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Malinda Prudhomme PROOF that Toronto Is Awesome

November 26th, 2014

Malinda Prudhomme PROOF that Toronto Is Awesome

See the Feature
HERE


I'm very excited to say I've been honoured with a lovely feature on Toronto Is Awesome.com! Joel Levy was looking for interesting artists to feature as Proof that Toronto is one great city! How could I pass up that opportunity? The feature includes 8 snapshots from my life (shown above) along with descriptions. It also contains a biography and introduction written by Shawn M. Soles, as well as some where, what, why questions. Give it a look-see by clicking the link provided above! :)

What I Learned From My Viral Link About Keira Knightleys Breasts

November 13th, 2014

What I Learned From My Viral Link About Keira Knightleys Breasts

Picture taken by Patrick Demarchelier for Interview Magazine


Last Friday, November 7th 2014, I came across a Gawker link that discussed actress Keira Knightley's photo shoot with photographer Patrick Demarchelier taken for Interview Magazine. When asked if she would pose topless she agreed on one condition: that they wouldn't alter her body. She explained that photographers always add volume to her breasts in post-production using programs like Photoshop and this had been bothering her for years. It's common knowledge that the media portrays "perfect" breasts as large, plump, non-sagging, and symmetrical; yet this isn't the reality for the majority of the women in our world. So, being an artist that promotes self-love and celebrates natural beauty, I felt it would be an inspiring story to share with my fans. I happily posted the link with a message of, "I think it's really wonderful that actresses and models are starting to demand their images are published unaltered. Keira Knightley's small asymmetrical breasts are beautiful just the way they are! :)". I had no idea the post would be seen by over 1 million people and I certainly did not expect the wide variety of comments I received. In the end I think it proved to be an unexpected social experiment of which I learned a lot.

The nearly 400 comments can be classified into seven distinct categories, each saying something different about how our society perceives and reacts to female beauty and the female body.

1) The Supportive and Inspired
Many people, both men and women, commented with words of praise for Keira. They agreed her body was beautiful, applauded her bravery in showing her body wasn't what the media claims is "perfect", and were supportive of the move towards admiring natural beauty and natural bodies. Some women even responded with deep gratitude saying the post inspired them to see their body more clearly and see beauty in the things the media tells them isn't up to par. Too all of these people, thank you! It's great to see there are so many of you with open minds and open hearts! To the women who are inspired to love themselves more deeply; I am so glad! This is something I hope to achieve with my artwork so it is great to hear it was also achieved with this link. :)

2) Pinning One Against The Other
A lot of women still feel the need to defend their beauty against other types of beauty. I received a lot of comments about Keira's slender frame. "Great, another image to make us fat women feel ugly" and others along those lines. We have to stop thinking of beauty as either thin or thick. Bodies can be attractive at any size and it's time large women stop being offended by the sight of slender women. Instead of shaming one group let's encourage the media to portray a wider variety of women. I also received a lot of comments that would celebrate Keira's small breasts by mocking large breasts. "Good for her, big tits are gross" ... "Who wants big saggy boobs anyways" ... and the likes of that. While I know I can't control people's thoughts or avoid what comes out of people's mouths I would like to encourage people to give all body types the same beauty inclusion they would like for their own body. Big, small, and in between; breasts are beautiful.

3) Affronted By The Description
There were quite a few people who were rather upset with me for writing "small asymmetrical breasts" in my description. They felt that by pointing out the size and shape of her breasts I was somehow "adding to the problem". Because these are "negative" descriptive words I was apparently being unkind in using them. To this I say, WHAT? Who claimed "small" and "asymmetrical" were negative words? These people were proving my point. It is the fact that we see these words as insulting that is the problem. I have to say that the vast majority of women have asymmetrical breasts, some more so than others, but typically one is always a little bigger. This is natural. This is normal. This is beautiful. I specifically pointed out these attributes because they go against what the media says is "beautiful" and by saying they are beautiful I was implying that the media is wrong. Still insulted? Sheesh ... I hope not.

