9.2.16

Ode to Frida

 My love for Frida Kahlo started like how most of my other passions started...through my grandmother.  I don't remember when or how the love affair began but it did.


I appreciate her strong sense of individuality and her unwavering passion and devotion for everything she loves.


What makes Frida so inspiring to me is the hardships and the heartbreaks that she endured.  I love how she channeled every ounce of her feelings through her art.



Frida painted this self portrait in the summer of 1926.  She named it Self Portrait in a Velvet Dress. The story goes that she painted it for her lover at the time, Alejandro.  Their relationship was turning sour at the time because Alejandro thought Frida was too liberal and wild.  She sent him this painting and promised him that she will be a better person to deserve him.  Well that relationship clearly didn't work and along came Diego and the rest is history.



If a seven foot print of Frida Kahlo's self portrait doesn't belong in our house, then I don't know where it would.  I also learned that the best way for me to teach the girls about Art history is by surrounding them with Art.




Bella is not a big fan of the painting.  She said, "I don't know about her eyebrows."  Even though Bella is the more creative and artsy one of the two, she is not as into art history as Aurora.  When Aurora saw the print, she said, "That is Frida Kahlo."  Then she said, "Well, she is not a very pretty woman but I do like her make up."  So of course there was a discussion about how beauty lies in having confidence in yourself and not caring about what others might say about you.


  You know sometimes you say things to your children then forget about them?  Well today, I was doing my hair and I said, "Aurora, do you like my hair like this or this?"  She said as she brushes my cheek gently, "your normal self because I like you just how you are."  I didn't know if I should laugh or cry.  Well at least I know my love for Mr.Darcy is rubbing off on my children.




 With that I will leave you with this quote from Frida.

"I used to think I was the strangest person in the world but then I thought there are so many people in the world, there must be someone just like me who feels bizarre and flawed in the same ways I do. I would imagine her, and imagine that she must be out there thinking of me, too. Well, I hope that if you are out there and read this and know that, yes, it’s true I’m here, and I’m just as strange as you."


Be unapologetically you.
Love,
Victoria

51 comments:

  1. I love everything about this Victoria...every layer and depth of who, what and why you are who you are and how you live. The BEING of you and Bella and Aurora. I also have to say that I think Bella looks quite like Frida in that last photo of them both in their Ode to Frida. Beautiful.

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    1. Oh Kerrie, you get me. Thank you for that. You know I really was going to pick a Monet piece too but I love how the Waterhouse in Bella's room add so much depth and drama. I knew this Frida print would do the same. It is funny when I started blogging and decorating, I was all shabby chic and feminine and all white. Now I am all more colors! more drama! I have this really crazy idea to bring more art and paintings into the house. I can't wait to share it with you soon!

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  2. What a perfectly gorgeous and inspiring post Victoria! I have always been intrigued by Frida. Now, everyone is going to be wondering where you found this amazing oversized art piece, I sure am! I love it!

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    1. Thank you, Amanda! So I found this awesome website called posterprintshop.com All you have to do is download the painting you want and pick a size and texture. I chose matte canvas for my print because they are museum grade canvas. The only problem with mine is that I choose such large size so you have to find a picture that has the right dpi to print clearly. It is like my new obsession. I am going to be covering the whole house with paintings! : )

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  3. What a beautiful post! I love the quote you included and your photos are gorgeous as always!
    Jennelise xo

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  4. Beautiful post. I love it, and I love Freda. They have a Diego Rivera in the ASU museum. Another woman I like is Georgia O'keefe. I love how the girls are dressed up; I so miss that, but happy we did that when my daughter was little. She loved being authors, and book characters. My daughter has always loved art history since she was very little. We watched all the Sister Wendy cds, though a lot are on youtube now. We also watched lectures from Great Courses; my dd liked them even though she was only 7 or 8, but I think they might be dry for most. I actually took her to meet the professor. Oh, and we visited so many museums, special exhibits, galleries, read books on artists, and painted. I think she probably appreciates all we did, and I know she still loves the subject, so it was worth all the effort. I so agree with your philosophy, I think appreciating their uniqueness when they are young will help them through the teen years when doubts begin. xoox Su

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    1. Su, I have to admit I am scared of raising girls...especially when I see the news. I know people say it all the times but I do wish there was a manual. I grew up with so many family and strong women around me and here it is just me and the girls. Even now at age 7, Bella comes home and talks about bullying or how she wants me to be cool and doesn't want to be different from the other kids. I have to remind myself that I can't compare who I am and what I know to a 7 year old. The only thing I can do is expose them to a bigger world. We love reading about different artists too and there are so many wonderful children books about art and artists. Aurora is still young and hasn't been influenced by her surrounding as much so she is interested in what I am interested in. I am sure once she goes to kindergarten, things will change too.

