Meg

@siares

Pre-K #teacher (public), grad student (again) mother to the best people ever, collector of banned picture books, and bona fide history, art, & sarcasm enthusiast. ♾️ 🏳️‍🌈 🩷💛🩵 🖤🩶🤍💜 #artist 🎨 #neurodiversity #Xennial #trigeminalneuralgia #kentucky 💙

204 Folgt516 Follower1.457 Posts

YouTube YouTube Bluesky

Ist das dein Profil?Übernimm es — dann gehört dir siares.dirty.social.Profil übernehmen

Meg@siares· 25d

I realized I never posted the finished version of this. Sorry for the poor photo—the painting had already been packed away, & I've been lazy about photographing my work this year. No plans for this one. It simply makes me happy, and that's enough. #art #artsky #watercolor #illustration #sunflowers

This is a watercolor painting accented with markers. It is of a jester like figure who is being visited by a red winged blackbird. The figure is surrounded by sunflowers.

Meg@siares· Jun 30

Not a #picturebook, but a favorite graphic novel, instead. Gender Queer: A Memoir By Maia Kobabe Even while book banners try to censor it, this book remains a vital, beautifully illustrated roadmap for navigating identity. #booksky #bannedbooks #booksky #LGBTQ Happy Pride! 🏳️‍🌈

***Gender Queer: A Memoir*** by Maia Kobabe is a poignant autobiographical graphic novel that explores the deeply personal journey of understanding one's identity. Written from the perspective of someone navigating youth without the vocabulary to explain being nonbinary and asexual, the story captures the universal vulnerabilities of growing up, feeling mismatched with societal expectations, and searching for self-acceptance. While it is written as a comic, the heart of the book lies in its raw, honest text and its gentle, empathetic approach to the confusing and often isolating experience of puberty and self-discovery.

The narrative is driven by reflective, first-person narration and candid dialogue that carries the emotional weight of the story. The accompanying illustrations, rendered in soft, muted tones, visually mirror this vulnerability, using clean linework to depict the author's internal emotions, clinical milestones, and personal reflections. It is a vital, comforting literary resource that translates the complex, often silent struggle of identity into a deeply accessible and vocal story of resilience.

Meg@siares· Jun 27

🎂Philip Guston was born today in 1913 Blackboard 1969, oil on canvas #arthistory #painting #artsky #Neo-Expressionism #artist #Art

The canvas is dominated by a large field of soft, muted pink paint mixed with subtle streaks of grey and cream. The paint is thick and has a visible, tactile texture from the brush strokes. Centered in the middle of this pink surface is a distinct, rectangular chalkboard shape, rendered in a solid, charcoal-black and bordered by a clean, dark outline.

Inside the black rectangle of the chalkboard are three small, simplified figures outlined in a sketchy, greyish-white paint that looks like dry chalk. These figures are uniform, triangular shapes that represent hooded heads. Each hood features two small, vertical slits for eyes, creating a flat, anonymous appear appearance.

The three hooded shapes are grouped closely together, slightly overlapping near the bottom of the chalkboard frame. The stark contrast between the white chalk-like lines, the dark black background of the slate, and the large expanse of surrounding pink gives the painting a very orderly, structured, and quiet composition.

Meg@siares· Jun 27

I've collected several more banned picture books since last I shared one, so I figured it was about time to post another. Neither By Airlie Anderson It's a story about kindness, acceptance, and making room for everyone. #booksky #bannedbooks #picturebooks #booksky

Photo of the children's book "Neither".
This book is about a little creature who doesn't fit into the boxes others expect and is looking for a place to belong.

Neither has been challenged because some readers see it as a story about gender identity. But it never actually mentions gender or sexuality. It's simply a sweet story about belonging, kindness, and accepting people for who they are.

Meg@siares· Jun 19

Happy #Juneteenth ❤️💛💚

Meg@siares· Jun 17

Meg@siares· Jun 11

Medication is wrecking my sleep. Making use of the time. I do miss sleep though....😣 #artsky #art #watercolor #painting #illustration #WIP

Continuation... Posting the hell outta this, just as a record of doing something that's not self-destructive.

