12 Girls Up Close

Some time ago, I had 12 post card sized girls in an exhibition. I've gotten comments about how lovely they were but I realised that I never blogged them individually. So here they are, in all their open-mouthed glory*.

More importantly though, I'm obsessed with postcard sized pieces. I'm working on something I'm really delighted (only way to describe the eek! feeling I get when I finish a part) by it. I'll be blogging that soon I hope.

Blue, Black and Brown Girls

I wanted to paint on some brown fiber board I had. I just wanted to try a single colour as an accent. Now, I'm thinking red or purple might have been prettier though.

Rock Solid Regimen: I'm on a hair blog...

Who'd have thought it? I can see my mother's bewildered face wondering why on earth someone would ask me, the one daughter she often asks "what going on with your head?", for advice on hair. Well someone did. And here it is with more photos by RW.
Many thanks to Leila over at BGLH -- check it out!


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I'm pro natural hair because it's natural, it's ours, it's mine and no one, no standard of beauty or ugliness, no stereotype should dictate what I do with something as defining and as personal as my hair. That being said, I believe that once it doesn't come out of adhering to what is perceived as beautiful or acceptable or out of self hate, we should be free to do whatever we want with our hair.


BGLH: Where are you from? Are you a native of that country?
Brianna: I'm from Trinidad and Tobago, in the West Indies. Born and raised here.

BGLH: How did your family end up there?
Brianna: I'm a product of people from all over the place; Africa, India, China, Scotland...I can't really say how I ended up here!

BGLH: Why did you decide to go natural?
Brianna: I was convinced the first time I had my hair relaxed, at 14, that I was destroying it. I was used to having my back length natural hair combed and braided at night. I guess my mother got tired of doing that all the time! I, personally, have never felt complete with relaxed hair. I found it more complicated to deal with than natural hair. I have very sensitive skin and frankly relaxer scared me a bit.

BGLH: When and how did you go natural?
Brianna: Over 3 years ago. [Brianna is now 25.] I just stopped going to the salon. I just stopped relaxing my hair. I didn't take the warnings about hair damage too seriously. I just told myself it'd work out. And it did, for me. I finally went to a loxologist (a hairdresser specialising in natural hair. That's what we call them) and cut all the relaxed bits off. I was so pleased after the washing and twisting and drying. I actually felt proud of myself and my totally healthy head of hair.

BGLH: Could you describe your regimen? What products and ingredients do you use?
Brianna: I have a weekly ritual that takes a couple hours. I wash and condition; nothing special - Pantene Relaxed and Natural or Head and Shoulders. Then I sit down and comb the whole thing, divide into thick sections which I braid and let dry. After that, I just undo the braids, run my fingers through and put on a head band. That's my entire regimen.

BGLH: What mistakes have you made in your natural journey that you've learned from?
Brianna: I let myself be talked into texturising my hair!! I did and because my hair is fine and curly-to-wavy, the texturiser just made it go limp and STRAIGHT. I don't think I have forgiven myself yet. I was so upset, I cut off a year's worth of hair gradually and started over. I'm not going to touch it again.

BGLH: How does your hair work for your life?
Brianna: I work in Corporate Communications. I'm a university student. I'm also a girl who draws and paint. I haven’t encountered any instances of outright discrimination or negativity in any sphere of my life. At the same time though, there are assumptions associated with being young and Black with natural hair.

BGLH: How is your hair an expression of your personality/inner self?
Brianna: I'm a strong willed person and I loathe dishonesty and insincerity -- I think my hair is beginning to express that. I get the "Empress" comment alot -- people think it's regal. I enjoy watching it grow and making sure it's healthy; much the same way I am about my character and my life and my art. I paint girls with mainly natural hair because I think it should be celebrated.

