Here’s where I share my ideas about writing, art, design, and the conditions necessary for creativity. Peek into my portfolios, collect my whimsical art, or just follow along as I chronicle my studio practice.
¶ fresh ink
Ugly is a funny concept when you think about it. What makes a thing ugly? And what is that odd hybrid ugly/cute all about?
While working on Flower Crazy stuff, I “found” the cygnet below in the grain of the wood panel I used as my substrate. (If you’ll recall the story of the ugly duckling, the reason the duckling was ugly was because he didn’t look like the other baby ducks. He had a good reason. He was a baby swan.)
"Cygnet", watercolor and gesso on wood, 10 x 8, © 2012 Lisa Firke
Frankly, I love his ugliness. He’s awkward, he’s misshapen, he’s angular where a cute thing would be rounded, and he’s oh-so-vulnerable. His ugliness makes me want to root for him in a way handsomeness wouldn’t.
Has anything ugly ever captured your heart? Let me know in the comments.
