Threads of Thought

Artwork, inspiration, connection, communication.

dwam:

THIS ! 

arvidabystrom:

thia person. you are amazing. kepp it up.

empresswuofthetangclan:

Hi. These are some pictures of my butt that I’ve posted on my blog. I just wanted to clear some stuff up about them. I have stopped posting them in the past because I was dating someone who 1) didn’t want other people seeing my butt and 2) was embarrassed that I would post them.

Here’s the most basic way I can say what I’m thinking.

Here’s what these pictures DON’T mean:

  • I want to have sex with you.
  • I want your attention.
  • I want sexual attention.
  • I have issues with self esteem.
  • I have no self-respect.
  • I have “daddy issues”.
  • I will have sex with you no matter who you are.
  • I am unintelligent and vapid.

Here’s what these pictures DO mean:

  • The human body is beautiful.
  • I have a butt.
  • It’s a good butt.
  • I’m proud of it.
  • Here’s a picture of it.
  • That’s it.
  • Nothing else.
  • Just a butt.

Here’s what these pictures say about me:

  • Nothing.

Here’s what pisses me off:

  • People who think that showing your body equates to a lack of self-respect or says something about your sexual activity.
  • People who think that this justifies receiving fucked up and creepy anonymous messages of harassment.
  • People who think that seeing a picture of my butt says anything about my personality, my mind, my soul, etc.
  • People who say they back up feminism and body positiveness, but if their girlfriend, or a girl they were interested in, posted a picture of their body on the internet they would suddenly “lose respect” for them.
  • People who think naked bodies = sex.
  • People who say things like “Do you think you’ll ever get a boyfriend if you’re posting those pictures?”, “I thought you weren’t posting those pictures anymore, haha.”, or “Why would someone date you when they can just look at your blog for those pictures?”
  • People who say those things and then ask me to send them pictures of my body. Fuck you.

Here’s what (I think) you should do:

  • Stop leaving hateful anonymous messages.
  • Stop using words like “slut” and “whore”.
  • Stop having double standards.
  • Stop assuming things about people.
  • Stop being hateful.
  • Be kind, be gentle, be respectful.
  • Keep scrolling down your dashboard.
  • Keep your shitty thoughts to yourself.
  • Love yourself.

That’s basically all I wanted to say for now, I’m sure I’ll end up thinking of more things but this has been a massive post about being body positive and loving the way you look and not letting shitty people get you down. 

Starting a small collab with @choplogik!

Starting a small collab with @choplogik!

Progress. I’m really happy with how this is going so far, though it’s not done. Oil on canvas. 24”x18” (cropped photo).

Progress. I’m really happy with how this is going so far, though it’s not done. Oil on canvas. 24”x18” (cropped photo).

vicemag: One out of three American women has had an abortion. But that’s a statistic, not a face. I’ve never spoken about my abortion publicly. It’s terrifying. One expects death threats, to be called a baby killer. One’s societal training is to be classy, be private, pretend your activism is on the behalf of others. Never let them see you bleed. Never, ever tell your own story. But silence, as much as anything, is why abortion’s such an easy target in America. Stories save lives. I had an abortion. I’m not sorry. I’m not afraid. Continue to “About my Abortion” by Molly Crabapple

vicemag:

One out of three American women has had an abortion. But that’s a statistic, not a face. I’ve never spoken about my abortion publicly. It’s terrifying. One expects death threats, to be called a baby killer. One’s societal training is to be classy, be private, pretend your activism is on the behalf of others. Never let them see you bleed.

Never, ever tell your own story.

But silence, as much as anything, is why abortion’s such an easy target in America. Stories save lives.

I had an abortion. I’m not sorry. I’m not afraid.

