If you've ever watched America's Next Top Model, no doubt you've heard of the phrase "Ugly Pretty." Although I don't have a formal definition, think Ugly Dog Contest where a pooch is so pathetic it's adorable. Or, if you don't like that example, think of anything that challenges the notion of conventional beauty.
In art, Ugly Pretty is everywhere (one man's graffiti is another man's eyesore). Yet, even though I know this, I always feel a certain amount of pressure to say, draw, write, or create the "right thing," regardless of the project.
Funny thing is...I LOVE Ugly Pretty. I love three legged dogs, and messy people, and dolls with cracks, and big noses, and creepy clowns. I LOVE things with scars, and with stories, and with history. I LOVE them because they have lived--not some "frou-frou" life--but a real life full of courage and character.
So, as I stressed about what to put in my art journal this week, I had an epiphany. Rather than try to be perfect and create the "right thing," why not be messy and ugly and see what's there? Yes. I gave myself permission to create UGLY artwork
(final result to the left).
I'm not sure if this counts as ugly pretty or just plain ugly, but it's my expression and I had a heck of a lot of fun making it (c'mon, you know you want to do this). I got so inspired, I even put together a collection of my favorite Ugly Pretty Finds on Etsy. Hope you'll enjoy looking at them as much as I did. They are the cutest/ugly things I ever did see.
Altered Today: Stress about what to create, fun with ugly stuff, Etsy showcase.
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