An Artastic Day and a Poem

Typically I share my art every Friday, but this week, I’m dedicating this Substack space for another artist – my daughter, Arielle, whose oil painted self-portrait was recently displayed at the Bridgeport Art Center in Chicago.

If you’ve been reading my posts for awhile, you have seen her self-portrait before; here it is again, this time displayed on one of the art center’s walls:

On Sunday, April 19, we and the general public were invited into the Bridgeport Art Center for an event that showcased high school senior artwork from all over Illinois. A plethora of artwork covered the art center’s expansive space – so you know, dear readers, I was in heaven. After gazing on what seemed to be miles of amazing, incredible art, we eventually came across Arielle’s self-portrait, so I proudly took the following photo:

It was a spectacular event in a wonderful space.

A sidenote: The building was artsy in every way, including the distressed wooden beams throughout the area:

And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the most amazing elevator I’d ever been in, boasting a full, stunning chandelier.

Now a poem in honor of National Poetry Month. The following is an ekphrastic poem, which is written in reaction to a piece of artwork. I was inspired to write the following short poem based on Arielle’s self-portrait.

Self-Portrait
There you are –
a human still life,
still, such a young life,
confident in your own agency.
Hair-shine, cheek-bright
chin halfway shy
and your certainty
that light and shadow
are essential in art –
– and in living.