to be a prism
one of the objects most precious to me is a prism that used to hang in my grandparents’ windows, which now hangs awkwardly in my kitchen window, trying to catch the light that comes in at approximately 11AM on sunny days. whenever the splotches of colour appear across my counter, my pile of un-cleaned dishes, the face of my fridge, it feels like magic, and I think of my beloved grandparents.
I got really excited to create my most recent prismatic character, Irisi. Trying to capture a bit of that magic in a visual, it reminded me of one time in art school, 9 years ago, when I drew a full “crystal” unicorn by hand, with only a mechanical pencil (pictured below next to another illustration about “false generosity”) - tedious, yet FUN. sometimes I yearn to return to this type of pencil drawing, it can be so rewarding to try and try and try to use pencil to create an altogether different texture. a fun challenge. the collage version of this process was a little more free, but just as (if not more) satisfying!
the idea of being a prismatic being is so appealing to me, because, as I wrote in Isiri’s write-up, it is not only about your own multi-facted light and magic - it is also a metaphor for the ways in which are influenced by others’ “light”, only to then refract and release it back out into the world beyond us. the idea that others’ ideas and values return back to the world after we ourselves absorb, interpret, filter, and release them.
it’s something I’ve been grappling with recently and have found comfort in reminding myself that it is, in fact, up to me to sort through these ideas and take only what works for me. just because someone offers me their ideas/perspective/values, doesn’t mean I have to take it, or take all of it. and that which I DO take, I must take responsibility for, because I will inevitably sprinkle bits of it back towards those around me.
oh, the ways the impacted, in turn, impact!
oh, the ripple effects we make and journey through!
I’d love to hear how Irisi landed for you - how they make you feel, what they make you think of. please leave a comment if you feel willing to share!
hugs, Katia
ps. stay tuned for upcoming updates on holiday commissions, because yes, I’m going to start sooner than we’d probably all like, to make sure I have time to get to your special pieces!