Thursday, May 10, 2012

Day 10 of the '29 Faces' May Challenge: WIP Art Journal Entry, 'Julia' from "1984"...

WIP: Progress on the '1984' Student Art Journal Guest Entry

Day 10 of the '29 Faces' May Challenge.  19 more faces to go.....


Amazing-- with this post we are officially a third of the way through the Challenge....!

Tonight I continued my progress on the guest entry I started last night for my student's art journal as inspired by the book, "1984".   While last night's Face was Winston Smith's portrait on the right, my Face for today is the portrait I've started on the left, of the other main character of the story, the young-but-wizened, conniving 'Julia'....

Despite his deep doubts and rebellious nature, Winston Smith has spent his adult life passing as a cooperative and committed governmental Party member.  His life depends on his convincingly pretending to be just another non-thinking cog in the wheel of the bleak and soul-crushing society into which he was born.   He has noticed a young woman around and about, the beautiful Julia.  Attracted to her physically, he is none-the-less utterly disgusted by her apparent complete and total commitment to the Party. Even worse, he begins to fear her, when, thinking she may be spy and following him, he plots upon how he might kill her in order to save himself.  That is before he learns  the surprising truth....that despite all outward appearances, he and Julia are actually of like mind, with her act of pure orthodoxy to Party doctrine only a ruse meant to deflect suspicion of a rebellious streak just as deep as his own.   Winston and Julia embark on a near impossible and certainly doomed romance, pledging their love for one another as they, in supreme secrecy, try to navigate  the dangers that the discovery of such an illicit affair would surely bring upon themselves.  Even a stolen glance at each other could be noticed, and duly noted....  In any case I am trying to portray all this complicated emotional storyline into my tribute piece  (and yes, for anyone familiar with the book, indeed that IS the beginnings of a 'Telescreen' behind them...!)....

4 comments:

Lisa Graham said...

Not much time for reading today...but wanted to tell you how much I like your WIP of 1984...It is starting to remind me of older movies..very vintage. Nicely nicely painted!

Have a great weekend!!

Patience said...

Thanks so much, Lisa -- really sweet of you to say! Indeed, I am trying to get that 'film noir' thing going here, heh ;-). The book was originally written in 1948, and I always heard Orwell wanted to name it as such, but that it would have been too 'hot button' political at the time to do so. Plus the fact that the London in which they're living is a very dark, drab, war-torn and gritty place. Very "Orwellian", as they've come to say....! In any case, I really appreciate the comment, Lisa -- again, many thanks! :-)

denthe said...

Love the emotion that's coming out of this. So beautiful.

Patience said...

Thanks so much Denthe -- really appreciate it!