10/15/10

The BBB Club - Beautiful Bald Babies!!!

In celebration of the Breast Cancer Awareness Month,
To the memory of our beloved Renee,
To Karin who is bravely waging battle,
To all our friends and family members who have been through cancer,
survived it
and to some we have lost,
To those who dedicate their lives to search for the cure,
Forever we shall celebrate, remember and help:

Bella Sinclair and I collaborated in designing The Beautiful Bald Babies (BBB) Club logo. Further down below, is the original logo in pen and ink. Bella and I also started the idea of the BBB Club when we found out that we were both baldies when we were babies. I first celebrated our bald heritage with the painting of The Ivory Babies.


Two years before bisextile day, bedecked, bedizened, beautiful, bald babies and some bouncy brainiacs, badinage in the leaf mobile while a distant bagatelle play Rock-A-Bye-Baby. Sometimes they are guilty of being boisterous but never being bellicose. There are 31 BBBs in this image (so far) and our beloved Renee as the maple leaf-carrying dove . The Beautiful Bald Babies Club (BBB) is a group of artists, writers, musicians, gardeners, photographers... Pigment ink on 9"x12" smooth Bristol board.


My dearest friends,

This was an overwhelming task. For me, to draw this portrait of pediatric impressions of the BBB was a roller coaster ride of emotions and ideas. I thought what might have been had we all been coetaneous childhood friends. Imagine that! That's a lot of baldies and some of their hirsute friends. We would have had similar experiences and we would be able to assume an easy understanding and have a common bond.

On the other hand, consider the loss of our personal experiences in different times, ages and eras had it been so. Our differences and the understanding thereof, are what makes us special, after all. From Arija's photographic memoirs to Mita's introspective musings; Karin's trials and Tessa's punctuated equilibrium, Amalia's artistic evolution and Deborah's joy. In the midst of all that is happening, we live our individual lives in parallel time line, sometimes intersecting, overlapping, entangling even momentarily yet we are forever changed by the virtue that we gain from our tender, gentle even lighthearted experiences.

This is not social networking, not amassing of fans and superficial friends by the numbers. I think I counted an overwhelming number of thirty babies occupying the leafmobile. Yet, I know I have disappointed some who came late and I have already inked the spaces. Please forgive me. To exclude you is not my intention. You are welcome to join us. I just had to finish my drawing lest it fall victim to disinterest. and I need you to express interest. I can only assume for very few, Arija for one, who has no clue that I had converted her during her leave this week, into a bald toddler sharing space with Shirley in the scout pod. So many babies, surely it will sink or tear the leaf pod, but it won't. Our energy, enthusiasm and a genuine desire to establish an honest virtuous friendship and support one another through our blogs will keep us all afloat and soar.

Without further ado, please read about the origin of the BBB Club here. If you are reading this and was late in heeding the call, take heart. the ring of friendship is expandable. Come and play. Let these artists' blogs speak for themselves (links in progress):




Our beloved Renee is a maple-leaf carrying dove in this recent club picture and also on the first ever BBB Club picture. Above, L to R - bottom row: Uber-talented Vanessa Brantley-Newton (navigator); lovely mental ninja Bella Sinclair with sympathy- right eye patch (president), my favorite everything - friend, artist, brainiac; Ces with left eye patch; beautiful and gentle Deborah the midlife poet, and dancer with security blanket; Linda Cardina, the beautiful painter; Manon Doyle, ever so gorgeous and gifted and Amalia K. the beautiful gentle artist on right lower corner. On the Scout pod: Arija, beloved wise and gifted photographer painter friend and Shirley Ng-Benetiz, master watercolorist!



Clockwise from bottom left: beautiful Silke Powers with scarf, my elegant and sublime friend Janice Heppenstall with camera, fully coiffed handsome gifted Francisco Martins; Andrew Finnie the master story teller-painter-digital art wizard surfing on leaf; Steveroni, Gemini Peep, the symphony fiddle man - looking so naughty!



Left to right: Lakshmita Indira the Enigma, Julia Christie, the beautiful writer-artist being herself; Audrey my lovely quiet artist friend; Buckram and Bembo my beloved Gemini twin sister holding a plate of siopao with faces; behind her is my favorite super gifted French painter MartineAlison, Tessa Edwards, the Regal painter and writer holding a book, the multi-talented K.H. Whitaker and the acrobatic wicked multi-media artist Anne Huskey-Lockard.