Continue to “About my Abortion” by Molly Crabapple

(via mollycrabapple)

Finished painting from tonight’s SNAG at @thecobalt_van! I finished this in 3.5 hrs! ws oil on canvas, 16”x16”. Fun times, but now my bad shoulder is acting up and I have to rest. Time for this old lady to get some sleep… Or go for late night waffles! (at The Cobalt)

Finished painting from tonight’s SNAG at @thecobalt_van! I finished this in 3.5 hrs! ws oil on canvas, 16”x16”. Fun times, but now my bad shoulder is acting up and I have to rest. Time for this old lady to get some sleep… Or go for late night waffles! (at The Cobalt)

One more week left to see this, as well as some other work, in person! spokeart: This is the final weekend to view “Natural Harmony” our four person exhibition at Spoke Art! Here’s a look at “Tides” an original painting by Mandy Tsung, on view until Saturday night! As an added bonus, this weekend also happens to be the debut of an awesome fundraiser art show in support of our friends at PangeaSeed, so come view both shows if you get a chance! Can’t make it to the gallery? Check out all of Natural Harmony online! - http://spoke-art.myshopify.com/collections/natural-harmony Also, be sure to follow Mandy here on Tumblr - http://mandytsung.tumblr.com/

One more week left to see this, as well as some other work, in person!

spokeart:

This is the final weekend to view “Natural Harmony” our four person exhibition at Spoke Art! Here’s a look at “Tides” an original painting by Mandy Tsung, on view until Saturday night!

As an added bonus, this weekend also happens to be the debut of an awesome fundraiser art show in support of our friends at PangeaSeed, so come view both shows if you get a chance!

Can’t make it to the gallery? Check out all of Natural Harmony online! - http://spoke-art.myshopify.com/collections/natural-harmony

Also, be sure to follow Mandy here on Tumblr - http://mandytsung.tumblr.com/

A quick oil sketch of @infectioushumanwaste. I haven’t been using any drying mediums for these and I forgot how nice it is to paint with straight oils.

A quick oil sketch of @infectioushumanwaste. I haven’t been using any drying mediums for these and I forgot how nice it is to paint with straight oils.

Did a small oil study of the drawing I posted the other day. I’m really enjoying being quick and loose with my brush these days (wow, ha ha).

Did a small oil study of the drawing I posted the other day. I’m really enjoying being quick and loose with my brush these days (wow, ha ha).

Painting sketch of @galours to practice using a limited (and organized) palette of unusual colors for me. Reading “Color and Light” is making me feel like an uneducated novice! So much to learn. Realizing that I really haven’t had a lot of formal training in painting. (Sorry about the nipples guys.)

Painting sketch of @galours to practice using a limited (and organized) palette of unusual colors for me. Reading “Color and Light” is making me feel like an uneducated novice! So much to learn. Realizing that I really haven’t had a lot of formal training in painting. (Sorry about the nipples guys.)

Here is the finished drawing from the other day (charcoal on paper, 11x14). I think I would move the fox up a bit if I were to do this again, or maybe try a different animal, just to see how it would change. In fact I have some semi-transparent paper… ooh layers…

Here is the finished drawing from the other day (charcoal on paper, 11x14). I think I would move the fox up a bit if I were to do this again, or maybe try a different animal, just to see how it would change. In fact I have some semi-transparent paper… ooh layers…

Here’s an update on the painting that I have in progress.

Here’s an update on the painting that I have in progress.

Why Women

“Why do you paint women?” This is the question I am most often asked. I used to think it was a boring question, but not anymore. 

My old answer to why I paint women was, “Because I am a woman.” My new answer is, “I paint women because the entirety of my life experience has been as a woman, and I am expressing what that feels like since I think it’s a very important thing for people to know”. 

Those two answers are so different. The first answer doesn’t demonstrate any understanding and is really only a fact (based on current notions of gender). The second answer is that of someone who has considered where she stands in a larger social context and has consciously experienced the highest and lowest limits of what her gender embodies. She also realizes the value of her life experience. I have to wonder why I couldn’t, or didn’t want to, answer the second way from the beginning. Perhaps it’s simply that I’ve grown as a person and I’ve gained confidence in voicing my opinion, as well as, an educated vocabulary with which to support it. 

I no longer dread being questioned about why I paint women, because I now realize that it is an important question, which I have the ability to answer. If you’ve read my blog, you know what I have to say already. To those who have yet to know my answer, I hope that I can have an open, meaningful dialogue with you one day.

Painting in progress, which I plan to submit to a portrait competition. Sorry about the crappy iPad pic, a better one will come once there’s some sunlight.

Painting in progress, which I plan to submit to a portrait competition. Sorry about the crappy iPad pic, a better one will come once there’s some sunlight.