There are two things I really miss about being a kid: nap time and craft time. Let’s talk about the latter. When was the last time you did something crafty, just for fun and to get those creative juices flowing? Today, pull out your scraps of wrapping paper or a magazine, a little glue or tape and a flat surface, like cardstock or the cover of a journal, and get busy making something—anything. See where your imagination takes you.
WOMEN IN NUMBERS: 101 Years Old
The New York Times recently published an article about how women are taking over art museums. About dang time! Women artists are in the spotlight at many U.S. art museums this 2016–2017 art season.
One such female artist, 101-year-old Carmen Herrera, earned a solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art through the rest of the year. Born in Havana, Cuba, this groundbreaking artist later lived in New York and Paris, and despite her age, is still making art. Though her innovative, conceptual works feature brightly colored geometric abstractions of great precision, many have never before been displayed in a museum.
WOMAN TO WATCH: Langley Fox, Artist and Model
Today’s Woman to Watch has an impressive lineage but an even more impressive resume. Langley Fox is the great-granddaughter of renowned American author Ernest Hemingway, and the daughter of model Mariel Hemingway. But it’s her own vision and flair for artwork for which she’s quickly becoming known. Langley combines her great-grandfather’s creativity with her mother’s fashion sense through creating thought-provoking art with a fashionable twist.
But make no mistake about it: Langley is definitely her own person with her own imaginative point of view. She doesn’t rely on her famous last name to garner fans. In fact, she doesn’t use “Hemingway” at all, opting instead to replace her surname with her middle name: Fox.
Only in her mid-20s, Langley is a part-time model, but her growing fame is often more attributed to her fantastical drawings. Louis Vuitton commissioned a series of illustrations from her, for which Langley used her signature graphite and watercolors to portray the brand’s various textures and hues. And in 2013, Langley illustrated the Hemingway book A Moveable Feast for Louis Vuitton’s Timeless Muses exhibition in Tokyo.
Langley’s collaboration with fashion giants doesn’t end with Louis Vuitton. She’s also created a series of drawings for a Marc Jacobs’ pop-up shop in New York, and collaborated on a tropical-themed T-shirt design for Los Angeles-based fashion company Elkin. In order to create the perfect drawing, this artsy gal spends anywhere from two days to nearly two weeks on a single project, oftentimes working for 12 solid hours without lunch breaks. That’s what I call dedication to your art!
Despite her unmistakable beauty and her gift for creating extraordinary illustrations, what’s particularly striking about Langley is her humility. For example, her Instagram bio simply states, “Good with a pencil,” and is followed by several pencil emojis. She’s drawing from anything and everything that inspires her. Now that’s courage!
QUITE THE QUOTE
There are many acts we consider courageous, like walking a tightrope or starting a business. But it’s also courageous to express yourself fully, without fear of judgment. Today’s simple yet powerful quote is a classic from Langley Fox’s great-grandfather, Ernest Hemingway himself. He said:
“Courage is grace under pressure.”
This is Melinda Garvey signing off until next time. Remember, ladies, empowered women empower other women. Share On the Dot so more women can have a voice. Thanks for getting ready with us.
To learn more about our conversation, check us out at OnTheDotWoman.com and talk to us @OnTheDotWoman on Twitter and Instagram. We’d love to hear your voice.