On the Tea party pod: prolific artist Diana Evans the beautiful shooing the spider with a spoon; Katelen Tays, the lovely Poetic artist ducking the spider; Faerwillow the mysterious artist contemplating what to do with the spider; Caroline Soer the awesome-wicked master water colorist par excellence and Karin Bartimole, multi-media artist fighter and who inspired me to draw the first leaf mobile.

Top row: Marie Segal, the master clay artist and sisterfriend; Lisa Holtzman, painter and master-calligrapher; Jack Foster, the wonderful digital artist; Jan the fabric artist-nature lover-body builder, all around fun!

60 comments:

Lisa Holtzman said...

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the group illustration! You, brilliant you! Oh, and your collaborative logo with Bella, wonderful. I'm so happy to be a part of BBB and all it represents.

audrey said...

Ces!! This drawing is spectacular and you are unbelievable! You drew this in no time at all and I must say it is a beautiful bunch of babies!! Thank you for the idea of this, for the time you put into it, for the LOVE you put into it. Not only is it fun, it is like a great big giant hug ~ all these blog sisterfriends climbing all over the leaves and each other. I love it!! I love being a part of it.
The logo done by you and Bella is wonderful, too!!
Thank you, Ces.
Thank you, Bella.
TSUP! TSUP! TSUP!
♥ audrey

Jan said...

This is such a sweet and fun club and I'm proud to be allowed to be a part of it. The drawings are so wonderful I want to make them huge and put them on my wall! I'm so happy I lucked onto this great group of bloggers, of people. Ces, your energy and talent never fail to amaze me. Now I need to jump back and read the origins again, see if there is something I am supposed to do next.

Ces Adorio said...

Lisa, So happy you are a BBB. You are a painter and master calligrapher and I have not seen anything more beautiful as your work!

Audrey, thank you. Thank Bella! She and I were so delighted to discover that were both baldies and so that's how it started. The mud pie babies painting (The Ivory Babies) is my first tribute to baldies! I am so glad you are a BBB.

Oh Jan, of course you are a BBB Curly! By the way, I just want you to know, be prepared to hear from the tea-party group. You released your pet spiders on them. Thank goodness Karin will shoo them away, not squish them. We can arrange for big. You don't have to do anything more. Just be yourself, multi-talented and nice.

yoborobo said...

Ces - what an adorable drawing (and logo!). Alas, I was not a BBB. However, if you start a club for Chubby-cheeked Babies, let me know. I looked like a chipmunk until I was about three. A cute chipmunk, of course! hahaha! xox Pam

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

You and Bella are absolute forces of nature--you know that? Bella, can you hear me??? ;)
This is so amazing Ces!!! I loved looking at the smaller image with all the people listed~~you got me spot on; mom used to get that tiny little tuft of hair on the top of my head and put a bow on it......which somehow reminds me of show poodles, but never mind where that came from.....
This is the best ever and what a leaf-full!!!!
It most likely would have been for more than the univers could have handled had we all been friends as youngsters....and more than our poor mothers could have handled too.
Think about it! LOL!!!

TSUP! TSUP!♥♥♥
Anne

Ces Adorio said...

Ah Pam, I have been thinking of you. I did not want to assume and inked you in. I really wish you would join us in the leaf mobile.

Ces Adorio said...

Oh Anne, but look at you. The universe is doing just great with you in it, in fact so much better. You are a loving, lovable and loyal friend. We now have to think of creating and L club...hmnn, okay let us stick to BBB for now. Hang on, The leaf mobile travels fast! Tsup!

Caroline said...

It just keeps getting better and betterer! xxx

brandi said...

~pure beauty and l♥ve lie within these drawings...a circle of individuals coming together and uniting by friendship...i am moved by many emotions this morning seeing and reading your post...honored am i to be apart of this amazing journey...thank you so...how you drew me is quite funny cause my expression you created is almost the same expression on my wii character my oldest created for me...hehehe...for not seeing me you where pretty spot on!! some of these wonderful artist i know...others i have recently met and i very much look forward to getting to know the others that sit upon those leaves...just spectacular...much l♥ve and light to you always~

Deborah said...

Awe! OH! OOOOOOOOOOO. AH. There is no one like you, my Cesalicious. Never in the history of time has there ever been anyone like you. JoY JoY JoY!!! All those lovely little naughty babies. Delight. I must have looked at this for 20 minutes and still need to go back again. **sigh** Deb ♥♥♥

Vanessa Brantley Newton said...

GOSHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! CES!!! My goodness! Look at all this beautiful baldness! I can't stand it. The moment I looked at it, it took my breathe away! How freakin' deliciously fabulous is this! OH MY GOODNESS You have out done yourself with this. WOW!!!! he he he he he! I love it and I love you even more. This is out of this world wonderful. Tsup!

Ces Adorio said...

Thank you dear Caroline. I updated my description of you. I meant to say Awesomely-wicked, not just wicked watercolorist :)

Ces Adorio said...

Faerwillow, ah see, that's just beginner's luck for me! A lovely bunch they are, for sure.

Ces Adorio said...

Ah Deborah, and there is no one like you. Ugh. I feel sick this morning. I think it's reaction to the flu shot. I feel like I am coming down with a cold.

Ces Adorio said...

Oh Vee, I just love it when you say "freakin'". I can just visualize you beautifully smiling from ear to ear. Thank you.

Bella Sinclair said...

My my MY! Traversing the globe and picking up baldies worldwide has taken some time, and now it is dark, I see! Thank goodness for the fireflies. Me is scared of the dark. I LOVE all these round little heads! I want to take a spoon and lightly rap each one. Maybe they will all emit a different tone, and I can play something nice for you. Any requests?

Who's on diaper duty?
Not me!

Ces Adorio said...

You don't say! All those links! Egads! Hmn, the president gets to change the diapers? I am already potty trained. You are lucky.

Shirley said...

Wow! Ces...it is an honor to be a part of this amazing club- the illustration is amazingly fantastical! Is that a word? I LOVE being on the scout pod with Arija! How cool is this? Your work is so inspiring, Ces..the illustrations are beautiful but the concept and meaning are what make me feel so proud of you for honoring those who have all been affected by cancer. In their memories and in their courageous battles, we shall all float and scout in support. Thank you so much, Ces...you are an amazing person! : )

Ces Adorio said...

Shirley, on the contrary, it is an honor to have you in the BBB Club! You are amazing! Tsup!

Francisco Martins said...

Ces, this is so awesomeee!!! The illustration is glorious and brilliant. The true meaning of this club and its concept is really remarkable and honorable. I love the way you drew my character :D

I never knew you friend Rene, but I have read a lot about her in Bella and Vanessa's blog, and in yours too. I'm sure she was a great human being and I thing it's beautiful that you honor her memory in this way.

PS: Fell free to draw one of my pictures anytime, I would love that :D

Andrew Finnie said...

oh I rightclicksavebeforeiknewiwasinitIambadthankscesyouuareafantasticartistaniamhonoured!hehsurfingonaleaf?whowouldhavethought!musttypequietlyasIamnothere!Byenowyourockmyspacebarisbrokenohdear:)

Silke Powers said...

Ooooooo, I feel enveloped in love and surrounded by true friends! This is an amazing illustration, but more amazing to me is the feeling behind it, the togetherness I feel with you and everone in the BBB club, even with those I have yet to meet properly. Thank you, thank you, thank you dearest sisterfriend!! TSUP!!!! Silke

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

I can't believe you redid this---all sectioned and the cut and paste it must have taken....
Am I by chance STICKING MY TONGUE OUT???? (you think I would do that, eh? hee hee!)
But not mooning anyone.....*sigh*....just trying to escape or start a fight. That is most cool--I can live with that!
Tell Bella I am sure my skull would emit an off-key tone, or something basslike. :)
You are a force of nature!!!

TSUP!!♥
From the Crazy Baby

P.S. I had to darken the BG of the logo so it would look all pretty against my dark BG blog....

Karin Bartimole said...

SOOOOOOOO amazing Ces - fitting all we bald beauties on the fabulous flying leaf machine - with Renee high above, a guiding center... You are such a wonder. I am smiling and tearing up reading your thoughts, taking in your talents and thoughtfulness, and thinking about Renee, and all she'd have to say bout the BBB. I love yours and Bella's collaborative logo - it is adorable. Such great fun!!!
tsup in deed!! xoxoxox K

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Oh Ces,

I am sorry my youthful sexiness distracted you!
As you can see, I was delighted to have the photo taken....Dad no doubt had me cornered with the camera.
You know who I get it from. :) (the photography....)

TSUP~~♥
Cutie-Patootie

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Yes I did notice that and I thank you!
It *used to* look that way.
Now it's about 8-10" lower and listing both to Port and Starboard.....at the same time!

:D

Poetic Artist said...

