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Funnel — Description
Almost all of my “bigger” ideas begin with small pieces. In the case of H.E.L.G.A., it began with a simple drawing that I did back in 1999 – one that simmered for over a decade before it came to a boil. With my “Irene” tale, I first visualized the scene where Clara was having an internal psychological struggle while standing at a sink, and took things from there. As such, the stories usually start in the middle somewhere and expand until they’re filled out. It’s an appropriate creative structure for one who likes seeing female bodies do the same thing. It’s also a remarkably inefficient way of working, because the revisions and reimagining can go on almost indefinitely. Regardless, I enjoy the sense of mystery and discovery that comes as details emerge from a simple beginning, like watching a single cell in a petri dish propagate into a culture.

With this sketch, I have no idea what’s happening other than the obvious; there’s a skinny woman feeding a fat woman something from a hose through a funnel. The skinny woman’s clothing suggests a bygone era, but maybe it’s just a costume. Is the fat woman being punished for something, is this part of some ritual, does she simply like being fed this way, or is it something completely different? What story led up to this moment, and what would follow? Of course, with my proclivities it’s a given that she’d get fatter…but how fat, and in what ways would that fattening take place? As I said, I have no idea - not even a working theory. I just had this vision in my mind and sketched it out. It’ll probably end up like almost all of my sketches, and lead to nowhere. But there’s a slim chance that it’ll take hold, fill out, and become something more substantial. Either way, I thought you folks might like a look at it, so here it is.