4) The Skeptics
I won't waste much breath on these comments. These folks felt the photo had still been altered using lighting and other camera tricks. To these people I say, "So what?". It wasn't about the complete lack of editing. It was about creating an artistic portrait of a women without changing the natural shape of her body. Some people also thought it was all part of Keira's plan for added publicity. To these people I say, "So?". If her publicity stunt includes making women feel better about their natural bodies then why be so upset? Celebrities are publicized whether they want it or not. At least this is helping to move our society forward in the realm of imagined v.s. natural beauty.

5) Those With "Shame"
Sadly when it comes to nudity there are still far too many people who are behind the times. I received quite a few angry messages from folks demanding I remove the link as well as messages warning me of my downward path to hell. All rather amusing to me. There were many comments exclaiming how undignified the women is. Some used vulgar language which was immediately deleted. I couldn't help but find it hypocritical that someone would claim female breasts being exposed was blasphemous one moment and then use such hate filled language the next. My thoughts on female nudity, especially with regards to breasts, is that the age of body shame needs to end. Women's breasts are much the same as men's except, for some, they are filled with more fat, and when the time is right, they feed our children. Women's breasts have been sexualized to a point where they are only seen as sex objects. Our body parts, including breasts, are so much more than things to be enjoyed during sex. If we all became accustomed to seeing naked bodies they would simply become a part of us and not immediately associated with sex. Moreover, we would be forced to realize that bodies naturally come in a variety of shapes and sizes and not only one type of body is visually attractive. Now I'm not saying we should be naked all the time; let's not get carried away. I'm just saying we should stop being so ashamed of naked bodies and that journey should most definitely begin with female breasts.

6) The Unkind
While I hate to say it, a huge chunk of the comments belong to this category. Some of the commenters were female and I suspect a lot of these comments are a defense mechanism against their own insecurities. When a person is content with who they are they don't feel the need to make others unhappy. Unhappiness seeks unhappiness, that's what I believe. But the most troubling of "the unkind" commenters were male. A large amount of men felt they had a right to critique every part of Keira's body. Her breasts were too small, she's too masculine, she pouts her lips, her nipples seem unproportionate, and others found she was too thin. I don't understand who convinced these men that they were the ultimate judges of beauty. That their idea of beauty is the only one that matters or, quite frankly, the only one that exists. THIS is the biggest problem in our society's beauty issue. We've been brainwashed by the media into thinking a certain stereotype is the only form of beauty to the point that each person thinks they're an expert! What people MUST start to understand is that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder". I know, cliche, but if you think about it it's so incredibly true. We all have different preferences when it comes to beauty. What one person finds to be extremely beautiful another might find ugly. You might not find someone particularly attractive, that's your prerogative, but remember that everyone is beautiful to someone.

7) The Sex Crazed
These comments were difficult to bare. It's one thing to admire someones beauty, compliment their image in a respectful way, or even feel an attraction. But it simply isn't acceptable for someone to describe what they would like to do to a woman's body or what they are currently doing with their body while viewing the woman's body. Not one of these comments were made by a woman. Why is it that many of today's men believe women's bodies belong to them for their sexual pleasure? I attribute some of it to the constant sexual imagery in the media; usually portraying women as submissive or something to be used, not valued. Bad parenting must also play a role I suppose. But the amount of men who felt it was completely appropriate to make these comments still baffles me. Having the thought is normal human nature, but why feel the need to voice it? No one wants to know that. Keep your vulgar thoughts to yourself.

So what have I learned from sharing this link? Well, although there were lots of lovely people who appreciated Keira Knightley's gesture and admired her body in a respectful way, there were far too many negative and objectifying comments to make me feel hopeful about how our society views the female body. I can only encourage those who see beauty in all different forms, and in themselves, to continue to encourage others to do the same. Happy confident people spread kindness, so folks, it's up to us. :)

Technical Excellence at The Emerging Toronto Artists Awards

November 5th, 2014

Technical Excellence at The Emerging Toronto Artists Awards

1ST PLACE ~ TECHNICAL EXCELLENCE
Emerging Toronto Artists Awards
November 04 2014

It's time to announce some of the biggest news of my career! I'm so very excited and honoured to tell you that I was awarded the Technical Excellence Award yesterday evening at the Emerging Toronto Artists Awards! I can barely type this without crying ... I could not be more thrilled! I've been chasing what some might think is an unrealistic dream for a few years now but this reassures me that I am on the right track and doing what I was meant to do. :)

Special thanks, with all my heart, goes out to ...

