the color of the drawing, as the Taiko stick does, as well!

The other present she gave me was this:

It is a 紅白豆 (Kouhaku-mame) hand painted box from Mameya Bankyu. Kouhaku-mame is a traditional Japanese snack made out of soya beans. In this case, inside the box, there were two bean flavors: plum (red one) and a salt-honey one (white).

The hand painted monkey portrays the Earthly Branch sign for 2016. He is wearing a traditional Japanese vest. Also red and white are the national Japanese colors, and the ones used for celebrations.

I loved the box, and the snacks as well, so bad, that they inspired me to do a drawing about what I felt while eating them.

Eating these 紅白豆  made my imagination travel far. 

It was snow flakes gently landing in my stomach, as cotton balls. Suddenly, my 2016 seemed as golden as the monkey vests. I felt blessed.

Leaving with a colossus 

On my way back, I had the same airplane window, with a different view and another song in my mind. My pen exploded due to the atmospheric pressure, and that's how this drawing started. Black ink explosions? Sounded like Khmer!

It was just now, that I am writing this down, that I first saw there is a video clip of the song of Sand I had in my mind during that flight. And it's got airplanes too, Nils Peter Molvaer and all those great musicians, including Eivind Aarset.

The rest was done while having in mind this colossus, that this album is to me.

...And life was never the same, afterwards this album, and this trip. 

When I went to the Netherlands, my luggage was, basically, overcoats and painting material, but I came back with a suitcase full of life, art, music and love.

Feels like having made the journey from chaos to a dancing star.

________

A special acknowledgment to Henning Bolte & Ryoko Imai

AND, This song of freedom

And Lab © Rita Draper Frazão 

Last month I was invited by Fernanda Eugenio to draw live the And Lab workshop she was hosting.

Fernanda is a Brazilian anthropologist who developed a method to relate (it was what her Phd thesis was about and also a result of her collaboration with João Fiadeiro) - she called it AND.

Connect the parts involved, in whatever relation, promoting its life is, its main objective and, therefore, the word "and" to name it, as and links two different words.

This could be used in multiple situations. I'm naming a few examples: how publicity campaigns are done, how texts are written, how lovers relate, how a piece of art talks to its public, or how one relates with its peers in the office. It is applicable to all relations that involve communication and hence its utility.

A game (o jogo in Portuguese) was created in order to practice attention and reflexion on these matters. There can be several games, and the workshop was composed, in it's grand part by them. These games use objects as a mean of expression of its players. To have a complete insight about it please read this. It is quite complex*, so I'll keep it short and regarding the drawings presented here. Hope it gets you at least curious about it!

*The whole And Lab manifesto is here, and there, you can find the full info, if you're interested in knowing in detail about it.

Jogo © Rita Draper Frazão

The drawing above regards a possible game board, a table, and some of the principles of this practice are written on it: the game has the rules its participants define, it has no winner, it notices and uses observation*, it relates and regards the relation itself as its ultimate purpose.

I've put no outlines on purpose - the shape is defined by its ambience - its interveners, the players, not the opposite, as most of the times we see and do - the shape of things is delivered to us done, we don't have to built it. This question of the shape and the hollow has much to do with the exhibition I did in January. If you didn't see it yet, take a look here, where these matters are a bit further developed.

If I had put a black or dark background color, the table and the white would seem much lighter, even smaller. I wanted to do the opposite: I chose a light color as a background color so that the table and the white would seem bolder, fatter. In the end it's got a lot to do with the Gestalt Theorie - it is something I have studied at the fine arts school, and still consider it as one of the most important things in my work and in visual perception matters.

*In Portuguese we have a word - reparar - that means notice, but when written like it the drawing re-parar, it means also to stop again, so in this case it would mean something like forcing a stop, a pause, a reflexion.

1st game © Rita Draper Frazão

The image above refers to the first game done. Using a squared table, and without its players talking to each other, objects, available in the lab, were placed into the area defined as the game board - the table in this case - to start taking positions that have to be continued then by the other players, regarding its qualities. 

At this point 3 objects were placed there: a yellow tape-measure, a yellow pen, and a book with a yellow spine (it was on the other side). In this case, its possible relation - to be continued - could be that all elements had a yellow part and that all were placed vertically and parallel to each other.

