Latest Painting: The #Brain and #Depression

Over a year in the making...I'm pleased to announce the completion of my latest brain painting titled "I Want"

I Want

20" x 24"

Acrylic on stretched canvas

While depression was already a topic in my Brain Series queue, starting it was sparked by the death of a good friend who suffered from depression. Finishing it took a good amount of will from me.

What Could I Do?
This experience for me was a shock and got me thinking. We all have ups and downs, yet why do some of us struggle with building ourselves back up during the downturns? Think about how many people you interact with on a regular basis where things seem like they are fine. Perhaps some people you know say that things will be fine and put on a brave face while they may be spiraling downward inside? How would you know that they are going through this internal battle when on the surface, things seem fine-when you probe and show concern but you aren't getting an honest response?

The Composition
The questions above led me to want to have a mask in the composition of the painting. The mask in the painting is of a smiling face while the person is instead feeling detached. Will the person put the mask on and put on an appearance that all is fine or will they or show/express how they really feel?

I wanted the scene to be a social setting and chose a restaurant where people are coming and going or having a meal or drink with the person they are with. Also the large windows show people going about their business, the world doesn't stop for anyone, life goes on.

I ended up painting someone outside the place looking into the restaurant. While I was working on the rest of the painting, I felt fine not painting a face on her. In the end, I chose to leave her without a face. Make of it what you will.

In the painting, I painted the brain as an MRI scan so you can see where the outline of the cortex is (it's the white outline and explained later in the "Research" section below). There are parts of the outline that are thinner than others which is what it could be like for someone suffering from, or likely to develop depression.




Research

My research on the topic lead me to a NY Times article on a study that looked into the family history of depression. Thinning of the cortex appeared to be a trait of those susceptible to developing depression. While there are numerous articles on the topic, this one shaped the angle I approached for the painting. I found it interesting that parents that are depressed could unknowingly pass along traits of the illness to their children. It's still to be determined whether it is passed via genetics or if it is just a byproduct of the children's environment or a combination of both.



Some In Progress Pictures

You're welcome to use any of the means below to let me know what you think. It's important to share and be honest if you are comfortable doing so.


Regards,
Michelle Hunter

Contemporary Artist
Tel: (646) 504-5034
www.hunterart.com
info@hunterart.com
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Get a FREE handwritten postcard from me! Join my mailing list here: http://bit.ly/HunterArtList
Contact me to commission a painting or drawing (info@hunterart.com / 646-504-5034)
The Brain Series of Paintings, so far: http://hunterart.blogspot.com/p/brain-paintings.html
Purchase prints to fit your space here: http://www.hunterart.imagekind.com
Like on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/hunterart
Follow on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/artcoholic
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#Brain Drawing for Foursquare Day!! Our Internal Navigation System

I couldn't help but feature our internal navigation system within our brain, the Hippocampus, on a compass for Foursquare Day. In honor of the app, I also changed the N or North placement on the compass to a Foursquare mayorship symbol, the crown.

Foursquare is useful in letting users know what's around them in terms of places of interest and what's trending. Of course it needs to know where we are to make an accurate list of places so our phone would need its GPS option turned on. Well our brains have an internal GPS as well, so to speak.

 

In the drawing, I have a transparent brain in the center of the compass. The brain is transparent so you can see where the Hippocampus resides. The compass has the usual navigation markers but I changed the North indicator to a Foursquare crown used for when someone gains mayorship of a location. The Hippocampus, in orange in the drawing is emitting signals and pointing towards the crown, or North.

Our Hippocampus is located in the Limbic System of our brain. The components of the Limbic System manage our emotions, memory and sexual arousal. For the purpose of this post, the focus is on our internal navigation system managed by our cool Hippocampus. The Hippocampus is the component in our brain most closely tied to long-term memory formation.

Did you know that there are cells within and around our Hippocampus that map out our place, head direction and grid? 

• When we learn of specific places, destinations or landmarks, our Place cells light up when we come across a place we recognize.
• We have our own internal compass run by our Head Direction cells. It tells us what direction we're facing. So, if you ever have a feeling that you're heading in the right or wrong direction, you may have your Head Direction cells to thank.
• How about when you're on the move either walking, running, biking or driving? Ever think about the distance you may have traveled? Our Grid cells help us to gauge that.

It's awesome how we have systems built within us that help us to get around. So, where will you be heading to today?

Regards,

Michelle Hunter

Contemporary Artist
Tel: (646) 504-5034
www.hunterart.com
info@hunterart.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Get a FREE handwritten postcard from me! Join my mailing list here: http://bit.ly/HunterArtList
Contact me to commission a painting or drawing (info@hunterart.com / 646-504-5034)
The Brain Series of Paintings, so far: http://hunterart.blogspot.com/p/brain-paintings.html
Purchase prints to fit your space here: http://www.hunterart.imagekind.com
Like on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/hunterart
Follow on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/artcoholic
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Source:

1. Wellcome Trust (2008, September 15). The 'Satellite Navigation' In Our Brains. http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/News/Media-office/Press-releases/2008/WTX050443.htm

#Brain Drawing for World #Autism Day

April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day.

In my research, I didn't realize that there were different types of autism. The variations are referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). The disease is 4x more likely to effect boys than girls. Scientists are continuing to explore the cause of the disease and treatments.

Autism is loosely described as faulty wiring in the brain. Experiences could include only being able to really experience one sense at a time, like smell or hearing, and it could at times be unbearable. Also there are communicative challenges that are verbal and nonverbal. Irritability or outbursts exhibited by a person with autism is an expression of their frustration with not being able to communicate effectively, if at all. Symptoms also include emotional detachment and repetitive behaviors. Those are only a few behaviors common for those with autism.

The below brain drawing is meant to visualize the inability to sync signals in the brain.

 

For the drawing, I represented that as a plug and an outlet. For the normal brain, the front and back parts of our brain work instantly and simultaneously together. So the plug would be properly positioned to go into the outlet-making a connection so that information could be transferred throughout the rest of the brain. 

However, the brain of someone with autism has faulty wiring which prohibits neurotransmitters, or messages, to be sent and processed through the brain. That is shown here in the drawing where from the front of the brain, the prongs of a plugs are not in the correction position to go into the outlet that is bringing messages from the back of the brain.

Also, there are particular areas of the brain that are effected by abnormalities compared to someone without autism:

• The long blue shape between the plug and outlet is the Corpus Callosum. This structure facilitates the communication between the left and right hemispheres of the brain. 
• Below the plug is the Amygdala. The amygdala affects social behavior and emotion.
• Beneath the brain is the Cerebellum. Abilities like balance, coordination and motor ability are controlled here.

Enjoy your day :)

Regards,
Michelle Hunter

Contemporary Artist
Tel: (646) 504-5034
www.hunterart.com
info@hunterart.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Get a FREE handwritten postcard from me! Join my mailing list here: http://bit.ly/HunterArtList
Contact me to commission a painting or drawing (info@hunterart.com / 646-504-5034)
The Brain Series of Paintings, so far: http://hunterart.blogspot.com/p/brain-paintings.html
Purchase prints to fit your space here: http://www.hunterart.imagekind.com
Like on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/hunterart
Follow on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/artcoholic
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sources:

1. Hamilton, Jon, "What's Different About The Brains of People With Autism?" npr.org, June 4 2012

2. Watson, Stephanie, "Discovery Health "What is autism?"" www.health.howstuffworks.com