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.

New Work for Your Enjoyment

Astronomical 02. 13x10 inches. Mixed media on paper. 2010.

I just finished these two new works... Just in time for the Gathering at the Great Divide Art Festival in Breckenridge, Colorado. I will be hosting a booth there over Labor Day with these and quite a few additional original pieces for sale. I hope to see lots of art-lovers there (and I hope they like my stuff)!

Astronomical 01. 13x10 inches. Mixed media on paper. 2010.

Blind Contour Drawings

Blind contour drawing is my absolute favorite drawing technique. I could do blind contours exclusively for weeks on end, I think. I woke up in the middle of the night last night with an idea to shake things up for my drawing students. 

I asked them to all go into the hallway and lay down on the floor with their legs up the wall (viparita karani for all my yoga friends). Then they were asked to place their paper on the floor alongside their body, so they could look up and draw their feet without seeing their hand or their paper. 

I hope that by making drawing a physical activity—rather than a completely intellectual exercise—the process will be a little more fun and a little less intimidating for them. These are two of the blind contour drawings that were turned in at the end of class this morning.

Next week: gesture drawing.

Drawing and Making Mistakes

I’ve been teaching college design classes for years now, but this is my first semester teaching a beginning drawing class for freshmen and sophomores. I was/am excited and nervous — I want everything to go well, and I want the students to learn a lot and have fun! Of course, teaching a new class is always a learning experience, too — experimenting with sequencing, finding the best ways to demonstrate and verbalize ideas, realizing that what you thought would be easy for the students is actually difficult (and vice versa). As a teacher, you really have to react to what’s in front of you.

I did a blind contour drawing of Matt.

I knew that students would be self-conscious and afraid of making mistakes, even though I told them from the start that there really are no mistakes in drawing (except skipping class and not doing the assignments!). 

To try to loosen everyone up, I’m starting the semester off with blind contour drawings. What I like about this method of drawing is that the time frame is quick, and the resulting marks on the page are unimportant. The goal is for the student to get used to really, truly looking at the subject of their drawing. Some of the students found it impossible to avoid looking down at their paper even for 10 or 15 seconds!

Laurie Rosenwald’s website

Anyway, after the first class, one of the students emailed me. She said she thinks she needs to change her major because she can't draw... ! I was surprised by this, because (after all) she is in a beginning drawing class to learn just that! I wrote her back with some encouraging words and ended my note with, “I will see you on Thursday.” Needless to say, these kids are self-conscious and are afraid of doing something “wrong.”

A poster design by Laurie Rosenwald.

Serendipitously, I happened upon the design and art work of Laurie Rosenwald today. On her website, she talks about a workshop she teaches, entitled “How to Make Mistakes on Purpose.” Apparently, the specific content of the course is secret, and because of that I’m dying to go (of course)!

 A painting by Laurie Rosenwald.

My favorite line from her article about the workshop reads: ”If you try to be good, it will probably be bad. If you stop trying at all, it might be good. Or possibly dreadful. But if you are surprised, I will be, and that’s very good!”

I love this philosophy for my students, but I also need to remember it for myself... Because teaching should be a fun, creative, mind-boggling experience, too!

My Portable Gallery

If you read my blog regularly, you already know I’m preparing to host my first booth at an art festival over Labor Day weekend in Breckenridge, Colorado (Gathering at the Great Divide Art Festival). I’m trying to be a good yogini and maintain a calm, patient, relaxed state-of-mind through this whole process. It has been okay so far.

Matt and I spent this past weekend doing a test-run—putting everything together to see how complex the process is. We also wanted to find out if this is a set-up I can handle alone if need-be. I got a set of Pro Panels, and a canopy tent. The whole process was a lot easier than I expected, although I did psych myself up quite a bit because I expected it to be frustrating.

The main issue I can see is that the tent is really heavy. I'm not sure I can lug it around by myself (hurray for the hand-truck!). The Pro Panels were a breeze by comparison. Each panel is relatively lightweight, and they are easy to connect to one another. Taking everything down was even easier than putting it up.

This coming weekend, we're going to reassemble the whole thing for a true dress rehearsal, complete with artwork hanging in place. We want to time it to see how long the whole assembly/disassembly process takes. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Fresh Out of the Studio: A Triptych

Orange Geometric 01

Mixed media on paper. 7x10 inches. 2010.

