In an ensuing conversation on Louise's post on Klimt's painting, "Adele," Jeffrey Baldwin-Bott wrote, "The Scream has already been painted, but I think you should ask Tom to take a shot at painting The Sigh. I'm sighing right now too, and it feels borderline expressionist."
Well, Jeffrey, I take all such suggestions seriously. I'm always at a loss for new subject matter, especially subjects that offer interesting visuals, so I went right to work. I first Googled "The Sigh paintings," and came up with numerous sites on "sign painting." Eventually I came upon an article from Psychology Today titled "Why Do We Sigh?" The author reported on Scandinavian studies, where I can only imagine those long winters give rise to a lot of sighing. He concludes, "Depending on who's sighing--and in what context it can be perceived differently by others." Using the author's prompts I came up with a list of times when one might sigh:
Resignation, as in old age (this one hits right close to home for me)
Frustration
Discontentment
Wishful thinking
"What if" or "if only" thinking
Sadness
Failed romance
Passivity
Surrender
But then I stumbled on a particular cartoon character who is adept at sighing. Do you know who it is? Cover your eyes for a moment before reading on.
Yes. It's Charlie Brown. Charles Schultz was merciless with poor Charlie Brown, the perpetually plagued passive victim. Here are some moments of Charlie Brown's sighs:
It's one thing, however, to capture Charlie Brown in moments of sighing, and it's another thing to come up with a painting that depicts sighing and that has any interesting visuals. Not impossible. But challenging. So my mind spins on.
But I do have one idea, Jeffrey Baldwin-Bott. Why don't YOU have someone in your household take a picture of YOU sighing, and I'll paint YOUR portrait and call it "The Sigh"? How about that? All if favor?
Well, Jeffrey, I take all such suggestions seriously. I'm always at a loss for new subject matter, especially subjects that offer interesting visuals, so I went right to work. I first Googled "The Sigh paintings," and came up with numerous sites on "sign painting." Eventually I came upon an article from Psychology Today titled "Why Do We Sigh?" The author reported on Scandinavian studies, where I can only imagine those long winters give rise to a lot of sighing. He concludes, "Depending on who's sighing--and in what context it can be perceived differently by others." Using the author's prompts I came up with a list of times when one might sigh:
Resignation, as in old age (this one hits right close to home for me)
Frustration
Discontentment
Wishful thinking
"What if" or "if only" thinking
Sadness
Failed romance
Passivity
Surrender
But then I stumbled on a particular cartoon character who is adept at sighing. Do you know who it is? Cover your eyes for a moment before reading on.
Yes. It's Charlie Brown. Charles Schultz was merciless with poor Charlie Brown, the perpetually plagued passive victim. Here are some moments of Charlie Brown's sighs:
It's one thing, however, to capture Charlie Brown in moments of sighing, and it's another thing to come up with a painting that depicts sighing and that has any interesting visuals. Not impossible. But challenging. So my mind spins on.
But I do have one idea, Jeffrey Baldwin-Bott. Why don't YOU have someone in your household take a picture of YOU sighing, and I'll paint YOUR portrait and call it "The Sigh"? How about that? All if favor?
Love it. I vote yea.
ReplyDeleteI'll try not to overthink it.
ReplyDeleteSometimes we sigh to relieve stress and sometimes we sigh wishing a delicious moment would last longer.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree.
DeleteSeriously?!
ReplyDeleteMy first thought upon "SIGH" was:
"Contentment"
Well that turns it upside down, doesn't it? Sinking into a bath of hot water, and S I G HHHHH. Great Idea.
DeleteSince I live with a Swede I can attest to the fact that the Scandinavian culture is full of sighing and general non-word noises. My teenage brothers are always commenting on how entertaining it is to watch my husband since he is always making a sigh about something.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to know more about this, Bailie. Are there times when your husband's sighs are more predictable than other times? Does he tend to sigh more during those long Swedish winters? Or when he sinks his body into a hot bath? Are his sighs more indications of suffering and resignation or of contentment?
Delete