I don't post my stuff often, so you know something's off.🫠

Meg@siares· Jun 8

#Realism painter Ivan Kramskoy was born today in 1837. Ivan's self-portrait has that distinctly 19th-century artist energy of equal parts genius, existential dread, and impeccable hair. #arthistory #Peredvizhniki #artsky #painting #art

This portrait shows a young man from the 19th century posed from the chest up against a dark, muted background. He has pale skin, dark brown hair that falls loosely around his face, and a long, narrow beard that extends to a point beneath his chin. His expression is intense and thoughtful, with slightly shadowed eyes that look directly toward the viewer. He wears a black jacket over a white shirt with a dark bow tie, though much of his clothing blends softly into the dim background. The lighting is gentle and subdued, illuminating the center of his face while the edges dissolve into shadow.
The painting has a quiet, moody atmosphere. The artist uses soft brush strokes and earthy tones—deep browns, charcoal blacks, and muted creams—to create a sense of introspection and seriousness. Rather than appearing polished or idealized, the man feels emotionally present and human, as though caught in a private moment of concentration or fatigue. The overall effect is intimate and contemplative, emphasizing personality and mood over decorative detail.

Meg@siares· Jun 5

I've been away, but not without reason.💜 Here's a glimpse of what's keeping me grounded. #artsky #art #watercolor #painting #illustration #WIP

In the image we see an artwork in progress, captured from a slightly elevated, angled perspective. The piece is taped down to a workspace with bright blue painter's tape along its borders. The focus of the photo is a detailed, stylized illustration of a jester character, blending black ink outlines with watercolor paints. The art style feels deeply inspired by the Art Nouveau movement.
The central figure is a jester, seated in a relaxed, cross-legged pose within a large, circular decorative frame. The character wears a mask over their eyes. Their classic jester's hat features long, drooping points tipped with small bells, colored in deep red and white. They are dressed in a complex bodysuit featuring sharp, flame-like or diamond patterns in rich tones of gold, crimson, and black. A cloak is draped over their shoulders, detailed with jagged, feathered edges and hanging jester bells. In their gloved left hand, held up near their shoulder, the character gently perches a small, red-winged blackbird.

Meg@siares· Jun 5

Yes! Thank you🩷 Also, thought you would appreciate my pin.

Meg@siares· May 31

Painter Walter Sickert was born today in 1860.🎂 "Little Dot Hetherington at the Old Bedford" (The Boy I Love is Up in the Gallery), painted between 1888 and 1889-Oil on canvas #arthistory #painting #artsky #PostImpressionist #artist #Art

The painting Little Dot Hetherington at the Old Bedford by Walter Sickert captures the electric, moody atmosphere of a Victorian music hall from the perspective of an audience member looking up toward the stage. The canvas is dominated by dark, heavy tones—deep browns, shadows, and muted golds—that replicate the dim interior of the theater. In the lower half of the frame, a young female performer stands isolated on the brightly lit stage, viewed from a sharp, upward angle that emphasizes the distance between her and the crowd. She wears a light-colored, shimmering dress that catches the intense glare of the footlights, casting dramatic shadows upward across her face and dress, making her appear almost like a glowing focal point in a cavernous, shadowy room.
What makes the composition fascinating is Sickert’s use of perspective and reflection. The scene is framed by the heavy, architectural curves of the theater's balcony structures and gilded mirrors, which blur the boundary between the actual stage and its reflection. Instead of a clear, crisp portrait, the texture of the oil paint is thick, grainy, and heavily layered, giving the entire image a hazy, atmospheric quality—as if looking through the smoky, gas-lit air of a crowded 19th-century theater. The view focuses less on the singer's facial features and more on the grand, cavernous scale of the music hall itself, capturing the contrast between the lonely figure under the spotlight and the vast, surrounding darkness of the audience.

