11 Empowering Goddesses

The Artdog Image of Interest

I found an infographic that seemed appropriate for rounding out my collection of Women's History Month miscellania: a collection of Eleven Empowering Goddesses, from Invaluable's "In Good Taste" blog. The article that goes along with it is quite informative, too.

Whether you choose to worship these deities or simply find them interesting, even inspiring symbols of some of the strengths found within women, I hope you'll enjoy the infographic.

IMAGE: Many thanks to Invaluable's "In Good Taste" blog, for this infographic.

How will women bring governmental change?

Once I started looking for inspirational thoughts from women about women and their place in the world, my problem quickly became deciding which ones I thought were most important to highlight in my remaining time and space.

Today's post features three quote-images from strong women (two from the past, one contemporary) whose names we should recognize. It might be well to consider their words as our dialogue unfolds in the changing political atmosphere of post-2018-midterms USA.

Unfortunately, a focus on diversity, whether in gender/identity, race, or ethnicity, seems to be increasingly concentrated within one particular partisan "corral."

That is, in itself, a problem. If we start assuming that only Democrats elect women (a severe overgeneralization, but it's a growing perception), what good does that do for the overall diversity of debate and philosophy of governance?

It remains to be seen how much an influx of women will change the tenor and focus of politics, whether in the aspirational directions Abzug envisioned or in other ways.

As far as I'm aware, only Nevada's legislature actually mirrors the demographics of the general population, and their new legislative session just opened a month ago. This is early days to see how they'll prioritize. Another state legislature to watch is that of Colorado.

Change may be afoot, but it's incremental. And change, by its very nature, is full of surprises.

IMAGES: Many thanks to Goalcast, for the image featuring Susan B. Anthony and her words; to Black Women's Journal for the Michelle Obama quote-image; and to the ever-invaluable AZ Quotes, for the Bella Abzug quote-image. I deeply appreciate all three!

Three voices from three centuries make an important point

The Artdog Quotes of the Week

Women's History Month is coming to an end soon. Perhaps it's time to make some evaluations, based on the words of strong women from history.

Do you feel well-represented?

How do you think today's political parties measure up, by this standard?

How well do you think our international agreements align with this principle?

These are three different women from three different time periods. But each reminds us that women matter enormously.

I do not believe we can settle for having our needs left unmet in the name of "not the right time," "strategic compromise," or some imagined "greater good" that does not include good for us.

How much of that have you seen in your own life?

IMAGES: Many thanks to AZ Quotes, for the words of Abigail Adams, to Nomadic Politics, for the quote from Susan B. Anthony, and to AZ Quotes once again, for the quote-image featuring the remarkable Afghan leader Fawzia Koofi. Many thanks to all!

Catcall and response

The Artdog Image(s) of Interest

Have you ever been walking down a city street, especially past a construction site, and heard somebody yell, "Hey, baby! Gimme a smile!" or similar stuff? If you've ever been a woman--particularly a young woman--you have. Guaranteed. Probably daily. (If you're a man, then probably not, and you may not see what's wrong with it).

Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, Stop Telling Women to Smile

While the occasional inexperienced country girl may mistake these catcalls for harmless flattery on first exposure, it soon becomes clear that the objectifying intent is neither harmless nor benign. Day after day, the merciless barrage can drag you down.

Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, My Name is not Baby 

It's recognized more properly as street harassment--and NO, women don't like it. But what can be done, right? Most of us just duck our heads and keep walking.

Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, Harassing women does not prove your masculinity

Enter Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, and her "Stop Telling Women to Smile" public art campaign. All those things you so wish you could say to harassers? She says them. With large public art displays, right out there in the harassers' space on the streets.

Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, Critiques on my Body are not Welcome

Fazlalizadeh has illustrated her messages with the faces of women she knows, women whose lives are impinged upon daily by these assaults. Her images empower all of us, not only her friends.

Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, Women are not Outside for your Entertainment

She speaks what all of us wish we could, in a way that few can mistake.

Which speak best for you? Please make comments below!

IMAGES: Many thanks to the Huffington Post, for the image at the top. Deepest gratitude to Katherine Brooks's  2017 Huffington Post article, "Public Art Project Addresses Gender-Based Street Harassment in a Big Way," for My name is not Baby, Critiques on my Body are not Welcome, and Women are not Outside for your Entertainment; and honor and props to  Tatyana Fazlalizadeh and her "Stop Telling Women to Smile" page, for Harassing women does not prove your masculinity. I plan to feature more of these posters in future Images of Interest.

Karen Ann Hollingsworth's enchanting fantasy artwork

My personal highlight of the Capricon 39 Art Show
I've written several posts about Capricon 39, this year's Chicago convention from Phandemonium. I wrote about assorted (weather-related) experiences, and about fellow panelists who are authors, but no group of posts from me about a convention would be complete without mentioning the art.

