How To Paint A Donkey

2011-02-20T07:17:00.001-08:00

THE DONKEY'S EAR

I've been talking into the ear of a donkey.
I have so much to say, and the donkey can't wait
To feel my breath stirring the immense oats
Of his ears. "What has happened to the spring,"
I say, "and our legs that were so joyful
In the bobblings of April? I do feel teenier
As if some taut giant, once at the center
Of things, had moved to Sweden. Am I an ant
Struggling to lift a dark barn
Off its base? Am I changing my road
So that I can play with the old moonlight
Once more, and be what I once was, a lover
Whispering, struggling to catch fur in my hands
So I can lift my lips closer to the donkey's ear?

2010-12-15T08:45:00.000-08:00

From "Beatrice and Virgil" by Yann Martel

"I noticed that a donkey has an appealing terrestrial solidity - it's a good, solid animal -yet its limbs are surprisingly slim. It's as firmly yet lithely connected to the earth as a birch tree. And such lovely, round, compact hooves. And the legs tuck direcdtly under the animal when it's standing still. When it's walking, the stride is dainty and short-stepped. The proportions of the head - the slim ears, the dark eyes, the nose, the mouth, the length of the snout - are very satisfying. The lips are strong and agile. The crunching and grinding sound a donkey makes when it's eating is very soothing to listen to. And its braying is as frank and tragic as a sob."

2010-10-06T03:05:00.000-07:00

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2010-08-15T12:27:00.000-07:00

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2010-08-11T05:37:00.000-07:00

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2010-07-31T14:32:00.000-07:00

2010-07-27T05:59:00.000-07:00

2010-07-26T07:35:00.001-07:00

"Don't compare. You paint differently because you are different." (Frank Lynn)

2010-07-26T07:31:00.000-07:00

2010-07-19T05:00:00.001-07:00

When Louise contacted me with inquiry about a book of donkey paintings by artists she knows to go along with my humble poem HOW TO PAINT A DONKEY, I felt a large chime echoing through the sky. Yes, the echo said. Yes! This is something magical one could never have predicted. I wrote my donkey poem after seeing how many children in classrooms I visited had been "talked out of" their own writing. Criticized, cowed, terrified. I remembered how sad I had felt as an art-loving child when our official "art teacher" in public elementary school kept my paintings to share with other classes as "the bad example." She was a realist, I was not. Our styles didn't match. When I learned from other kids how she was using my work behind my back, I decided I would be brave enough to say no to her.

What better project could there be, all these years later, than a little visionary book demonstrating all the ways artists might see a donkey in their own mind's eyes? It is as if a YES has finally decided to echo too. Thank you, Louise. Thank you, wonderful artists. We continue to unfold our destinies.

naomi shihab nye

2010-07-19T04:52:00.000-07:00

"You paint what you know not what others expect to see. You own your experiences and thereby accept the challenge to be authentic.
A blue stained hand: a child's memory of a painted donkey.
The beginning of your becoming - free."

2010-07-19T04:46:00.000-07:00

This is a comment by Marina kassianidou to accompany her painting.

"You look like this and I look like that. You like certain things and I like certain other things. You laugh at some jokes and I laugh at other jokes. You believe in some things and I believe in some other things. You painted your donkey painting one way and I painted mine another. In some ways we are similar and in other ways we differ. But we are both one of a kind. Why would you want to be exactly like someone else when that someone already exists yet there’s only one of you in the world?"

2010-07-12T12:37:00.000-07:00

2010-07-10T11:20:00.000-07:00

2010-07-03T11:31:00.000-07:00

THE DONKEY
G.K. Chesterton

When fishes flew and forests walked
And figs grew upon thorn,
Some moment when the moon was blood
Then surely I was born;

With monstrous head and sickening cry
And ears like errant wings,
The devil's walking parody
On all four-footed things.

The tattered outlaw of the earth,
Of ancient crooked will;
Starve, scourge, deride me: I am dumb,
I keep my secret still.

Fools! For I also had my hour;
One far fierce hour and sweet:
There was a shout about my ears,
And palms before my feet.

