Andrea Rothe

GASH WEDNESDAY #21

Jelly Belly Jelly Beans. Are you supposed to eat one at a time? Are you supposed to know which ones you’re eating before you pop them in your mouth? Because I’ve been unceremoniously cramming small handfuls into my mouth, gang raping my taste buds with cute things like cherry and juicy pear and popcorn and … Continue reading

GASH WEDNESDAY #20

I was responsible for one of the first animal deaths I ever witnessed. I was six years old on a hot Saturday and I’d managed to gently lure a tiny black lizard into a Dannon yogurt tub on the sidewalk outside my bedroom window. I planned to keep him and observe him, honoring him  the … Continue reading

GASH WEDNESDAY #19

Out of boredom the other afternoon, I clicked on a link that a former middle school friend of mine had posted on her Facebook. And in the midst of an uninspired day where I’d avoided my projects and even doubted their worth, I was presented with some of the most moving words that I’d heard … Continue reading

GASH WEDNESDAY #18

Today I am sick, yet determined to paint. I fear a career change that will land me anywhere but my studio so I find myself anchored to my green vinyl and black lacquered chair that faces a wall of half finished drawings, concept sketches, and prepared substrates ready for me to touch them with brush … Continue reading

GASH WEDNESDAY #17

It’s been too hot. Too rainy. Makes me want to talk about Christmas. My childhood Christmases were spent in Florida, so no snowy memories. But I crave that time of the year. As a kid, it didn’t bring much joy. No holiday should, really. Your joy should come from inside you, not from a single … Continue reading

GASH WEDNESDAY #16

This isn’t a about how hot I am or about how dumb men are. But I’m tired of predatory stares from men when I’m walking my dog or shopping for fruit salad at Publix. I’m tired of being a feast for someone’s eyes. That’s what it’s like.  They consume you, eyeing you gratuitously, purposefully not … Continue reading

GASH WEDNESDAY #15

In the 80’s, I’m a passenger in our Volkswagen bus. The seat belts pinch us and we take turns rearranging the “Jesus Saves” magnets on the on-board refrigerator. Leah is still in a car seat. Some years later, we trash this rusting bus that left our doll’s heads smeared with chalky white paint when we … Continue reading

GASH WEDNESDAY #14

Two years ago this week I moved to Atlanta, Georgia, sight-unseen. My ex had gotten the corporate job we’d waited forever for and having nothing else going for me (or so I believed), I bravely followed him. In the middle of the night, we moved our stuff into a house I’d never seen  to the … Continue reading