view additional image 1
View in a Room ArtworkView in a Room Background
85 Views
4

VIEW IN MY ROOM

THINK Sez Aretha Franklin Painting

Marcia Gawecki

United States

Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

Size: 30 W x 30 H x 1.5 D in

Ships in a Crate

info-circle
This artwork is not for sale.
Primary imagePrimary imagePrimary imagePrimary imagePrimary image Trustpilot Score
85 Views
4

Artist Recognition

link - Artist featured in a collection

Artist featured in a collection

About The Artwork

This painting started out as a tribute to the passing of the great singer, Aretha Franklin. The photo showed a young Aretha in a beautiful gown with a clenched fist. Her songs often inspired women to fight back against injustice. Then the Judge Kavanaugh hearings began, and Christine Blasey Ford stepped forward. Her testimony brought out a bad feelings from past hearings of Anita Hill and Judge Clarence Thomas. It struck me as being unfair that Dr. Ford was initially not being heard by the Judiciary Committee. So I added a boxing glove to Aretha's left hand to show that if she was here, she would be willing to fight! "Think," one of Aretha's songs, was the anthem for many organized women's protest marches. I don't like adding words to my paintings, but in this case, I had to add THINK in all caps as a warning to senators. I put the K laying down to stand for Judge Kavanaugh's nomination that should be knocked down. I wanted this painting to say: "Just because you deny allegations a hundred times, doesn't mean they're going away!" The Republicans and their nominee, Kavanaugh may have won this battle (It's being decided today, Saturday, October 6), but they have not won the war! Women will come out in droves in the next election. Many women will step up for public service and become senators and other public figures. Just like they did after the Anita Hill testimony! Because anyone who cares about the future of this country, will not stand for the intimidation and the mistreatment of women, especially those who have experienced sexual assault. This was the first experience for me in doing a painting in real time. I hope that Aretha Franklin would be happy that I used her image in this way!

Details & Dimensions

Painting:Acrylic on Canvas

Original:One-of-a-kind Artwork

Size:30 W x 30 H x 1.5 D in

Shipping & Returns

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.

I'm a journalist by trade, but I have been an artist most of my life. I started taking private art lessons in Omaha, Nebraska, at age 9. But then by age 12, I had put art on the back burner for cheerleading and boys. So then when I went to college, I got poor grades in art so I switched to writing. I worked at small ad agencies, newspapers and large corporations most of my career. I've always done portraits because I find them the most challenging. I would always paint pictures of friends and coworkers during the holidays to make extra money. When I lived in Chicago, my portraits became bigger and brighter. I think it was because I lived in an artist building on the corner of Milwaukee and Damon, where there were artists from all cultures living there. They encouraged me to stretch the limits of my creativity. On my way to work in the city, I admired the large scale bright banners that I would see in the apartments along the El line. Some were political, others decorative, but the Expressionist portraits I'll never forget! Big gallons of acrylic hardware paint usually cover the backgrounds of the door-sized cotton curtains that I have been painting for the past 10 years. I use tiny brushes to get the hard edges. In 2009, I painted a small banner of Barack Obama in response to a rousing speech I heard on TV. It was later used at a political rally at a restaurant in Idyllwild where I live. Then I started doing more banners of jazz icons to decorate that same restaurant each year during a jazz concert. I like painting big because of its impact! It can be challenging to get the right scale. I don't use a projector or any equipment except chalk. Sometimes it takes awhile to get it right! I turn the canvas over and over and make the blocks of color more abstract and bright! Even though sometimes I paint political figures, I don't like to discuss politics with strangers! They always talk louder than me and seem to know more about the subject, but I believe that a strong image is better than all the words you can say! Most of the banners I've done are of people I admire who are creative in the arts or in the public arena who have courage and determination! Lately, I have been doing a series that deals with race relations in the United States. Every time there's a shooting, and another young black man dies, it makes the news for awhile, and then disappears from public memory.

Artist Recognition

Artist featured in a collection

Artist featured by Saatchi Art in a collection

Thousands Of Five-Star Reviews

We deliver world-class customer service to all of our art buyers.

globe

Global Selection

Explore an unparalleled artwork selection by artists from around the world.

Satisfaction Guaranteed

Our 14-day satisfaction guarantee allows you to buy with confidence.

Support An Artist With Every Purchase

We pay our artists more on every sale than other galleries.

Need More Help?

Enjoy Complimentary Art Advisory Contact Customer Support