While drawing during this sessions, I often thought on how, in Descriptive Geometry, a plan is defined and how it needs several elements to define its direction: one needs at least: 3 dots, 1 dot and a line, or 2 lines. This is crucial for the And method, since a game is only established, once 3 positions have been taken by its participants.

I wanted to draw the participants but also to use the method on my drawing practice. So what I did was trying to co-relate the drawings with what was happening, with the people, objects, animals, plants and situations I had in my front. Sharing with you now all the work done:

Ana Dinger © Rita Draper Frazão

Above is Ana Dinger, a researcher whose Phd covers these matters as well. These circles made part of Fernanda Eugenio's explanation on a white board to explain how the relations can be spirals (they deepen), as tangency points can become a new relationship, and so forth. But in my drawing, I included those circles as a thought tool, and I caught Ana exactly in the middle of her process, before she took a stand to play in one of the games done.

Soraya Jorge © Rita Draper Frazão

Above is Soraya Jorge. She is related to the Authentic Movement practice and teaching in Brazil. She is a force of nature, made us laugh a lot during the workshop with her lively spirit (hence I chose red) and with this drawing I wanted to convey her movement (one's action) as one of those circles spoken here before. In other words: our actions can be lines and the lines can be a tiny part of what a circle is. The vitality of a circle could be to create tangents - our encounters with others, when we meet, when we disagree, when we fall in love, when we fight, when we relate. 

Catarina Machado Faria's foot © Rita Draper Frazão

Catarina Machado Faria's feet are a masterpiece I could not miss in my drawings. I wanted to register I had noticed them! Catarina was sat in the floor with a pillow on her back, with those orange circles. Again, this important shape is here appropriated in a different way, like if her feet could spray circles in the floor - metaphorically a possible place to built something, by walking, by doing. Catarina's beauty lies beyond her feet, she is an anthropologist and a researcher with a love for arts to be embraced - the path to come. 

Ana Vitória © Rita Draper Frazão

This is Ana Vitória's portrait and an important moment in the game played during one of the sessions. Ana was lying down on the floor with her face below a table that was fragilely held by some objects. The table could fall on her face at any moment, she was behind an eight-ball situation. She portrayed the moment when, in a relationship, one makes a position that is risky, and dangerous, to the self and to the relation itself. It was a moment of tension, of thinking and learning. Regarding the drawing itself,  the table and Ana both have bolder outlines in contrast to the erroneous and fragile nature of the roughly sketched like objects below the table, reinforcing its unfinished nature - that they could change place and form at any minute. Ana is a choreographer, and you can see more of her work here.

The Simmel Cat © Rita Draper Frazão

Encapsulated in the vortex of a white time, are accidents. Things that weren't expected to arrive but that impose themselves in a way, we have to consider them as elements of the game we are playing -the reality we are living in. 

It was the case with this cat, named Simmel. I imagined the pet inside a blue capsule, could be an effervescent tablet ready to burst in fireworks, as here.

His name comes after the name of the sociologist Georg Simmel and his nature was of a professional "relationshiper" - several times he entered in our games changing its course in a beautiful and unexpected way.

Star feet © Rita Draper Frazão

One of the topics, approached on the art to relate and practice it, was the principle to observe the elements (already there) that allow a continuity. This means one should exercise its relating ability, establishing connections with the elements given. And that's just what this drawing above is about. On it, from left to right, are Fernanda Eugenio's, Flora Mariah's, Ana Dinger's and Catarina Machado Faria's feet. 

There was a moment that when I looked to them, they were all in line, all with black trousers, and Fernanda and Flora had both stars on their feet. The drawing just prolonged a possible (in this case visual) relation, sprinkling the stars to the other two as well. Making this relation about feet, stars and black trousers. 

Flora Mariah © Rita Draper Frazão

Inspired by her name, this one is Flora Mariah. She was close to some plants, and other stuff as well, but I selected just that, and chose earthy colors to give life to the nature of a wide jungle inside. Flora is ahead the Amaréfunk project in Rio de Janeiro, take a peek! 

Lilian Gil © Rita Draper Frazão

In between the moving lines, there is Lilian Gil. This dancer has the colors of generosity, of love and devotion. Her. Always with beauty and kindness. 