- My incredibly loving and supportive fiance Darren Edward. Without him this wonderful career of mine would not exist. :)

- All of YOU! My supportive and encouraging fans! Your kind words fuel my soul and make me excited to create, Your "shares" and word of mouth mentions have helped me gain paid work which is the only way this career of mine will fully take off. :D

- The incredibly talented judges for seeing the attention to detail I like to think makes my work so special. :)

- And last, but not least, Alexandria Karakis and all those involved in making the Emerging Toronto Artists Awards such a fun evening; one I will never forget. :)

True Beauty New Series In Progress

October 6th, 2014

True Beauty     New Series In Progress

Back in July I announced my First Solo Exhibition which will be taking place at Ben Navaee Gallery on Queen East in Toronto, opening evening - January 30th 2015 - 6 to 9, show runs until Feb 05 2015. At that time I also expressed my interest in creating a whole new body of work which would feature a variety of "everyday" Canadian women in order to show how each woman; no matter their size, age, ethnicity, or personal style; is uniquely beautiful in her own way. A call for beauty went out and I was overwhelmed with the response. In the end I found it would only be fair if I chose my beautiful muses at random and so 16 names were pulled from a hat. I'm so pleased to say I will be depicting Vivian Bro, Nici Shipway, Lisa Boros, Doris Cai, Trish Lubbe, Sheba Devonish, Katrina Schaman, Delena Providence, Tia Brazda, Severin Stargher, Jerica Wentzell, Dana McCool, Tasha Rissling, Natashia Heald, Jenny Blackbird, and Alisha Gauvreau. As it is my hope that this series will be the focal point of my upcoming Solo Show I have begun the process and have already completed the underpainting sketches and backgrounds on all 16 pieces. If you're a fan of my work or simply a caring friend/family member please share any posts (Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, etc) that pertain to my new series and Solo Show. You'll be helping me ensure the show and art series is a great success. :D

Malinda Prudhomme at Queen West Art Crawl

September 15th, 2014

Malinda Prudhomme at Queen West Art Crawl

It has been a dream of mine to participate in the Queen West Art Crawl since I moved to Toronto in 2010. Since I live off of Queen West, the QWAC was the first outdoor art show I attended before becoming a full-time artist. I finally realized my dream this past weekend, September 13-14 2014. Though I was a tad put-off by the organizational hiccups and the bit of rain we had on Saturday (it has rained during EVERY show I had this season .... ugh) I still enjoyed myself and tried to focus on the positives. For example, having lost the spot I paid for, I was given a really spectacular spot, front and center, at the end of the main path through the gates. I also had the pleasure of meeting some incredibly kind people who really appreciated my talent, techniques, and detail. It is sometimes very hard to take part in these shows as abstract or more decorative artists tend to make far more sales, but I never tire of hearing how impressed people are with my ability to capture realism in a more vibrant and defined way. When someone enters my tent and really "gets it" it makes my day! So thank you very much to the folks who were blown away by my pieces! You've charged my creative juices and now I cannot wait to get working again! :)

HUGE Custom Preeti Ruby Indian Bride Portrait Painting

September 5th, 2014

HUGE Custom Preeti Ruby Indian Bride Portrait Painting

Many months ago when I was contacted by my wonderful client, asking if I would be able to create a HUGE 5 foot x 7 foot Indian Bride Portrait Painting, it seemed too good to be true. I had always felt I was meant to create epic beauty artworks of this magnitude and now someone would be paying me to do it! Truly a dream come true. :)

The three months of long days, nights, and weekends, more than 300 hours, went by in a flash. I had never felt more excited and ambitious about a piece. I would be so excited to wake up and start painting that I'd have a hard time sleeping. I was like a child during the night before Christmas. Every stroke, every gem applied, was done with the utmost care. It was a journey I will never forget.