It is wonderful wonderful..I can not believe you talent and your heart.. You are amazing my dear. Also Bella..You got me I am always worrying about something. This time a spider. LOL
Thank you for including me, I am honored.
Katelen.....
Would it be rude and tell you you spelled my name incorrect...TSUP

Tammie Lee said...

so many art friends and bald babies in one glorious wonderful fabulous piece of art is just something that makes me smile and glow. Ces you are such a dear to connect so many dear hearts. Also you are awesomely talented with that pen of yours!

Jan said...

I think we are all quite adorable, all look happy to be in the same leaf boat with our favorite adorio!!

Bella Sinclair said...

Been trying to high-five people all day long with disastrous results. I think it's the eyepatch.

Dear Fireflies said...

THIS IS CRAZY!!!!! Crazy good, crazy wicked, crazy awesome.....
CRAZY EVERYTHING!!!

*Phew*

Well, my dear Ces, lets just say that you have just made being bald as the next coolest thing on blogland... Hahaha! What will you and your lovely comrade Bella come up with next, I wonder?

Oh, you two are 'dangerous' together!

Thank you... ♥♥♥

Ces Adorio said...

Thank you Francisco. I had fun drawing your character, such fine hair! Hahahaha!

Ah Renee, she was one heck of woman. I miss her. She is all over my blogs and her words still have the capacity to make me burst out in laughter at inappropriate times.

Thank you for the permission to let me squiggle your portraits. I will do that sometimes.

Ces Adorio said...

ANDREW!!! Ugh! Now I have a headache, you mischievous imp! HAHAHAHAHA! Thank you for making me smile.

Do you know that the comment section here does not truncate or is that concatenate? One of those. In programming a module, what you just did would crash a program so we stop anyone from doing it in the first place by setting limits on long text entries. Blogger does not seem to care, does it? However, Yahoo has got that covered, not Outlook though and iMail has that covered too.

Ces Adorio said...

Silke, I am so happy with your expressed delight. I think that along our journeys through the blogs we find people with similar tastes and virtues, so it is easy to understand why we easily express amity towards them. I am just so overwhelmed sometimes by the vast range of talent, from calligraphy to photography.

Ces Adorio said...

Anne, what can I say? I was bored? or I am perfectionist! HAHAHAHA!

Sticking out your tongue... hmn, I don't think I tried to do that but it sure looks like you did. Maybe, there is an innate force within you to do mischief that even static drawings change themselves to suit your personality?

Ces Adorio said...

Thank you Karin. It is my pleasure. You know, sometimes I wonder why I blog. It seems such a time consuming task and even takes me away from my painting activities. Then I think of people like Renee and you and it is all worth it.

Ah yes, Bella, she has elevated my blogging experience. Her mirth is so contagious and she is so funny. We all love her!

Ces Adorio said...

Ah Katelen, thank you for correcting me. and no it is not rude at all. In fact, thank you. Names are very important. I don't like when people misspell my name, that is why I use my nickname Ces. However, all my blog friends have converted it to new words which tickles me. Hahahah!

Ces Adorio said...

Tammie, yes indeed. I am sure there will be a new group portrait and perhaps we have to sit down in a field so we can all be accommodated and it will forever be a work in progress... Oh that gives me an idea!

Ces Adorio said...

Yes, Jan, how can one not love a bald baby? I mean, the head! The head! Hahahahah!

Ces Adorio said...

Oh dear Bella, I want you to play Edvard Grieg's "In The Hall of The Mountain King" from the Peer Gynt Suite. Will you please arrange that?

Oh boy!

Some bruised heads especially after the prestissimo!!!

Slay him! The Christian's son has bewitched
The Mountain King's fairest daughter!
Slay him!
Slay him!
May I hack him on the fingers?
May I tug him by the hair?
Hu, hey, let me bite him in the haunches!
Shall he be boiled into broth and bree to me
Shall he roast on a spit or be browned in a stewpan?
Ice to your blood, friends!

Ces Adorio said...

HAHAHAHAHAHA! Thank you Amalia.

Bald is cool. Even the hirsute ones wanted to be bald just to be in the club. So I say, show your true bald head!

It's all Bella's fault, really. Ah she is so much fun and we all love her.

I am so glad you were a baldie. I think you look so sweet in the group picture. I enjoyed drawing you!

Hahahahah!

Bella Sinclair said...

Ooooh, that's harsh punishment for falling in love. Though he may enjoy being bitten in the haunches. One never knows.

