My Covid Classic – #17

Posted on by The Wandering Art Historian

The Wandering Art Historian book club is chugging right along through 2021! April’s book club pick was The Forest Lover by Susan Vreeland and wow… what a story!

I first became acquainted with the work of Emily Carr two years ago when contemporary artist, Jessica Campbell, referenced her in some new work at the MCA in Chicago. After reading this novelization of her life and doing my own research (you know how much I love research!) I truly fell in love with Emily Carr and her emotional (and Modern!) depictions of Canada’s First Peoples.

There are so many aspects of Carr’s life to which I feel a strong, personal connection: her emotional distance from her parents (especially her father), her desire for spiritual edification while feeling disconnected from organized religion, her struggle with her blood family and her chosen family… the list goes on. As an artist myself, I am not only inspired by her artistic journey to infuse her paintings with feeling, but also encouraged by the fact that battled creative insecurities while trying to be as true to herself as possible. She was a woman out-of-place in her own society and amongst her own family, so she assembled her own tribe of creatures and misfits and was the better for it.

To honor the indomitable spirit of Emily Carr, please enjoy this #covisclassic as my tribute…

Top: Emily Carr w/ her dog, Jane, ca. 1930

Bottom: Adrienne H. Lee w/ her dog, Chip, 2021

3 thoughts on “My Covid Classic – #17”

  2. You are inspired by other artists and speakers as you inspire all who participate w/your art talks! Thankful for your virtual and in person contributions to my learning!

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I am writer and artist with a degree in art history who loves to talk to people about art. I have spent the last seven years building up The Wandering Art Historian “brand” as a way to connect with people who want to learn more about art. I give lectures and presentations and teach classes and host book club discussions with a creative or artistic connection. I also write about local artists, events, museums, and exhibitions to promote the arts in Central Florida. In 2021, I had a creative crisis. I struggled with authenticity in the art making process. I decided to make myself vulnerable and find out what a real, genuine Adrienne H. Lee artwork would look like. The process was challenging and emotional and revelatory. I learned that if necessity is the mother of invention, then authenticity is the mother of reinvention. I reinvented myself and learned an entirely new medium. The resulting artwork surprised me, and it will surprise you, too. Some people wish for a fairytale ending. For me, the fairy tale is only the beginning.