Outside the Lines

Doreen Finnegan

This panel portrait provoked a high level of anxiety. To examine self when more comfortably the self is consciously avoided, proved to be more than a challenge.

Bits and Pieces
oil, ink, fabric, chalk on wood

In this painting both the process and the result present a metaphor for the struggle of living with an invisible learning disability. Several traditional portraits were rendered. Subsequently the paintings were cut up into pieces from which the 9 mini works originated. Fragments became collage which inspired each piece. The splintering of the original 15’ square into 9 5”X5” squares reflects the scattered shifts which constantly occur with ADD (attention deficit disorder). The size related to a sense of obscurity. Shifting from representational to abstract adds to the confusion almost always felt.

Dyslexia creates a challenge in processing bits of information. Attempts are constantly being made to make sense of the world, while remaining mentally fractured. The struggle to formulate visual cohesion also speaks of desire for external approval. The words of childhood echo still: STUPID, AREN’T YOU LISTENING? TRY JUST A LITTLE HARDER, PAY ATTENTION,……LEAVE THE CLASS……AGAIN. Then there was living with the quiet rage of always being misunderstood.

My purpose for entering into this project is both creative and educational. There remains a lot of misunderstanding around various learning differences. If as the viewing public, you suspect you or your children may have such a problem, please research solutions and consult professionals for help. Living in silence isn’t an option.

Bernadine Fox