I’ve been on a roll this week making new stuff. This triptych is meant to be seen side-by-side, along a wide horizon. There’s something about these that have a modern retro feel, I think...

Orange Geometric 02

Mixed media on paper. 7x10 inches. 2010.

Orange Geometric 03

Mixed media on paper. 7x10 inches. 2010.

I Dreamt of Things: A Tiny Plane

I dreamt I was on a tiny plane (apparently all the people were the sizes of Smurfs)... And the plane was in some kind of apartment, or office space, or something. After everyone boarded the tiny plane, it took off in the living room (or maybe the kitchen). But the plane just kept circling around the interior space of this building and couldn’t find a way out. Someone suggested that maybe there wasn’t enough power for the plane to exit the building. So the pilot ended up plugging the nose of the plane into an outlet at the top of a chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Only the chandelier wasn't a nice one, it was just a few incandescent light bulbs hanging down. The gist of this scene is an airplane plugged into an outlet at the top of a bald chandelier.

First Art Festival

Periscopes. Mixed media on paper. 10x7 inches. 2010.

I just got an official letter notifying me of my acceptance into the Labor Day Art Festival in Breckenridge, Colorado! The 34th Annual Gathering at the Great Divide Art Festival will be my first time on the art festival circuit, and I’m going to document the process. I’ll be running around like a crazy chicken for the next few weeks while I prepare! It will certainly be a learning experience.

Be sure to come talk to me and see my art in person (maybe buy a piece or two) over Labor Day weekend: September 4–6 at Wellington Rd. and N. Main Street in Breckenridge.

Western Wyoming Wildflowers

Fringed Grass-of-Parnassus

Found along the banks of Corral Creek

Along with the beautiful landscapes we saw in Wyoming last week came an abundance of stunning mountain and desert wildflowers. My camera has a pretty good macro setting so I can get good detail in shots of even the smallest flowers.

Yellow Monkeyflower

Found on bank of Corral Creek

I was looking for the names of some of these flowers (still didn’t find all the ones I was looking for), and came across a great archive of western U.S. wildflowers, along with their common and Latin names. If you’re trying to identify flowers you found somewhere, check here first.

Mountain Harebells

Meadow in Black Canyon

Fringed Gentian

Meadow in Black Canyon

Pipsissewa

Found on the floor of a pine forest

Black Canyon above Greys River, WY

Indian Blanket (or Firewheel)

Found along shoulder of US Hwy 191

South of Pinedale, WY

Unknown 

(AKA Bon Jovi Hair Flower. You’re welcome, Lindsey!)

Found in a meadow on the trail to White Pine Lake

Cache National Forest, UT

Greys River, Wyoming

White Pine Lake, Cache National Forest, Utah

To celebrate our 7th wedding anniversary, Matt and I planned a camping trip to Greys River in western Wyoming. On the way there, we spent two nights at Red Banks Campground in the Cache National Forest in northern Utah, near Logan (where we lived for a year in 2003-04). We returned to White Pine Lake almost exactly six years after the first time we hiked it. This time the sky was clear, so the photos came out better (above).

 Greys River. Bridger National Forest, Wyoming.

Greys River splits the Salt River and Wyoming Mountain Ranges, and empties into the Snake River at Alpine, Wyoming. It is mostly known as a world-class fly-fishing site. We aren’t fisher-people at all, but we still found more than enough to keep ourselves occupied throughout our time there.

Man Peak over Greys River after a morning storm.

Corral Creek leads into Greys River.

I think we easily could’ve spent another week exploring along the Greys River. What an amazing place, and a beautiful river. The weather is totally unpredictable—one minute dark clouds would roll in and thunder would rumble, and a few minutes later the sun would shine warm and bright. We saw a variety of wildlife including moose, wild horses, antelope, and deer. My favorite thing to do is hunt for wildflowers, so look for my next post with images of all the flowers we found. 

The Corral Creek Trail was my favorite.

The five nights we spent along the Greys River in Wyoming were spectacular, with the added bonus that the whole week-long trip cost us less than $350. Next time maybe we’ll splurge and get a cabin at the Box Y Ranch...