2010-07-02T05:53:00.000-07:00

The official donkey deadline has passed for submissions and almost all of the donkeys (half a dozen or so running late) are now on Scottish soil ready to to be sorted through. The variety is staggering and testament to the very fact that there really is no one way to paint a donkey! A little flurry of submissions from Liverpool School of Art have been a joy....what a talented lot you are there in Liverpool! It has been truly wonderful having donkeys landing on my doormat from all over the world....like Christmas every day. I wish it could go on forever as I will miss opening the envelopes so much. Some of the titles are so enchanting and lyrical....and some of the little comments on individuality are brilliant.

I have every faith that it will turn into a magical and unique book.

I will be in touch with all contributors individually. For just now I want to say a very big THANK YOU!

2010-06-16T11:08:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK NEW YORK so good it sent me two donkeys....I LOVE IT!

Thank you Bill Jacobs and Maria Teresa Rizzi. How I would love to post them on here but it would spoil the surprise. Suffice to say they are just fabulous. Well done New York.

Also a fabulous little donkey arrived from Chantal Roux in France and it is every bit as magical as her poem (posted below). And not forgetting Cormac O'Leary's sleepy donkey from Ireland....land of donkeys. I am constantly uplifted by the variety of submissions. Keep posting them! My postman is intrigued as to what is going on! Donkey alchemy is going on!

2010-06-11T03:32:00.000-07:00

What a magical donkey week....donkeys arriving from Cyprus to Louisiana!

It is so tempting to post them all here but that would defeat the purpose of the book.

You can have a little taster with Denise Gallagher's beautiful contribution. He made my heart sing!

And I am posting a gorgeous quote from Chantal Roux in France. It has been translated from Chantal's French .

I look forward as ever to receiving more donkeys as the submission deadline moves ever closer.

Thank you as always for the commitment and imagination shown to the donkey project.

Louise

2010-06-11T03:25:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to draw you
Don't move, stay there
Are you turning your back on me?
Why are you going away?
However much I beg you
Always, you just do exactly as you please
Of we two
It's you the most obstinate
Stubborn donkey
I say : move on!
And you go backwards
Free spirit
Above all don't change
I love you like that

2010-06-07T10:53:00.000-07:00

HOW TO PAINT A DONKEY

Based on the poem of the same name by Naomi Shihab Nye we are creating a magical little donkey book taking the message from the poem to believe in ourselves and our own individuality. The book, a compilation of paintings of donkeys by artists is a hymn to the uniqueness of us all through the metaphor of all the unique little donkeys in the book. Enchanting and lyrical.

What better way to celebrate individuality. And that strong, silent creature...the donkey.

The donkey paintings received so far have been testament to that individuality....all unique and as diverse as we are.

2010-06-05T03:45:00.000-07:00

Below is a beautiful poem by Mark Bell, one of our contributing artists.

Do you like the reference to Cervantes!

Don key

ho te
burdenbeast gentle creature
of resigned sun;
few give romantic affection,
yet all quietly see
time's slain monsters
lay strewn
by your steady hooves.

2010-06-02T03:52:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone

Welcome to How to Paint a Donkey and thank you for the lovely feedback I have been receiving by email about the blog and the donkey project. The deadline for painting submissions is end June which is fast approaching ....it is so magical when a new donkey arrives in the post! I remain deeply touched by the generosity of time and spirit of all participating artists.

Naomi's beautiful poem continues to resonate. I would like to direct you to Julia's blog Painted Path (click on the image of the tree on the right hand side of my blog page). I stumbled upon it one evening and was amazed and moved by her response to the poem. It sums up so beautifully what the donkey book is all about. And Julia knew nothing about our magical little book!

So far the the project has generated paintings from artists in UK, USA, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Turkey, Cyprus, Finland, Canada, Holland, Ireland.......

Thank you!

Louise

2010-05-31T02:36:00.000-07:00

How to Paint a Donkey

by Naomi Shihab Nye

She said the head was too large,
the hooves too small.

I could clean my paintbrush
but I couldn't get rid of that voice.

While they watched,
I crumpled him,

let his blue body
stain my hand.

I cried when he hit the can.
She smiled. I could try again.

Maybe this is what I unfold in the dark,
deciding, for the rest of my life,

that donkey was just the right size.