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
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How Dehydrated are You? The #Brain and World #Water Day

Did you know that we are losing water with each breath we take? When sweating or eliminating waste, it may be more obvious. We're constantly losing water, the essential fuel for our bodies but more importantly our brains run on. So if you notice that you usually feel afternoon fatigue, have sleep issues, focus issues, depressed...those are symptoms of dehydration (though see a doctor if you feel there is something else going on).

For World Water Day, I've done a drawing illustrating several important points between water and our brains:

• Our brain is 85% water and will begin to shrink when it becomes dehydrated. When we wake up after we sleep, our brains are already dehydrated. DEHYDRATION SHRINKS YOUR GREY MATTER! Breathing through the night is the longest stretch of time we don't replenish ourselves. One-percent of dehydration leads to 5% shortage of cognitive function. So drink a glass of water when you get up.
• In my drawing, I show that by the right side of the brain image looking rock like. It's dried up and needs water to bring it back to full capacity. The water being poured into the back party of the brain is being quickly absorbed.

• Drinking water on a regular basis helps to deliver nutrients and remove toxins that build up in the brain.
• That fact is represented in the above drawing where the black dots are toxins in the brain. The glass of water that is being poured on the brain is flushing out the toxins. The toxins end up in the puddle of water.

Learning about the brain and water has certainly convinced me to step up and be more conscious of the amount of water I drink each day. On average, an adult loses 80 ounces of water a day. That's a lot when you consider how much water you aren't drinking. Soda, coffee, tea, milk, juice doesn't count.

Why does your brain need to much water? It is the part of your body that uses up twice as much energy than anything else. The energy is needed to produce hormones and neurotransmitters for you to function optimally. Also our brains can't store water so it needs to be replenished regularly throughout the day.

I don't have as good a memory as I would like as I explain in this brain painting of mine. Chronic dehydration may be the cause! Something that is fortunately fixable!

I'll leave you with this quote from an article I read in my research:

"On average, the amount of shrinkage equated to 14 months of age-related wear and tear, or the withering away associated with two and a half months of Alzheimer's disease." [2]

Drink up!

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
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Sources:
1. Hear, Merlin, "How to Improve Memory, Focus, and Concentration" www.waterbenefitshealth.com
2. Macrae, Fiona, "Water on the brain: Grey matter literally shrinks without hydration" www.dailymail.co.uk, May 20, 2010