A couple of years ago I had an intriguing commission to create a drawing for The Haven Breast Cancer Christmas concert catalogue and invites. I was asked to:
- Draw something that had a feeling of Christmas?
- Create something that wasn’t too clichéd, that was empowering and that was a celebration?
- Make a piece that someone would want to put on their wall as proceeds would go towards Breast Cancer Haven fundraising.
The Invite For The Concert
So I started to think about how to fulfill this brief and my mind travelled back to the impact breast cancer has had on my life. Breast cancer is all too common and for me it was at the age of 15 after my mother lost her best friend Carol to the disease that I started to paint and draw seriously, I used art as a way to express my anger and as a way to mourn.
Carol was a remarkable lady and I think of her often, when I do I’m reminded of the feelings that she she seemed to embody. The spirit of recognition, love, compassion and hope. I wanted to imbue this energy into my drawing and I choose the Epiphany as the subject matter as I believe these same values are at the heart of this story. It’s a moment of interfaith dialogue, a point of recognition from the wise leaders from the East, a moment of love for a new born child, compassion is signified by the Christ child and his symbolic hope for us all in a better future.
So why did I choose to draw three woman instead of three men? Well why not.
The Drawing
Once I knew I’d be creating a version of the Epiphany I started to look at artists that used decoration within their work whilst also having a strong narrative running through it. Aubrey Beardsley has always intrigued me, how someone could be so prolific and yet die so young. I love his use of white space and the density of the black, the final drawing is a nod in his direction.I set about creating my Three Woman King’s but I had to work out what gifts they would bring. Gold, frankincense and myrrh seemed a little out dated so I wanted something relevant to the people in the drawing. I sent an email out to my sitters and asked them for a bit of help.
“If you were to be going to see the baby Jesus what gifts would you bring?”
Their replies were very interesting:
Apricot
I would bring the Christ child an olive tree. I would like to imagine that as he grew he could climb into its branches and hide there when he needed a moment of solitude or a place to reconnect with the earth his brother. And since of course it would be inevitable that one day he would leave home – and leave his mother alone there, missing him – I would like to imagine that after he was gone she could sit under the shade of the olive tree and remember him. Also, she could then sell the olives and live on the income, since her child would not be there to care for her in her old age. Is that too long and complicated of an answer? At any rate, I imagine you could draw a very beautiful olive tree.
Jenny
I would like to give baby Jesus an alethiometer, so that he could always find the truth, but I am not sure of the appropriateness of this. I would also like to give baby Jesus a cake or a book, but I don’t want to seem flippant. In Vietnamese tradition, on your first birthday, you are presented with a tray of “presents”, each present symbolises values or bigger things and as a baby, what you choose is meant to give an insight into the character you will grow in to. I chose a piece of cake, a mirror and brush and a book. The book symbolises acadamia and knowledge and I have always loved study, and I love cooking and I do like to try and look nice and I like beautiful things. I think baby Jesus would like a book or a cake. It would also be nice to give baby Jesus a small tree. Aimie would love to get a tree.
A common theme was occurring here.
I decided that the three of them would bring the choice of gifts they came up with, Jenny (at the back) would bring a cake because she loves to cook for people and how her dream is to give up her job in the afternoons and go around and become a tea lady. Everyone needs a cake now and again and I think the baby Jesus would enjoy some lemon drizzle.
Apricot (on the left) as a writer will bring a book, this represents the wisdom of the past but also the blank pages shows that there is still much to learn and share for the future. What has already been said is still not enough.
Aimie (on the right) will bring the tree. Her desire to know the natural healing remedies of plants and herbs are represented by this.
Each dress is adorned with the favourite birds of each Woman King and a swallow follows in their wake. Haven were very pleased with the image and the drawing sold on the night with the proceeds going towards the work they do for to help support the sufferers of Breast Cancer.
