It might need comic book illustrations to go with it though ;)
Here is the current version:
Anastasia Smith began in the Black
Hills. Her real 4-H animals included dairy goats and rabbits,
imaginary ones were horses. And dragons (yes, Danaerys is awesome)
These imaginary animals required her to learn to draw so she could
have some physical piece of the animals sharing her life. University
painting and sculpture classes were a sideline to theater design
because you can't make a living doing art....they said :(. Las
Vegas theater tech jobs DO pay, and backstage on dozens of different
productions and huge conventions is a great way to make your way in
life. The pinnacle of a stage tech/artist career is a decade at the
Jubilee showgirl extravaganza as part of the backstage crew AND the
lead scenic artist, so that is where she went.
Because a decade of running the same
show requires some really interesting hobbies, horses made a
comeback. Gentle Joe and jousting horse Isabel led the way. Yes,
the horses are real this time. Vaulting horses aren't quite dragons
but they do prove in an undeniable physical way that barriers are
meant to be broken. Learning acrobatics for the first time on the
back of a moving horse challenges your boundaries. A lot. Two years
of lessons with Alethea and Comet from Big Horse Productions made the
impossible an everyday occurrence.
Even with real horses, capturing the
beauty of a moment requires art. Drawing and painting were still a
steady presence. Horses became a second job. Riding and equine
massage brought concepts like boldness, confidence, subtlety, and
communication into everyday use. Oh, and dogs. She began to share
her life with dogs. High energy, intelligent, challenging dogs. Ways
of understanding animals, people, and herself became more important.
And what is art but communication? A way to reach out to people
through shared aesthetics, then to see how the artist's viewpoint
gets refracted through the viewer's. A brave new world, one where
vague inspirations develop real world value. A world that cannot be
entered without an audience.
Developing internal concepts like this
naturally leads to a crisis point. The conquests of before had become
a trap of false security. Art is, after all, a viable career choice.
Not easy, but possible with support. So 2014 finds Anastasia
succumbing to the siren call of the Black Hills and the comfort of
family. Goals include sketching every day, respecting the limits of
her body, and following inspirations. This means Kung Fu classes,
naps, blogging, and podcasting and...lots of art. Refining and
developing skills, finding new materials, and continuing to respect
and follow inspiration. Another major goal is also to develop an
audience that will give her different eyes, mindsets, and histories
with which to view and develop her art. Welcome.
