A note on research

 

I love to do research when I start a new story. Most of the time I look for portrait to be inspired and create my characters. I look for expressions and feelings as I watch those picture. So the portrait of the day is this one :

 

 

 

 

A lady who supposedly murdered her father and step-mother in 1892, Lizzie Borden. She was acquitted. The story had such an impact that numerous books, plays, poems have been written about her. And I could have seen this picture without knowing the story behind it (that’s what happened actually), I would have kept it, because I can just be with her posing for the photographer. Just enough smile and restraint to portray a women of her times, but underneath you can feel how strong she is.

Here are two other portraits of her :

 

She seems totally different and yet, what could be seen in her younger age is still present. I can make numerous interpretation correlating what I know about her story and her eyes and attitude on the pictures. But just being with her gives me more room to recreate a totally new character from it, giving her a new name, a new story.

In my story, she would become a famous criminologist. Because I can see the stubbornness behind the half-smile, to overcome all obstacles and become what she always wanted to be.

With great respect and love!

A