|
2 | Liberty Bodies Lives On.
So... sorry it has taken me so long to do my second blog... I have been rather busy since the first one.
Designing the new range took a while - what would I do next? Vanessa did some new drawings which went on the mugs and cards and now canvases – they look fantastic!
So what was I going to do?
I looked back into my old sketch books from when I was at college and found all these lists of words taken from dictionary definitions for women & men and how the male ones were all strong and the female ones were depicting weakness. I remember how furious I felt about that as I didn't identify myself as the weaker sex.
Anyway - that led me to thinking about the words that are used for our sexual organs and how some of those words are used in a derogatory way especially the female ones like cunt.
So I decided to do some designs using words taken from dictionaries, some are ancient terms not used nowadays and some are in modern useage. I really enjoyed playing with the typefaces to fit each word – it is amazing how some words just do not look right in certain fonts.
The reaction I got with the first range – the sketch mugs – I realised that there are a lot of people who find naked bodies quite challenging and not just women, men too.
I realised that I had started something when the mug factory owner in Stoke said that the women who decorate the mugs were going to send a list of what words they would like to see on them.
The Earthy Nature Range was very enjoyable to produce – I spent a day wandering round our local wood taking pictures with my camera and tripod. The light was fantastic, the leaf canopy gave every scene a rich green tinge. I did feel rather strange for a few days after that – looking at everything with that jaunty eye!
The iCHAKRA Range celebrates the energy of the body. Delcia McNeil's beautiful paintings depict the subtle energies of each chakra.
Having done a healing course and found that I could sense those energies in the body – I thought it was relevant to include them as we have the body theme. The affirmations are also body based and give an added dimension.
The Jewellery was great to design – I did a little sketch and then took it to Kate Higham who then made a beautiful silver and pearl pendant for me. The Pride Gemstone collection was an idea I had of doing the usual pride colour beads but taking it up a level and using gemstones to give it a natural style. I have to say that Kate has been absolutely wonderful – so generous with her knowledge, giving me all her contacts in the trade in order to empower me.
I have had so much help from so many people – setting up Liberty Bodies has been a wonderful, joyous and fabulous thing to do and I am very grateful for all the help I have received so far.
Before I start doing a Gwyneth I'll leave it at that.
Viva Vaginas,
Jan
Liberty Bodies. |