MrBibleHead said...

Hey Ces! Thanks for redirecting back to the BBB family portrait! How did you get this ALL done so quickly. This is crazy!! it's so cool,especially because I know most of the other BBBs. You nailed all the personalities, talents and special gifts. Guess what? You captured me perfectly. I'll have to dig up a baby pic of me.... It is totally a bull's eye! I think I commented on the logo before... but it ROCKS! You and Bella are a creative collaberation made in heaven. A couple of AAAs. (Amazing Artistic Angels)
Thank you Ces!!

steveroni said...

Say wha? Say wha? What's this about changing diapers? I also was potty-trained...but it is nearing, for me, diaper-time once more (74 years later--grin!).

I do have cancer in emission--I mean REMISSION!!! LOL!

SERIOUSLY (I hesitate to harm my image with that word) Ces, this activity in which you and Bella and others are engaged is the most sharing of pure love, and giving of time and talent which I can remember, since Mother Teresa administered to the poorest-of-the-poor.

Willingly enjoying every moment of reading these blogs and comments, I scrolled back and forth to "see" each Peep again in their BBB element.

This is A W E S O M E work!!! Thank you all so much.

Blessings, and TSUP!

naught-e-roni

Manon said...

OMG, Ces. The drawing is totally amazing. I need to keep looking at it to see every single detail. You have an incredible imagination and you are so very talented. I'm am in awe of you. Thank you for including me in such a wonderful group.
I think of Renee all the time. Your post touches my heart.

Ces Adorio said...

Hahaha! Bella, Oh well, he was a hard-headed fool who finally grew up after his mother died.

Ces Adorio said...

Aaaw Jack, thank you very much. I am so glad that happened, although I just tried the best I could. Hahaha!

Ces Adorio said...

Thank you Steve. Uh uhm, please we are just having fun while Mother Teresa worked hard! I am so glad to read about the remission part! Thank God!

Ces Adorio said...

Manon, you honor and elevate the BBB with your presence!Thank you! Tsup!

Baino said...

Aww been so long since I've visited and you've changed genres beautifully. Love your bald babies. Must have taken you ages.

linda cardina said...

awe this is so precious, ces!!!!! is THIS the BBB group!? i loooove it!!!
xoxox
lin

Ces Adorio said...

Hello baino! Oh my goodness, yes indeed - long time. Welcome back from Paris!

Ces Adorio said...

Hello Linda, sweet. Yes, so far the ones who wanted to be in the club plus more whom I assumed would like to be in it, including you! Tsup!

linda cardina said...

ces!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i am ever so honored to be a part of this group!! thank ya ces! wish i could share this wonderful tribute with my sisters(3 now diagnosed with bc) and the world!!!! do u realize how incredibly talented u are. i can't stop looking at all the adorable lil munchkins. i think i'm the little naughty one, right?? haha

i can't think of a sweeter and more fun club i would rather be a part of.

big hugs and kisses to u and baby bella!
tsup!!
lin

linda cardina said...

thanks ces. my sisters are all doing great. my sister ginger was diagnosed in march and is finishing her treatments and is on the road to recovery. i hate cancer too!! it scares me so badly.

i was a bald baby for the first month or so and then grew the caziest curly black hair.

tmoro, Oct 20th will be our 20th yr anniv.. thanks for the happy wishes, thanks for thinking of my sisters and thank u for always including me in your clubs!!

xoxoxoxo tsup!!!
lin

Janice / Dancing with Sunflowers said...

Hi Ces, I've just spent a wonderful hour visiting all my fellow 'Artist's Creche' bloggers - and what an amazing bunch they all are too! Thank you so much not only for including me in this fab drawing, but also for taking the time to tell us who everyone is. I've definitely found a few new blogs to add to my 'regulars'. Of course I don't feel worthy to be included amongst you all... I mentioned to my husband that you described me as 'elegant and sublime'. We both laughed till we cried! Have a lovely week,
x

Arija said...

What a thrill to be included in this elite company! You do do and say the nicest things dear one.

My week away was like a three month rejuvenation course for the soul. ..then I came back and had to face life again but oh, the memories persist.

Your drawings, as so often, leave me speechless!

brandi said...

~so this may be a silly question but may i have permission to use the bbb club logo~picture to place on my blog and if so which do i chose...much l♥ve and light upon you and yours~

k.h.whitaker said...

~did I say that I love, love, love it? You even got my one little curl! Hugs!