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DeAnne M. Bradley
Nicole Wichman loves to paint rich flesh tones. She admits that even the white people in her paintings appear to be very tanned. "I just love, love, love painting dark skin," she said.
Wichman's favorite model is her 4-year-old biracial son. His black father shows up quite a bit, too. "A lot of people think I'm actually African American," she said.
We stopped by The Art Collective in Olde Towne Portsmouth, the studio Wichman shares with three other female artists, to see and talk about her paintings.
The inspiration
Racism, homosexuality, spirituality, alcoholism, eating disorders – Wichman addresses it all. "I like to deal with a lot of issues that people don't want to talk about, and in this way, I don't have to say a word," she said. Wichman address her own battle with bulimia and anorexia in her "Self-Portrait 2007."
"Standing to the left of me is the fear that drove the disease for so long, to the right was the reality of my body. In the center is the woman I've become, I no longer see my body as myself, I realize now that happiness comes from within and not without!" Wichman shares in her blog.
Right now, Wichman is working on election pieces. "Someday, 100 years from now, they're gonna be like, 'Wow! That's what people thought?' By then, we might have had 20 black presidents," she said.
Read the rest of this story on Link's website.
- DeAnne M. Bradley at 222-3897 or deanne.bradley@link757.com
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Not your body
Amen! Glad to hear she finally came to realize her body is not who she is, yet she has to live with it. Shame she doesn't apply that to others. It's not about having a black or African American as president. That's a body issue. That's judgment, not righteous judgment.
Character is what we are to look at. Out of character morals are born. Out of the lack of character, troubles are born, such as judgment which can manifest itself as racism. Keep searching and you won't care if there is 20 African American presidents or Irish American or German American ....or only those who can legally hold that office AMERICAN presidents.
As long as you see Obama as a black man, you are engaging in racism.