Student Drawings Improving!

 

On the first day of my beginning drawing class this semester, I asked the students to draw portraits of each other. I thought it would be useful to give them a sense of their progress over time. It is currently week six of the semester, and their ability to see their subjects has drastically improved. I’m surprised to see so much growth in such a short amount of time!

 

The drawings on the left are the ones they did on the first day of class. The drawings on the right were done today by the same student, six weeks later (click on the images to see them larger) ... Amazing!

This is the reason I love teaching, right here in these drawings! I can’t wait to see what they’re doing in another six weeks!

New Paintings: Musical Series

Your Lucky Day

26x20 inches. Mixed media on paper. 2010.

Here are two new paintings I’ve finished recently. They have a real musical feel to them, I think. More to come in this series, as soon as I have time to sit down and focus. . . Enjoy!

Your Lucky Day (detail)

Staccato

20x26 inches. Mixed media on paper. 2010.

Barbara Kruger: Favorite Famous Artists / Part 1

Over the past few days a bunch of my college design buddies and I have been sharing our lists of famous artists who have been most influential to us. I love this little game, because it has reminds me of what got me excited about art and design in the first place. I decided to turn it into a new blog series to share the who and why of my favorite famous artists with you. I hope you find their work as inspiring as I do!

I first learned of Barbara Kruger in high school. I think her use of aggressive language and typography juxtaposed against images from the media really connected with that teen angst I was experiencing at the time. I wished I could be as succinct and sharp with my feelings as she is. Her work expresses that tension between wanting power and not having any that I felt so strongly back then.

Even though Barbara Kruger is a fine artist, I was intrigued by her unconventional use of the written word in her work. Her work definitely inspired me toward the study of graphic design when I went to college at NC State’s College of Design.

I met Barbara Kruger when I worked as a designer at MOCA in Los Angeles. I created the press kit for her exhibition at the Geffen Contemporary. I remember feeling so awestruck to have her sitting next to me at my computer as I worked on it.

Spirit and/or Science: Artist Lissa Rankin

Seeing is Believing

Artist and medical doctor Lissa Rankin creates these beautiful encaustic and mixed media paintings. Her writings detail her personal struggle between the spiritual nature of art-making and the pragmatism of medical practice. In the end, she chose to give up medicine to make and teach art.

A Place Apart

While, on their own, I find these paintings perfectly stunning in their quiet beauty, I must admit I’m disappointed that Dr. Rankin was unable to find harmony between these two aspects of her life. I’ve experienced the cold, impersonal medical system. I think people with her passion and sensitivity could offer a bit of spirit, warmth, and heart to the medical field. It would make such a difference in so many people’s lives.

What Are You Going to Get?

On the other hand, these paintings offer a sense of peace and serenity that probably doesn't go hand-in-hand with practicing medicine... so I can see the conflict Dr. Rankin must have experienced while trying to be an artist and a doctor at the same time. Perhaps I am a bit too idealistic in hoping that someone could negotiate both of those extremes. I’m not sure I could do it either!

Sold! in Breckenridge

Yellow Sky

Mixed media on hardboard. 36x24 inches. 2008.

Matt and I spent the weekend at an art festival in Breckenridge, Colorado. It was a great experience — meeting other artists/craftspeople and talking to art lovers. My art was very different from anything else I saw there, and I received a lot of compliments on my work. 

Gardening at Night

Mixed media on paper. 13x10 inches. 2010.

I didn’t know what to expect since this was my first art festival, so I tried not to have any preconceived notions about how things would play out. Mostly, I just wanted to cover the costs of the space rental and travel expenses.

You Knew She Was Out There

Mixed media on paper. 13x10 inches. 2010.

I sold several of my smallest pieces throughout the event, but didn’t make any big sales until the very end. One of my fellow artists told me this happens a lot. I guess people want to review all their options and think things through before making their last-minute decisions. As I was beginning to close up shop at the end, a woman came to my shop and bought four of my pieces for her new house. While I was wrapping her pieces, another lady came back to buy one of the pieces I had just sold. I gave her my card and told her that I would love to make a similar piece just for her. I hope to hear from her soon!

Sprouts

Mixed media on paper. 13x10 inches. 2010.

Gesture Drawing

 Mojo, the studio dog.

One thing I’ve learned over my years teaching college design and art classes: you have to be flexible and adaptable, especially when you teach a class for the first time... experimenting with different teaching tools, different ways of talking about ideas, different ways of demonstrating techniques—It’s as much a learning experience for me as it is for my students.

Take this week, for example. We focused on gesture drawing, and the students have been doing okay. But I realize, they need way, way more practice in this technique. Maybe I need to play some really loud rock music to get the energy flowing.

Students took turns modeling for the class.

I had a plan outlined for the semester... but now I’m thinking of rearranging it a bit. I know the students need another week of gesture drawing, in addition to continued practice on their blind contours. Perhaps I should focus on negative spaces next week to give the students a chance to focus more closely on shapes and relationships... then return to gesture drawing the following week.

These are two of the better gesture drawings from today’s class. Not too bad, since this is their very first experience with gesture drawing.