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  5. ME ENCANTA EL CUADRO E FRIDA!!!
    QUE VIDA!!!!
    CHAUCITO-

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  6. OMGosh! Your girls are so much more than their young years. Their momma is doing a FANTASTIC job in raising them to be beautiful women.

    I love your art and artistic way of doing just about everything. Wishing we were friend s.

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    1. Thank you so much! I think the girls are so used to my eccentric ways that nothing phases them anymore. Now they want everything to be "cool"...by that they mean they want IKEA stuff.

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  7. Dearest Victoria,
    Living surrounded with art is soulfully rewarding. I live with art in all mediums and understand your recent embrace with the dramatic and color. I applaud you for exposing your young daughters to the famous works of art. I remember when my son was young taking him to every art exhibit that came to the Philly, NYC and DC area. Then we would return home and books about the artist would be read.

    Now Frida has always peeked my interest in learning more about her. Intriguing how Frida so young and involved in such a traumatic accident picked up painting canvas because of her Father giving her them to paint during recovery. Pain that stayed with Frida her entire life. I read many books about Frida and her marriage with Diego Rivera and his constant infidelity. Frida was bi and what I found almost humorous was when she and her husband both had affairs with the same woman. Oh what an intriguing artist she was.

    Remember when Salma Hayek played her in the movie? Great movie ... But I still can not look at Salma without remembering those convincing unibrows, lol.

    You're a good fun Momma, your daughters are lucky.
    xoxo,
    Vera


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  8. Victoria, I love it all. . .that painting of Frida is very powerful, and your description of her passions is beautifully written. I think your two girls dressed up a la Frida is just beyond words gorgeous!

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    1. Thank you, Cynthia. There were a lot bribing involved to get them to dress up like Frida....especially the unibrow.

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  9. Love the eyebrows! Your daughters are a kick!

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    1. Teddee, I love the brows too...though they were not fans of the unibrows being drawn on them. haha

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  10. Love the arts, and have lived it My whole life....I exposed my two children when they were young to every level of art form....Teaching them to feel, the gravity of its pull !
    Re-enacting art is a great way to not only teach the history of art, but I feel it really sinks in and sticks with a child by making it fun to learn about art history.

    Love the view from where we are looking into your living art space.

    See you soon.

    Dore

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  11. This print is absolutely perfect in your room. It anchors the room and takes it to a whole new level. I learned a lot just by looking at your pictures. Love what you do! Also, the daughters look wonderful in their picture, it looks like they had a lot of fun! Can you tell me where you are getting these amazing prints? I think I need one. Or more. Thank you Victoria, for your lovely blog (and your IG feed as well!)

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    1. I love love love the print too. So I got these prints printed out from posterprintshop.com They really are amazing. I think it is a company based out of California. I chose matte canvas because it is more of a museum grade quality. I have an idea brewing in my head....and it involved four more of these prints!!! : )

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  12. Your photos are fabulous, especially the ones of your children.

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    1. Thank you! They are used to their peculiar mother with their eccentric ways. : )

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  13. You are a true artist Victoria. Your photos are magnificent. Frida would be very proud. You have captured her intense personality, mystery and soul.

    Love Frida and Diego.

    Janet

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    1. Thank you, Janet. I love following your IG and seeing your travels and food eating adventures!

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  14. Oh is just beautiful post !!! I'm now your new follower
    Me too i just started a new blog if you want you can visit it :) http://unpeudublabla.blogspot.ru/

    Have a nice time Victoria!

    xxx Kate xxx

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  15. Oh is just beautiful post !!! I'm now your new follower
    Me too i just started a new blog if you want you can visit it :) http://unpeudublabla.blogspot.ru/

    Have a nice time Victoria!

    xxx Kate xxx

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  16. Great picture of Frida. Love your little Fridas....so cute !! Blessings to all, xoxo,Susie

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  17. I love, love, love this!! Fabulous work. Where did you find a large enough file to be able to print so large, if I may ask.

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  18. I just discovered your blog and I'm so impressed... your girls are so darling, you are beautiful and your home a lovely nest to be. Love everything I see here. I'm not one to like or favorite many blogs... only some very particular ones, and yours is definitely one of them...

    I shall be back

    Cielo

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  19. Love these giant print ideas! But where do you find frames big enough?

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