She Devours Her Young

These came and still come from a place of loss.

I will keep engaging it until it no longer stings.

Urban Heartbeat - De Mi Barrio A Tu Barrio

The Urban Heartbeat -street art in Central, South America and the Caribbean book- is out.

Me and my Bloomers mural is in there.

Some Other Goddess

I've encountered white ink...I adore playing with it.

I've been exploring this series of personal saint/goddess work.

I'm opening myself to see where this takes me.

Full of Grace

"O male odale o san rere / The spirit of the earth that wanders freely.
Ashe-O."

- Prayer to Oshun

Saint Never Come Again

Saint Make Do + Be Good

Saint Never Come Again (progress shot)

I've been meditating on these attributes we place on our saints, gods and goddesses - there's a way for them to intervene in any situation. There's a specific deity or saint for small crises and catastrophes.

I've been needing help with my own dilemmas - seeking to find these all purpose, indomitable attributes in myself.  These are my personal saints and goddesses  - to guide and strengthen and protect.

This series is in progress. Better pictures and more to come.

Love + Light

Keep good,

See Me?

Seer I+II
Every where is sadness.
Everyone is angry.
Including myself.
In these I was looking for insight.

Your Thorns Are Showing

“A certain darkness is needed to see the stars.” - Osho

Blooming Fool

Keep lovely :'j

Monologue

Most times I am armed in lace like delicacy and words like swords.

This missive was written in a haze; it's basically illegible to me now but all I feel is still there.

Seeing my way out of the dark. 

Keep good,

Sleep talk - Sketchbook things

---++
She was made of threads. 
But she lost more than she found-
Unravelled more than she wound.
                                          B.M
                                                    

Playing Dolly House Redux

I used to enjoy playing dolly house. To some extent I still do - the idea of creating a miniature world at the mercy at one's own whim is delightful. I had a spot under my grandmother's pink hibiscus where I'd create my own elaborate world where my dolls saved the world and lived underwater. I'd collect scrap cloth from the seamstress next door and I'd sew bustled dress and gowns. Best times of my life. 

I've been revisiting them. 

I've been making these dolls for several months and they do make me happy.They're hand sewn and detailed and that in itself is a wonderful process... therapeutic. 

It's Friday evening. I'm looking forward to perhaps linking with those I love in a few hours. I'm enjoying the moment of openness and quietness - Lovelies, keep good...stay safe. 

"Mirror, Mirror tell me who I am..."

“Look in a mirror and one thing's sure; what we see is not who we are.” - Richard Bach

“In the world through which I travel, I am endlessly creating myself.” - Frantz Fanon

I have an increasing fascination with masking and the ideas around distortion, self presentation, self valuation and identity.

For AfterColour, my last solo show, I made a new series of mixed media work - Look In.

These are a few from that series.

Keep good and talk soon!

Iconography

“These Women are not playing History’s game, and they refuse to be trapped in a dream” – Annie Paul 

Natalie McGuire explores the historical and contemporary depictions of Caribbean women in art in this article for ARC Magazine - What is a Contemporary Caribbean Woman?

To have been included in this exploration is an honour. Especially considering that I work in part to change the perception of what it is to be Black, female and West Indian and to navigate the complexities of Caribbean identity. 

Why am I not all things for myself? Aggregate, Prismatic, Grotesque and data moshed? Why is my image determined by the external fantasy of the foreign and the masculine? 

I think it's an interesting read. I am incredibly angsty at times though, despite that may work may not readily convey that sentiment :]

keep good!

*Grace Domestica* at Sheroes 10

Made this Grace Jones inspired mask digitally for Sheroes 10. I enjoyed this process and the fact that other people enjoyed her too!


I really enjoyed also that I could intimate what I considered to be the fierceness of Grace Jones, which I never considered remotely domesticated, through my usual process of fabric and floral play which is considered to be very domestic.


Sheroes 11 is fast approaching and though I'm superbly late, I'm looking forward to conjuring up some Dusty Springfield :]


Keep good, 

---

About Sheroes:

Sheroes is a monthly limited-run art party series bringing together on and offline works that playfully and performatively explore the iconography and cultures of fandom surrounding an ever-expanding "League of Legendary Ladies": Joni Mitchell,Chaka Khan, Tina Turner, Madonna, Yoko Ono, Erykah Badu, Etta James, Marianne Faithfull, Dolly Parton, Grace Jones, Dusty Springfield & more.

Sheroes is presented by salonnière reeraw (Rea McNamara). Based in Toronto, the series curates specially commissioned performances, sounds, installations &visuals.

Self Portrait in Grace Domestica

Tony Halmos wearing Grace Domestica. Photo courtesy Tony Halmos.

Frank Griggs & Porcelaine Desire in Brianna McCarthy’s “Grace Domestica” mas installation for Sheroes #10: Grace Jones

photo courtesy Rea McNamara 

Play + Motion

Rodell, who's been experimenting with making some very, very cool GIFs recently (go see), and I made this here with the Rutt Etraizer programme. We actually made it early last year but have only just published it.

This particular Paper Queen was featured on Tumblr's radar as well. 

Fait Main - 24h Avec Brianna McCarthy

Ey,

I was  featured in Boucan webzine's 5th issue. It's my first foreign language feature and I do like it very much.

The issue also features Robert Young, Marc Marie-Joseph and Keegan Maharaj. 

My thanks to Frederique for making this possible. Read the entire publication here.

Light + Love,

Keep good!

AMBIDEXTROUS

'ello,

I've been playing with these girls for some time. I'd been having a conversation with myself about connectedness, coming from everywhere but feeling that I belonged no where; aggregate of my interactions and experiences but belonging to no one. In that too, is the dynamic of functioning but with missing parts - helpless in some aspects, powerful in others - ambidextrous amputees. 

I hurt my right hand quite foolishly a week and a half ago...so like these, I'm learning to put some faith in my weaker limb - but there are some things I absolutely cannot manage with my left - like drawing. Fortunately, nothing's broken so I'm hoping it'll be totally pain and trauma free really soon. It has to be.

This is work in progress. 

Keep good and much love, 


And hello new followers! :]