I keep wondering about the reason why I’ve taken up writing, and the basic truth of it is that I have always been a storyteller. The difference is that for many decades, my stories were described in oils. Yes, I used to be a paintress, so drawing and painting were the mediums that I shared those stories. Then, I hurt my drawing hand on a couple of occasions, making it painful to hold a brush in hand for more than a few minutes. I could have felt a deep loss,… Read more Writing as I once painted. →
The Space Between, oil on canvas, 36in. x 48in. Creating and being unapologetic about being a queer and atheist woman of trans origin is, as with other outsider identities, can be challenging at times, but ultimately, liberating, especially as I age. I choose to be visible, not to shy away from being seen. It’s just the way I am. In some milieu’s, I might be perceived as a throwback of the traditional trans woman, the one into surgeries and passing and adopting hetero-normative habits. However, the truth of it is… Read more In plain Sight, a queer trans woman author! →
So far in this new adventure in writing, I have over the past two years gotten my memoirs completed as well as adding the finishing touches on my art book.This is as I mention, new to me. I expertise, what I have done professionally since the early eighties was drawing and painting though it goes back much further. Over the past few years I began to feel less enthusiastic vis-à-vis painting, felt I had done what I set out to do since 2001 and just needed to explore a different… Read more From Paintress to Writer. →
Resumed work on the art book this morning ( title: Circé’s Art: a post transition evolution ), I had walked away from it for a while as I struggled with… Read more Working on a new book about my art. →
I wanted to explore the ” othering ” of women of trans origins, of trans misogyny, even within queer women’s spaces who promote inclusivity of trans folk. I asked some friends and acquaintances to meet me at a women’s bath house in Toronto, got permission from the owner and proceeded to set up a scene and got someone to take the photo from which I worked on to produce this painting.It goes as follows, I am sitting aside from the other women, my sisters, physically apart, not by desire but… Read more The Space Between ( in progress ) →
Been working on this painting I call ” By Any other Name “, it’s from a photo by Sam Campbell and depict a young woman in a super heroine costume ( Wonder Woman ) holding up a sign that reads ” Trans Women are Women ” during a women’s march in San Francisco. My production as a paintress is much slower than it once was but I try to work on a piece or two over months. This painting is all about representing women of trans origin in an inclusive,… Read more By Any Other Name →
Art has and continues to be my trusted companion in life, it is what I’ve known from early on and is how I cope and express what I feel and understand about life in general and specifically about who I am. Art is a powerful tool and I have been able to express my angst, tears and joys through its manifestation. This is especially notable since my transition as I felt a powerful need to speak out visually on topics near and dear to my heart such as finally being… Read more A Creative Woman →
As many humans, I have this tendency of not really seeing or fully acknowledging my worth, I am self-deprecating and don’t always understand that who and what I am has value, is valuable. Being an artist, I’ve created so many paintings over the years and though I know I’m pretty good at what I do, more often than not I find I’m not good enough, not creatively or technically, I seem to judge what I’ve created as somehow of lesser value than it is. I am catching myself, trying to… Read more Coming to grips with me. →
Joelle Circé 