from Amelia: so I was never good at puzzles...

Amelia here!.. again- just updating everyone on some things going on in the studio with Courtney's work and my job as the studio summer intern...

We are always shuffling art and artifacts in and out of the space but currently are working on an extraordinary project-

This week I have had the privilege of taking part in a photo shoot for some of Dian Fossey's personal belongings for a new series beginning in the Studio. Courtney is busy with commissions and is also steadily working a specialized group of paintings for the Dian Fossey Foundation's 3rd annual fundraiser in September. For the past 2 days I found myself delving into the rich history that surrounded these few items; from newspapers to manuscripts to placemats to maps of Rwanda and Uganda, the assignment quickly went from a small project to a full-fledged lesson on the state of central Africa 25 years ago, reminding me of the few fragments of their history I have learned from various classes the past couple of years.

Opening the newspapers Ms. Fossey collected during her time in Africa to document each page was a far from tedious task, as I recognized the African leader Mobutu in each picture and every article. These papers were full of propaganda supporting the corrupt governments of the time, and as the papers progressed, I watched Mobutu's rise to power in Zaire. It was incredible to see the country's fascination with this man and the hold he had over them during that time. I wonder if Ms. Fossey knew what was really going on, and saved those papers for this purpose...

As I continued documenting, I discovered grocery lists, projected budgets, annotated speeches, and notes on a screenplay for a documentary made of the gorillas she had studied. Her handwriting was average, not particularly lovely, but her language when speaking about the gorillas was the most descriptive and carefully loving I have ever read in reference to animals. Her passion not just for her work/studies, but for the gorillas themselves, shone through every sentence.

Lastly, I found a map of Rwanda and parts of Uganda that had been burned in a fire. This topographical map had been marked and colored by Ms. Fossey for her own unique use with crayons and markers. Since it was burned, I had to piece it together from the connections I could find. I loved doing it; this was probably my favorite part of this documentation, because I was piecing together a part of Dian Fossey's life, a map full of the places she traveled and studied in. I couldn't figure out why it was so difficult for me though, and then it hit me: I was never good at puzzles.

check out the Dian Fossey foundation here: http://gorillafund.org/

...and continue to follow us as Courtney documents the passionate work of Dian Fossey through an upcoming series release.

-Amelia