In this case, one amazing artist, whom I particularly associate with Capricon. Although Karen Ann Hollingsworth exhibits her work at many different sf conventions art fairs, and other exhibitions, and although she is an accomplished illustrator as well, I first met her when we were on a panel together at Capricon 38. That also was the largest collection of her art all in one place that I'd seen.

I was enchanted.

 I'm also beyond excited to share some of her gorgeous work with you in this space. I hope her visual magic will enchant you, too.

Imagine is Hollingsworth's "signature" work, because it embodies so many aspects of her art.

I asked Karen for permission to post some of her images here, and she not only gave me permission--she gave me stories for each piece. Here's what she said about Imagine:

"I must lead with my signature piece Imagine. It combines both [of] the ways I approach my work. The right side the way I work when I do illustrations and commissions and the left is done in the intuitive way I approach my fine art pieces. It also embodies the sense of magic and wonder I try to infuse in all my work.

"Most of my work is done in watercolor and colored pencil on hot press watercolor paper. The only time I involve the computer is when I scan the images in to make reproductions, for a client or for doing promotion."

Catnip Dreams by Karen Ann Hollingsworth

Karen wrote: "Catnip Dreams is an example of one of my private commissions. I got permission from the client to sell reproductions of this one of the three images I did for them."

Shades of Grey by Karen Ann Hollingsworth

Karen described the origins of Shades of Grey: "This is an example of one of my intuitive fine art images. I was experimenting with doing a black and white watercolor."

I not only saw the next piece at Capricon 39, I voted for it. 

Just a Dream? by Karen Ann Hollingsworth

"Just a Dream? is my very latest piece, winner of the Capricon 39 Artist Challenge," Karen wrote. Challenge artists had to "incorporate a goat (the convention’s mascot) and three of the following five items: an animal skull, a carnivorous plant, a kaiju, a strange/glowing egg, or a monster-hunting weapon" in their composition.

Coffee Dragon by Karen Ann Hollingsworth

"Green Tea Dragon is one of my most poplar images. This year I finally got around to finishing the series, with the Coffee and Hot Cocoa Dragons," Karen wrote. "I do like doing series. I don't always realize . . . till after I do something that it will become a series."

And speaking of series (she has created 7 or 8 series so far), here's an example of another:

Great Horned Owl by Karen Ann Hollingsworth

"I completed [this series] last fall. My owls," Karen wrote. "I started with the Screech Owl that I had been hearing outside my window at night. I didn't know what it was. When I found out and saw photos I had to draw one. More often I hear the Great Horned Owls. To my amazement they sound just like the owls in cartoons. It's always special hearing them. I don't find they sound spooky at all."

I told her I usually like to include links to pages where people can buy prints, but she is still rebuilding after website problems last year. "As far as buying reproductions or prints of my work the best way to do so is in person at the Art Fairs and conventions I participate in," she said. "People can contact me online via email if they know the image they want."

What's next for Karen? "At the moment I am hard at work prepping for my next Art show/convention. . . . I'll be in Kansas City, MO [March 29-31, 2019] showing and selling in the Spectrum Fantastic Art Live pavilion [Booth #1412] within Planet Comicon. 

"It's my 6th time doing Spectrum Fantastic Art Live, but [my] first at Planet Comicon. Not certain how my work is going to go over. I plan to have more updates on my website soon about some of the special products I will have at Spectrum Fantastic Art Live  / Planet Comicon."

Don't worry, Karen. If the Planet Comicon attendees have eyes, they'll love your artwork!

IMAGES: All images are © 2007-2019 by Karen Ann Hollingsworth. They are posted here with her express permission. Please do not re-post any of them without her permission! For prints or more information about purchasing her originals, please follow her blog to learn about the art shows where she'll be exhibiting and selling her work, or contact her directly. Unfortunately, she's currently having to rebuild her website. Perhaps you can buy her art there at a future date.

Entering the space that art creates

The Artdog Quote of the Week

For artists, our art is our voice. That may seem fundamental, but people forget it often.

Women in Art for Peace published this about today's quotable person: "Unni Askeland is a Norwegian artist. She studied at The National Academy of Fine Arts, Bergen, and The National Academy of Fine Arts, Oslo. Her art has transitioned from Munch-inspired painting to American-style photography-based serigraphy, Askeland creates work that intends to shock and challenge conceptions of the contemporary art world."

IMAGE: Many thanks to the Google+ page of Women in Art for Peace, for this quote-image, and the information about Unni Askeland.

7 facts illustrating the discrimination against women in science

The Artdog Image of Interest

Very few women in the world today have any question that gender-based discrimination exists. Everything from loud, in-your-face sexism or violent physical aggression to the softer forms of diminished expectations and subtle direction away from riskier, higher-profile, leadership, or more lucrative options.

We've all seen at least some of it, but we don't often see it diagrammed out. The focus here is science, but no field is immune. Imagine the expanded potential if women could achieve parity!

IMAGE: Many thanks to IS Global Barcelona Institute for Global Health, for this infographic.