December 15, 2014 - 15:15
For my Camphill portrait project I worked with Gaby. She is a 44 year old villager at Camphill, she has been there since she was 21 years old. Gaby works in the bakery, weavery, and in the afternoon she manages the recycling of several households. Gaby loves to read and play softball. When I visited Gaby's room she proudly showed me her softball trophies and I included one of them in our portrait. Due to my extremely limited artistic skills Riva suggested that Gaby and I work together on her portrait. I came up with the idea to draw Gaby's lyre and let Gaby draw herself. Gaby also drew some of her favorite things like fall leaves and I traced over them. After we left Camphill I added rainbow strings to the lyre like the strings that Gaby has on her real lyre. Gaby said that her favorite thing in the world to do was practice the lyre and when she played for me she was profoundly peaceful. I loved working with Gaby collaboratively and I feel incredibly grateful to have been paired with her. I have included a bunch of pictures because I couldn't just choose one to represent our experience.
(bad picture of the final portrait with string added)
(Close up of portrait before string added)
Gaby playing her lyre in her room
Gaby working in the weavery
Gaby and her trophies
Gaby and I at Camphill
Gaby, myself, and the finalized portrait