Meg@siares· Apr 19

Happy Sunday 🤍 Archangel by Fernando Boter (it's his Birthday today 🎂 1986, oil on canvas If #angels exist in the physical world, they ought to have the volume to displace some serious air. #artsky #arthistory #art #painting #Primitivism #Columbia

The painting depicts a monumental figure that commands the space with immense physical presence. In typical Boterismo style, the archangel is rendered with exaggerated, rounded volume, giving the body a smooth, inflated appearance that feels solid and heavy rather than ethereal. Standing in a heroic pose, the angel has thick, powerful limbs and a calm, porcelain-smooth face with small, delicate features. Their dark hair is styled in tight, sculpted curls, and their relatively small, feathered wings peek out from behind their massive shoulders, creating a playful contrast between their divine nature and undeniable earthly weight.
The archangel is dressed in 17th-century Spanish military attire, featuring a deep olive-green tunic with gold detailing and high, sturdy leather boots that emphasize his grounded stance. They're holds a long, slender sword and a circular golden shield, objects that appear almost delicate against the sheer scale of their rounded hands and torso. The colors are rich and saturated, applied with such seamless precision that the figure takes on the polished quality of a bronze sculpture. The overall impression is not of a spirit ready to fly away, but of a formidable, tactile guardian who occupies the physical world with quiet, immovable dignity.

Meg@siares· Apr 5

"The Swing" L'Escarpolette (also known as "The Happy Accidents of the Swing") About 1767–68 Oil on canvas It's Jean-Honoré Fragonard birthday today! It's also Easter, but I'd rather celebrate veiled eroticism than zombie lore. 😁 #art #artsky #arthistory #painting #Rococo

The painting The Swing by Jean-Honoré Fragonard is a quintessential masterpiece of the Rococo era, characterized by an explosion of lush, frothy textures and a soft, luminous color palette. At the center of the composition, a young woman in a voluminous, shimmering peach-pink silk dress is captured mid-air, her gown billowing out like a blooming flower as she swings between two gnarled, moss-covered trees. She kicks a dainty satin slipper high into the air, a playful gesture that adds a sense of weightless motion. The background is a dense, wild garden of swirling, misty greens and hazy teals, where sunlight filters through the canopy in dappled patches, making the vibrant pink of her dress pop against the cool, shadowy forest.

Surrounding this central action are hidden layers of narrative and sculpture that add a mischievous energy to the scene. To the left, a stone statue of a winged cupid rests a finger to his lips, as if swearing the viewer to secrecy. Below the woman, hidden in the dense shrubbery, a young man reclines among the flowers, gazing up at her with an expression of delighted adoration. On the right, an older man—tucked into the shadows—pulls the ropes of the swing, unaware of the younger man’s presence. The entire image feels like a delicate, theatrical moment frozen in time, filled with the scent of overgrown roses and the rustle of expensive silk.

Meg@siares· Mar 29

Happy #Sunday Nothing to report, just posting washed-out images of my hard to photograph companion. 🫠🐾 #fern #dog

A young brown dog laying on a bed, looking at the camera with a quizzical expression.

Meg@siares· Mar 28

#Renaissance artist Raphael was born today in 1483. #artsky #art #painting #arthistory "Saint Catherine of Alexandria" (Around 1507) Oil on wood

Painted around 1507, Raphael’s Saint Catherine of Alexandria marks a shift from his early training under Perugino toward a more dynamic, "High Renaissance" style. While he retains Perugino’s signature atmospheric landscapes and angelic facial expressions, Raphael introduces a complex, curving contrapposto pose. This movement is a direct result of his time in Florence, where he studied and synthesized the works of his two greatest rivals: Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.
The painting’s composition specifically mirrors the graceful, spiraling form of Leonardo’s Leda and the sculptural monumentality of Michelangelo’s unfinished Saint Matthew. Raphael harmonizes these influences to depict the saint in a moment of divine ecstasy rather than physical torment. By omitting traditional symbols of her martyrdom, like the sword or palm, he focuses the viewer’s attention on her upward gaze and her spiritual connection to the golden light breaking through the clouds.
Symbolism remains a subtle but vital layer of the work, evidenced by the inclusion of a dandelion seed head in the foreground. In the artistic traditions of the time, this bitter herb served as a "clock" or a reminder of the Crucifixion and Christian grief. Likely intended for private devotion, the painting serves as a perfect example of Raphael’s unique ability to blend intense human emotion with the "universal harmony" that defined his career.