BGLH: Why do you paint natural women? Is there are philosophy behind that?
Brianna: I have always found women beautiful; the elements that make faces unique. I find strength and dignity beautiful. I think that because my work could be described as being largely self portraits, the women reflect what I am experiencing at this stage in life – loving my natural hair... It was always a personal thing. I’ve only been opening it up to the public for about a year and a half. I do sell now though.
BGLH: Why are you pro natural hair?
Brianna: I see no reason why natural hair, in all its forms, shouldn't be an accepted and admired thing. I come from a place where, not too long ago, people with dreadlocks weren't allowed to work in banks. We still have the problem where private schools are discriminating against students with dreadlocks. I think it's high time we got rid of the negative assumptions about natural hair.

I'm pro natural hair because it's natural, it's ours, it's mine and no one, no standard or beauty or ugliness, no stereotype should dictate what I do with something as defining and as personal as my hair. That being said, I believe that once it doesn't come out of adhering to what is perceived as beautiful or acceptable or out of self hate, we should be free to do whatever we want with our hair.

I Am Not My Hair - India Arie -- a lovely listen.

That being said...

I've made so many changes to my life recently! I think I'm distracted by them so I may take a break. On top of that, semester opens soon and I'll be back at school, beating books, so creative work may end up on the back burner for a little while. Changing one's major 3 times is not a good idea if you want to finish school! I'm somewhat content with the area of studies I eventually settled on. The next set of deliberation comes when I want to do my Masters. I don't even want to think about that right now.

I think I'm at a point where I'm evaluating what makes sense for me. I like to go through the garden that is my life and pull up the weeds and brambles, break the rocks into pebbles and allow the fruitful and beautiful to grow. I haven't decided who I want to be yet but right now, I know who I am. I toy with the ideas of being this or that, remove the things that or even the people who aren't helping me grow. Is that a bad thing, I wonder? Not being easily impressed?

I've learnt, it is also something I greatly respect in others, that I much rather have strength of character, dignity, self respect and a healthy pride than almost anything else. I rather be unknown than known for all the wrong reasons.

That being said, here's Ana.

Yesterday

This is an old piece - from when I just started watercolouring (about a year and a half ago). It's never been blogged.

The Girl Who Paints Girls - - An Interview pt. II

'Ullo, the second part of my interview with Patricia Grannum is out. I'm posting it below. Thank you Patricia!
Life's been changing! Lots! Most good...actually, right now, it's all good. Ainsi soit-il...
Also, The Boy, Rodell Warner is promising to launch his website soon. Promise.

Joy by Brianna Mccarthy

Intro: Last week I interviewed Brianna Mccarthy about her lovely illustrations. Read to find out even more about her..

Do you seek to convey a particular message with each piece? Is that a part of your creative process?

It’s about emotion, a feeling, a mood - all in an effort to know and understand who I am and to understand the sum of my experiences and how they have refined what I am. I think all of my work comes out of whatever I may have been feeling at the time; I tend to be a sensitive person; I notice subtle things. Which I think is the case for most people who make things.



Anger, disappointment, fear, happiness, a sense of peace or even of fullness - those stimulate me and make the work. The sentiments are not usually obvious, which may or may not be a good thing. I don’t know if I want to blow the whole thing open and spell out what I’m experiencing.

It’s not so important that people see smudged mascara or tears; for me it’s finding a balance between creating a thing I think is beautiful and not attempting to box in what I feel. Earlier in life, as if there could be an early period for my work since I just started the madness, the predominant question I was asked was “why are they all so sad”.



I used to say “they’re not sad, they’re just not smiling.” I think perhaps, I prefer to be reserved so much that I have learnt to put the feeling on paper but not spell it out. I want people to see whatever they project onto the girl. It isn’t about me after it’s done. I’ve vented and what is taken from the product is totally at the whim of the viewer.

I read that you recently participated in Erotic Art Week(T&T) What piece(s) did you submit? What did you think of the event? How did you think your work was received?


My installation was called 12 Girls. It was essentially a series of 12 postcard sized pieces of girls with their eyes closed and their mouths open. I leave the “what they doing?” part up to the observer. I started the process of participating late and I must say thank you to both Dave Williams for his patience and to Rodell Warner for the encouragement.


