anonyrrie: Illustration Friday - Empty

Saturday, August 06, 2005

Illustration Friday - Empty


Once again, I went through a bit of a process trying to figure out how I wanted to interpret this week's topic for Illustration Friday. I was thinking about empty spaces and places, empty pockets and empty cookie jars, glasses half empty and glasses half full...and as I was struggling to come up with something good, I came across an article on the front page of the New York Times about the devastating starvation in Niger. I read through the article and looked at the heartbreaking pictures of children dying of malnutrition, and it struck me once again that the concept of empty is certainly a very relative one. I wasn't comfortable with trying to focus my illustration directly on the famine in Niger, so I decided to look at how emptiness relates to having much more than we need. When we have so much, we pout when the cookie jar is empty, we stress when we think we don't have enough discretionary income, we worry constantly about being better than others, and then we wonder why we aren't happy. Empty is when we become so full of ourselves, so selfish and egocentric - that we forget what real emptiness is.

26 Comments:

Blogger Cat said...

>>>Empty is when we become so full of ourselves, so selfish and egocentric - that we forget what real emptiness is.<<<


So true! Thanks for the reminder!
Love the corresponding illustration, too.

12:25 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Great post... I wish I could write like this for my posts... Excellent concept too for an Illo.

Thanks for dropping by my site... :-)

3:45 PM  
Blogger mica cabral said...

thank u for your lovely comment!
i agree with you...:\

5:42 PM  
Blogger The Crafty-Girl™ said...

Thanks for the double eye candy; for the eyes and mind! Very nice job...

and thank you for your kind words about my illo.

5:59 PM  
Blogger constanthing said...

What you said is so true. We tend to inflate the severity of our own little problems that we forget how insignificant they really are (most of the time).

8:57 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Full of emptiness - great concept, well illustrated; I love it when there's a backstory to accompany the image : )

2:29 AM  
Blogger Anonymous said...

I enjoyed your story and it's an exquisite image :)

5:47 AM  
Blogger isay said...

i like your illustration and story! i will be back to read on....

10:58 AM  
Blogger andrea said...

Great illustration! And a thought-provoking post to read on a quiet Sunday. Thanks. And how do you manage to have so many people leaving comments if you've only just started blooging? (I'm jealous.)

11:10 AM  
Blogger Mustashrik said...

Hey there!

Love the montage style of the various elements in your illustration! nice ;)

http://mustashrik.blogspot.com

11:43 AM  
Blogger Rowantree said...

Nice collage !!
Thank you for you for visiting and for your comment.

9:41 PM  
Blogger Rick Lovell said...

Well said, both visually and textually. It's true that we get so caught up our own "neediness", we forget that others are truly needy, and indeed, empty.

7:27 PM  
Blogger Whitney said...

Carla, I love your illustration and your perspective on this topic. It really makes me think... I'm an English education major, so I love coming across writings like yours. Thanks for the insight!

10:25 PM  
Blogger Kim Carney said...

Carla: That is powerful. Thank you. I love the FULL OF OURSELVES, is real emptiness. And thank you for visiting and commenting on my IF. It means alot to me.

2:14 PM  
Blogger Andrea said...

well said!

7:26 PM  
Blogger Melicrious said...

Thanks for the comments on my Blog.

I really love this illo too and you write so beautifully!! Wonderful sentiment, you've executed the concept really effectivly too. The flat treatment of colour and black outlines remind me of a Gilbert & George piece aswell. So poignant.

6:38 AM  
Blogger Fern Lady said...

Well, it's true, empty is relative. Thanks for putting so much thought into this, a good wake up call.

9:50 AM  
Blogger Tony LaRocca said...

Beautifully done, with understanding & compassion

11:28 AM  
Blogger Eren said...

Thanks so much for your comment and for this piece. I couldn't agree with you more. I love the idea of being full and empty at the same time.

Your illustration is beautiful and your writing is inspiring.

3:35 PM  
Blogger Ian T. said...

This is a timely comment - the full glass and material things, but the empty space between. The diagonal sliding off to the left really sets the unstable feel off well, as do the colours. Best of all, it has a kind of 2 dimensional "surface" feel to it!

8:00 PM  
Blogger bee'nme said...

Meant to tell you all week how much I like this....the colors and mood especially. Nicely done!!

9:06 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I love the philosophy behind your illustration. It's amazing how often I see the glazed over eyes of people populating the various malls. And I'm guilty of it too.

Great color too!

10:33 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

above comment was left by meg from june 25th.

10:34 AM  
Blogger Christine Lim said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

12:46 PM  
Blogger Christine Lim said...

Good concept for your illustration. The message is very meaningful.

By the way, thanks for taking the time to comment on my illustration.

12:48 PM  
Blogger diosaperdida said...

really great job with the concept. I had an idea but couldn't seem to draw it. Maybe I'll still try, being inspired as I am now.

11:17 AM  

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