Meg@siares· Mar 22

Randolph Caldecott was born today. 🎂 As the "father" of the modern picture book, #Caldecott handed the genre its script. His kinetic illustrations told the stories that the words left behind. #illustration #booksky #childrensbooks #artsky #books

The Knave of Hearts returns the tarts he stole, in a picture-book illustration by Randolph Caldecott for the nursery rhyme “The Queen of Hearts.”
From R. Caldecott's Picture Book (No. 2) , c. early 1900s

Meg@siares· Feb 15

Today is Art Spiegelman's Birthday! 🎂 #booksky #books #graphicnovels #artsky #Maus

The cover of the graphic novel "Maus" by Art Spiegelman. It depicts an illustration of two mice one older, one younger. They are crouching in front of a swastika that has a cat's head in the center. The cat's head is drawn to look similar to Hitler.

Meg@siares· Jan 25

Reposting... because I can. #painting #artsky #art #resist

This is a small, hand-painted piece that feels like a folk-art icon or a tarot-style card.
At the center is a glass bottle, upright, with a bright orange-and-gold flame rising from its opening. The flame is tall and lively, with layered shapes that make it look warm and moving, almost like it’s glowing from inside. There’s also a smaller flame painted inside the bottle, as if the fire is contained and protected.
The background is a deep, dark blue, nearly black, which makes the colors stand out strongly. Around the bottle, growing upward on both sides, are flowers and green leaves arranged symmetrically. The flowers are mostly red and blue, with a few small yellow blossoms, giving the image a feeling of life and growth surrounding the fire.
Near the top right, tucked into the dark background, there is a small golden crescent moon, subtle but noticeable.
The whole image is framed by a golden border with decorative, curling details in the corners, similar to an old illuminated manuscript or a stained-glass window.
At the bottom, the word “HOPE” is painted in bold gold letters, slightly textured, standing out clearly against the dark background.

Meg@siares· Jan 22

Meg@siares· Jan 17

I'm so very slow to post my own art. Even though I finished this a year ago, I've only now become comfortable sharing it. There is a backstory, but it's a TL;DR situation. 🙃 A reminder to myself that a small joy can mean everything. #art #artsky #painting #dogs #bostonterrier

This is a whimsical and colorful vertical acrylic painting featuring a Boston Terrier anthropomorphized as a Japanese Geisha. The dog is the central figure, standing upright and looking directly at the viewer with a coy, knowing expression.

Meg@siares· Jan 10

The Third of May 1808 (El tres de mayo de 1808 en Madrid) by Francisco Goya 1814 Oil on canvas There is no moon or starlight, only the artificial, cold light of the lantern illuminating the moment an innocent life is about to be extinguished. #arthistory #artsky #art #painting #goya #resist

The background is a dark, oppressive void. A gloomy hillside rises behind the victims, and in the distance, the silhouette of a church and the city of Madrid sit under a pitch-black sky.

Meg@siares· Dec 31

Watch Meeting—Dec. 31st 1862—Waiting for the Hour by William Tolman Carlton, 1863 To the watchers of the long night, and the heralds of the new day. #WatchNight #FreedomsEve #painting #ArtHistory #artsky #AmericanHistory #newyears

A painting depicts a "Watch Night" (or "Freedom's Eve"). On December 31, 1862, enslaved African Americans across the United States gathered in secret or in churches to wait for the clock to strike midnight. At that moment, January 1, 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation would legally take effect.
The Vigil: The scene captures the agonizing and hopeful tension of people waiting to see if President Abraham Lincoln would truly follow through on his promise of freedom.
Symbolism in the Work: * The Watch: An elderly man at the center holds a pocket watch, counting down the final minutes of slavery.
The Chain: The title of the painting is inscribed at the bottom on links of a broken chain, symbolizing the end of bondage.
The Documents: On the right, a copy of the Proclamation is tacked to the wall, illuminated by a torch.
The Flag and Cross: In the background, a figure holds a Union flag, and an illuminated cross is visible outside, blending the political and spiritual hopes of the moment.

