The Legend that is Harry Smiles
I actually didn’t know who Harry Styles was until I was 14. If you still don’t know, Harry Styles is an English singer, songwriter, and actor (according to Google). He was a part of the famous boy band One Direction until they broke apart, and he still holds the hearts of so many teenage girls to this day. I had never joined the One Direction listeners, nor followed them into their individual music careers until a friend of mine forcefully recommended I do.
I guess I kind of enjoy upbeat music, so I didn’t stop listening after three songs. But this is an art blog, not a music blog:
When I still didn’t really know who Harry Styles was, and that friend of mine did, I did the obvious thing. I drew a turtle with a microphone and a wavy swoosh of hair and named it “Harry Smiles”.
First I drew it on paper, but then I saw my friend’s white water bottle. With permission, I drew the turtle on the water bottle in pencil, then eventually in sharpie markers. It was fabulous, and is commonly referenced today, though the friend has been using various water bottles since.
Fast forward several, several months, and I am now regularly making cardboard figurines. Hence a Harry Smiles one..
Magnificent.
Something about inside jokes and having the ability to keep them going far longer than they should, and make them so much bigger than they have a right to be, continues to be a joy of mine. There are so many interactions I have on a regular basis that are fantastic because of these small, trivial things both of us remember from a very insignificant moment that one of us found amusing.
Some of the best jokes are repeated time and again. The real art is the deliverance, and not overdoing it.
I think I’ve got it almost to a science.
