The Graceful Flight of Paula Abdul

Last week I was asked to participate in the Film Experience Blog's Action Heroine Blog-a-Thon. My entry is a week late, but better late than never. Since I'm a fan of Chinese martial arts films, I chose Ziyi Zhang as my action heroine, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon as my film and then substituted Paula Abdul as my star. The wuxia genre of Chinese cinema typically features beautifully choreographed fighting scenes in which the heroes fly through treetops and over roofs as if they possess magical powers. Bold color and stunning scenery add poetic spectacle to the heart-pounding action. When I read about Paula Abdul breaking her nose after tripping over her chihuahua, I imagined her flying magically through the sky while wearing one of her strange ruffled frocks. Luckily for Paula, she thought she was going on a slow motion magic carpet ride with the fairies and had no idea she had even hurt herself until hours later. Oh that crazy Paula..I just love her. Medium: Ink on paper, digital color.

Comments

[Nina]

clever, very clever.

[Mary Cherry]

This creation is great but it lacks resemblance to Paula Abdul.

[14]

what can I say? That's what Paula Abdul looks like to me. I'm strange though.

xoxo
14

[haha]

hehe i love it! paula is funny =)

[Amoir]

Oh I love it...the movement in it is great and, I have to say, the spaced out liddy eyes and cheekbones-so-big-you-could-store-your-tea-set on really captures her likeness.

[Pamela]

Have a nice trip, see ya next fall...

Select Mental Acquity:
In the midst of her haze; it must've taken some amount of self control
for her to not boot that little doggie to the big chimichanga in the sky!

Visually appealing, a bit "pitchy" in places,
but an excellent performance, 14!

C U in the finals!

[Pamela]

P.S. She tulipped ovah 2 rip,
heh.

[Jenn F.]

I'm always amazed by people (Mary Cherry) who will scrutinize your work looking for something to criticize. They always have to put in a "you should have put..." or "it would have been better if..." or "it's great but...". Why they can't appreciate it for what it is, and/or focus on what they deem to be good enough, always baffles me. This is a fantastic piece of art. It's beautifully composed, it has painstakingly sharp detail, it's well balanced, it's clever, it's funny, it's well thought out.

The combination of the pills with the Coca Cola ~ beautiful! We all know that Coke sponsers American Idol (the judges have all got their giant barrels of it parked in front of them on the show) and the rumours about Paula's pill use are rampant. Those of us that grew up in the seventies also remember well the rumours about taking Tylenols and drinking coke at the same time would work a whacky effect on the brain... hence the bubbles around Paula's head and slurring expression. Well done, 14 ~ cleverly imagined and wonderfully orchestrated.

[gilmore]

This looks like an illustration from a demented fairy tale, which I love! You've captured her pilled up awkardness, yet also making her graceful at the same time. Which is perfectly in sync with the Crouching Tiger referance. I also like the product placement with the Coke cup. Perfect!
By the way, it looks exactly like Paula. Well done as always.

[Nathaniel R]

i've added you to the roundup! the blog-a-thon was really such fun. And only you could have dreamt this particular piece up.

my favorite touch is the pills... because i can see them scattering in widescreen slo-mo as if Ang Lee himself were egging them on

[tiffy]

very nice. looks nicer when i enlarge it. love your work!

[jenner]

I visit your site all the time, but never comment. This has compelled me to comment, because I HAVE to say not only are you a gifted artist of course, but your imagination is insane. In a good way, of course ;)

Love it, love your work. :D

[Hiltron]

Haha!
Fantastic!

[DonnaJEM]

Hey, Paula doesn't even look like Paula anymore. I remember the Straight Up days when she was maybe a tad heavier and really adorable. Now she looks like a half a qualude too many, liddy eyes and silly pasted on grin. And I still cannot get over they way she cheers and claps on AI. The wide open fingers, palms smashing together like she just won the bronze at the special olympics.
Your work is brilliant as usual 14, Brava!

[JennieBoo]

Very nice.

You've captured your "vision" perfectly!

ps your COCA COLA is PERFECT!

[Josie]

I love the chiuhuahua. That's the cutest thing ever. Well done, 14.

[Haha]

Good one!! Now how about doing a thing on that looser Tom Sizeless, I mean Tom Sizemore. Mr. Waaaaaa Judge please don't send me to jail.

[StickyKeys]

How funny, I participated in the blog-a-thon too! It's great to see the derth of entries and this one is fabulous!

[midevil]

Whoever shall find her lost shoe once it floats to the ground? K-Fed? Lil' Jon? Kid Rock? R Kelly?

[Mary Cherry]

14 I want you to know I wasnt looking for flaws! I love your work and your humor. Im addicted to this site.

14 Fan
XO

[langtry]

Just about brilliant, 14! I have but two small quibbles: (1) her skin is far too lovely and fair to belong to Paula - she's orange! (2) Her breast are far too lovely to be Paula's - Perhaps it's gravity, but she's got saggy implants with a wierd "divot" between (at the top of) her decolletage. Nonetheless, this has to be one of my favorites!