Meg@siares· Dec 28

Mine. Work in progress. #artsky #painting #art #Melancholy

A hand holding up a half finished painting. The painting is of a hooded figure pointing to an open space on their chest. The colors are muted.

Meg@siares· Dec 21

❄️Happy Winter #Solstice❄️ The Shortest Day Written by Susan Cooper Illustrated by Carson Ellis #Children #books #picturebooks #booksky #Yule

A hand is holding a children's book. The book is called the shortest day. On the cover of the book is a watercolor painting of a sunrise with five figures standing in snow greeting the new day.

Meg@siares· Dec 12

Here's a commission I just finished of someone else's horse. I haven't posted much of my own stuff lately so... First horse portrait I've ever done. Didn't do half bad, IMO.😁 #artsky #painting #art #horses 🐎

A portrait of a mare. The horse is painted in shades of browns and reds with subtle highlights. Landscape background in front of a summer sky.

Meg@siares· Dec 12

Today is Edvard Munch's birthday. Gamle Aker Church (1881 - 1) Oil on board Munch painted this when he was just 17 or 18 years old. #artsky #arthistory #painting #munch #snow ❄️

This is a small, intimate painting, roughly the size of a standard piece of paper. The painting primarily uses heavy, cool, and dark tones, evoking a winter day. The main subject is the Gamle Aker Church, which feels like a strong, solid mass, built from rough, dark-gray stone. Imagine a thick, sturdy medieval building that is rectangular and tall, creating a heavy, immovable presence in the center of the scene. The texture of the sky above is dense and oppressive, rendered in muted blues and grays that seem to press down on the landscape, giving the whole scene a feeling of solemnity and coldness. The foreground below the church is rendered with a thin, smooth texture, suggesting a cold, bare earth or a dusting of snow. The only lighter elements are the stark, thin lines of bare tree branches that frame the church's solid structure, appearing brittle and cold against the heavy sky, and a few small, dark human figures near the base of the church, emphasizing the building's immense scale. The overall impression is one of traditional stability and cold stillness.

Meg@siares· Dec 1

Exactly. #wordoftheday

Meg@siares· Nov 29

The Wounded Wilderness. Betye Saar (1962) #Etching with relief printing, plate Nature enduring trauma. #artsky #art #nature #womenartist

A vertical landscape, like looking up at a burnt hillside, rendered not in sharp realism but in rich, glowing color. This is a print, an etching with added color, and it evokes the aftermath of a devastating fire in the artist's neighborhood.
The dominant sensation is one of fiery yet delicate destruction. The colors are intense, mainly deep ochres, oranges, and earthy browns, with some sections perhaps showing traces of smoky blackness. The surface is covered in complex, interwoven textures that represent the charred remains of vegetation—spiky, brittle shapes where tree branches and leaves once were. These textures are what the etching medium captures best, giving the print a tangible, rough feel, like running your hand across a singed surface. Despite the subject matter, the overall feeling is not just of sadness, but of a quiet, almost beautiful resilience. The glowing colors make the "wounded wilderness" seem like it is slowly recovering or even spiritually alight against the darkness.

Meg@siares· Nov 22

First decent photo of Fern that I've taken in months. Usually she's too wiggly. 🤎⚡ #dogs #photo #Holliday

Brown dog with floppy ears and a colorful collar sitting on a tan couch. The couch is in front of a brightly lit Christmas tree. The dog is a lab / bully mix. She is awesome.

Meg@siares· Nov 22

Grey Fireworks by Helen Frankenthaler (1982) Acrylic on canvas Frankenthaler described her own work as the play of coexisting opposites. “It is an order familiar and new at the same time.” #artsky #arthistory #painting #abstract #expressionist