I was in Tobago on business and actually completed the bulk of the pieces at night or whenever I wasn’t working. I thought that the Erotic Art Week events were fantastic. I thought that for the first of its kind, it did extremely well and provided opportunity for discourse. I was thrilled with the response that the User Operated Photo Booth by Rodell Warner received.

It was exhibitionism at its best. With regards to my work, I was really surprised at how well it was received and by the feedback I got. I don’t do the social butterfly thing very well so it was a bit overwhelming at a point; very much appreciated but overwhelming.

Where can we see more of your artwork?

At the moment I have my blog and an online portfolio at http://briannamccarthy.carbonmade.com. That’s as far as I’ve gotten at this point!

Parting words/Thoughts?

Thank you!

All pictures courtesy Brianna Mcarthy's blog here. (My thanks go out to her again for a great interview)

I still have Joy

I'm doubting my choices...which is not a feeling I'm used to. You see, I need to know what the future will bring without waiting to see what happens. Silly, of course.
This is Joy. She turned out unlike the initial sentiment; much the way joy makes a problem bearable. I think of joy as the knowledge of what's good, what's honest and what's beautiful. I know it's there. It's cloudy and occluded sometimes; the vision is there, just obscure. I still have Joy.

The Girl Who Paints Girls - - An Interview with Patricia Grannum

Patrica Grannum blogs over at Woman of Colour (which you should check out).
Recently, she interviewed me for her series of interviews/features of women in visual and graphic art.

I'd like to say thank you to Patricia for the opportunity!

Do check it out! The Girl Who Paints Girls

That's Audrey by the way; she's another postcard girl...

The interview is as follows:

Thursday, August 6, 2009

The Girl who Paints Girls! Brianna Mccarthy

(Painting by Brianna Mccarthy)

(Today's the first of a series of interviews/features of women in visual and graphic art. The interview is mostly unedited for deeper insight. Read on and Enjoy!)

Intro: The first thing I noticed about Brianna Mccarthy's girls were their eyes. Sometimes they're defiant, sometimes they're alluring and soulful. What strikes me most is that when I look at the eyes in her paintings I feel I've seen these girls before. Not on the canvas but on the streets of Trinidad and Tobago, our mutual home. So I had to talk to her about her inspiration...

Tell me a bit about your background: where are you from in Trinidad/Tobago? What was it like growing up there?
I’m a Curepe girl. I grew up on a street that was more rural than you would expect for an area so close to UWI (Editor: UWI is a university in Trinidad). The children were barefooted and active - I was a tomboy. I have many, many scars to show for that now. The environment was so saturated with all that Trinidad’s culture had to offer that I thought everyone got their eyebrows burnt off at least once “bussing bamboo” at Divali, that everyone had been to a Spiritual Baptist thanksgiving and had that hair raising experience, that Hindu weddings down the street were an everyday part of life. I think my short life has been one that I wouldn’t change; not because it’s been peachy or anything but because I believe that rough spots smooth my character.

Do you think your background has influenced your work? If yes, how so.

Definitely. I grew up in an extended family; I’m the youngest of 4 daughters. My family also possesses the Trinidadian uniqueness of being very mixed in terms of ethnicity. I have, for as long as I can recall, been fascinated by women I believed to be solid, proud and unique. I think strength is a beautiful thing and I saw many strong, individual, some might say odd, women growing up. I think those things make up the fibers that hold my work together.



I realise that you mainly paint girls. Why so? Do these figures reflect people you know/see in real life?

I find women very beautiful. I love the elements that make faces unique. I don’t have people sit for portraits though I do I see my sisters in my work alot. Otherwise, I don’t draw people I know or have seen, I may end up taking elements from their faces and making a new one. I have come to realise that my girls are largely self portraits of some kind or in some way. I think this is because what I do is about making sense of my experiences and using aspects of myself allows me to better express that...

(Look out for part two of the conversation Next Thursday...)

To see more of Brianna's work, look at her portfolio here
To know more of her daily thoughts, read her blog here

(All Pictures courtesy Passion Fruit, Brianna Maccarthy's blog)

Look out for part two of the conversation Next Thursday