To commission your own portrait please contact me at Info@MalindaPrudhomme.com

Malinda Prudhomme in HOLR Magazine

August 28th, 2014

Malinda Prudhomme in HOLR Magazine

I am VERY excited to announce that my artwork was showcased on three full pages in the premiere issue of HOLR Magazine! While exhibiting at the Riverdale Art Walk this summer I had the pleasure of meeting Neil Shelton who showed a real interest in my work and my concept of beauty. He mentioned his upcoming magazine and that he might like to showcase my artwork. I was touched but, as I'm sure many artists can relate, I wasn't going to count my chickens until they hatched. Well, I certainly was not disappointed! The premier issue of HOLR Magazine, Canada's newest lifestyle magazine, hit the shelves at Chapters and Indigo's across Canada on August 18th 2014! Be sure to check your location and take a pic with your copy!

Yesterday evening, after seeing that the HOLR website had gone live, I decided to visit the iconic Toronto Eaton's Center in search of a copy. I was over the moon excited when I came across this ...

Malinda Prudhomme at Art Walk North

August 18th, 2014

Malinda Prudhomme at Art Walk North

This past weekend, August 15 & 16 2014, I exhibited my beauty artworks at the Artists' Networks' ART WALK NORTH in North York, Toronto. I had taken part last year, the show's first year, and really enjoyed myself. I discussed my work at length with many admirers and even sold a small piece. This year was just as enjoyable despite the terrible rain on Saturday. The crowd was very appreciative of my work and showed lots of interest. I'm also excited to say I SOLD my beautiful "Viridian Indian Beauty" acrylic portrait painting! Another incredible year! I will certainly be applying again next year! Thank you so much to everyone I met over the weekend! I hope you keep in touch either on my Facebook Page, Twitter, or Website!

Don't Forget!
My First Solo Exhibition will take place at Ben Navaee Gallery!
January 30th to February 05th 2015
Opening Night:
January 30th 2015
6 pm to 9pm

The Big On Bloor Festival

August 18th, 2014

The Big On Bloor Festival

This past weekend I had the pleasure of participating in Toronto's Big On Bloor Fesitval! I look forward to this event every year as it tends to get a spectacular turn out, not to mention the experience in itself is so unique and fun. Bloor, one of Toronto's most popular streets, is shut down for the weekend, completely car free, and all of the local businesses, musicians, artists, and restaurants take over. Even though it rained throughout the day on Saturday a huge crowd still made it out and I had the pleasure of meeting many great people who appreciated my work. Unfortunately on Sunday I was not feeling well and after a lot of thought I decided not to participate. The weather network was calling for thunderstorms and I just could not imagine dealing with all of that while feeling ill. The weather ended up being nice which made it even more sad that I couldn't make it. I can only hope that I'll be invited back next year to participate again. If you did come out just to see me on Sunday please accept my apologies. I have two more outdoor art shows scheduled for this summer so hopefully you can make it to one of those. My upcoming shows are ALWAYS posted on my "News" website page HERE.

oo Big Bright Beach Beauty oo

July 16th, 2014

oo Big Bright Beach Beauty oo

"Big Bright Beach Beauty"
July 2014
Watercolour Paint and
Pencil on Paper
1.75" x 8.25"
FREE GIVEAWAY


I had been working with watercolour paper a lot and initially I had thrown out this little piece as a clipping. But then the thought occurred that this size might be beautiful for a tiny figurative piece. With summer in full force I thought it would be wonderful to depict a larger woman wearing a bright bikini and sporting bright purple hair. She's not afraid to be seen. She isn't insecure about her beautiful voluptuous body, nor should she be! I'm hoping this little piece will inspire other full figured women to be brave and enjoy the summer regardless of the ridiculous societal standard that only thin women should wear a bikini.

YOU CAN WIN IT ON MY FB PAGE!

 

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