Francisco Gaspar Neto © Rita Draper Frazão

At a certain moment of the game, walnuts were used as an object-tool of a code to express a relation. Francisco Gaspar Neto had an active role on it as well, and I addressed his portrait with a linguistic gag: Nós Somos (we are, in Portuguese) sounds just about the same as Noz Somos (but Noz means walnut, not we!). If one wrote we are walnuts in Portuguese, that would be Nozes somos, so I wanted to make clear my wrong writing was connected to nós so I incorporated the accent in the vogal o (that does not exist in noz) as a reference to it. Metaphorically speaking, this little gag could translate in the "walnuts" of life - actions - we incorporate as bricks of a relationship, a "wall nut". 

Besides being an investigator, Francisco also runs his theatre company in Curitiba.

Mariana Ferreira © Rita Draper Frazão

This one preceded the moment when Mariana Ferreira had an eureka moment: we were all talking, exposing ideas, thinking out loud and then when she finally got a clue about what she was trying to understand there was an immense exclamation in her eyes, and she said aaaaaaaahhhhhh! She was more observant along the way, and here took place a release moment.

Mariana joins the world of psychology with physicality with her work in psychomotricity helping people with cognitive/movement disorders. I just got to know that, afterwords making this portrait, but I thought it was funny because there is some stiffness and liberation feel on this drawing.

Jorge Gonçalves © Rita Draper Frazão

This one caught Jorge Gonçalves in his brief participance in the workshop in a moment of pause and distraction. The colors are of a languid coffee break or a chocolate snack :) Jorge organized the Degrowth Public Policies Course, in Montemor-o-Novo. Take a closer look to it here and here.

© Rita Draper Frazão

Had in mind to draw all the participants that I came across with during the days I participated in the workshop (I didn't attend to all). Just to make it true, and as I was a participant in the workshop as well I made this little one with my feet and my sketch book. 

I have to say it was not an easy task to draw and participate in the games, conversations and activities since I think of drawing as the uttermost exercise of focus and attention. Due to that fact, I had to do the things I did, in different occasions. Drawing when drawing, talking when thinking collectively (with my drawing book closed), and playing when I was a player, and nothing else. 

It was fun and cheerful for me to do this, so I wanted the colors to match that feeling. All of them were indeed real, I just added the background color,  having in mind a nice contrast with the rest. 

Isso Isto © Rita Draper Frazão

This one above, could be the sum of the parts, that still, isn't equal to its whole, as the whole is a much wider concept. This, again, is one of the principles of the Gestalt Theory and is key to the work we were developing here. As much as we folded the sheet of paper, more and more folds were marked there, each detail could be a this (isto) and all of it could be a that (isso). 

Envergadura © Rita Draper Frazão

All the stuff we add into whatever relations we are into or that we create, are elements that compose it, that lead into a certain direction (as in Geometry the 3 points that create a plan with a certain inclination and location). It's with these elements that relations are built of - reach, magnitude, latitude, structure, wingspread, all words that in Portuguese are summed up in one: envergadura. 

The typography was written by hand and I had in mind never taking the pen out of the paper (always proceeding its movement with a continuos line). It resulted in a tower of eminently falling objects in flames over an horizontal patient word. 

The objects drawn were part of the last game played and the fire was the last action - not taken into reality due to its obvious dangerous nature. Hopefully, in drawings, everything's allowed!

Fernanda Eugenio © Rita Draper Frazão

This one is about the freedom and the individual. It is Fernanda Eugenio, the mentor of And Lab and of this workshop. I took her t-shirt print and though that, in my drawing, it didn't need to fit it in a t-shirt, in a content or in a shape, it could be leading a direction,  leaving at the same time, room for others to add other things. And that was exactly what Fernanda made possible. I also had in mind topics we discussed in the workshop: how individuality (and a so called freedom) can interfere with our perception of space (our own) and relationships. 

Thank you Fernanda for inviting, for trusting my work and to all the participants for having received me in such curious and nice way. Always making questions, asking me to see the drawings but, still, respecting my space while doing them as well. These persons are all special and it was a privilege to draw them.

In the end, this whole thing of the And Lab is about being happy in a sustainable way. Everybody can learn these tools. One does't need to be an artist to learn it, just curious and persistent enough on wanting to improve life. 

Let's not just write the book. Won't you help to sing these song of freedom?