The Sketchbook Project: Page 2
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The Sketchbook Project: Page 1
I am taking part in The Sketchbook Project: 2011 Tour put on by art house co-op. In a nutshell, a bunch of artists ordered blank sketchbooks and will fill them in according to the theme they picked. I picked Happy Thoughts. These sketchbooks will then be returned to art house co-op and will go on tour throughout the country to art galleries, museums, and even SXSW, available for viewing, and then on to their permanent home at The Brooklyn Art Library. I thought it sounded like fun and gives me a chance to force myself to do something a little different.
So, I will be posting each page here as I go. Mind you, I’m purposely veering from my normal path here. I generally use sketchbooks for doodles and quick sketches of ideas and sometimes for personal journaling, and that is what you’ll find here. I’m enjoying it so far and I hope you do too. Here’s page 1. Page 2 coming soon.
Work In Progress: Nesting Birds
Like nesting dolls, or Matryoshka dolls, but birds instead. 16 x 20 inches. I’m really excited about this one. Something a little different… I’ll post the finished paper cutting soon!
Check out the history of Matryoshka dolls on Wikipedia HERE. When I lived in Brooklyn, there was this Russian man who had weekend sales of items that he’d buy and sell out of his garage, and he had several sets of beautiful, ornate nesting dolls for sale. I really wanted to buy a set, but they were wayyyy out of my price range, and understandably so. Someday… someday…
Something a little different: Monoprints
In the printmaking class I was substituting for recently, we worked on a series of monoprints. Monoprints are fine art prints that are painted (inked, drawn, what-have-you) on a sheet of plastic or metal, and then transferred to damp paper by laying the paper face down on the sheet and running it through a printing press (or for at home-ers, rubbing the back with a smooth object or rolling pin). Although you can often do more than one print from the same plate depending on what is left on the plate after your first pressing, each print will differ and thus every monoprint will be completely unique.
This is my ‘on-the-fly’ monoprint.. I had an idea in my head that I was sketching out for something else, and this is what ended up on my plexiglas plate. I used a combination of acrylic water based printmaking ink and black oil pastels to draw, paint, and stamp the image. I really enjoy the way that colors can be layered on the plate to produce the texture in the paint that you see below.
Although it’s often hard to move away from cut paper, I really enjoy exploring and experimenting with different mediums from time-to-time.
When you live in an old house and it’s cold outside..
..and you work from home and you’re freezing at your desk when you’re trying to work on project drafts:
1. Put on stocking cap and scarf and fingerless gloves.
2. Crank the heater up to a temperature slightly less than burning.
3. Sit on your hands as often as possible.
4. Drink lots of body warming fluids.
5. Find a temporary activity that gets you moving around.
6. Write slightly sarcastic blog posts about how you’re freezing to death.
7. Take pictures of things, like rusty toy Jeeps and snowy outdoors.
And then write about your temporary activity. Mine was to dig out my other 3 600 series Polaroid cameras that I had stuffed away. Two of these also came free from my favorite thrift store (read previous post here). I had one pack of Polaroid film which expired in 1995. I’m always hopeful, but alas it was nooooo goooood. But it still produced a pretty picture.. in my freezing opinion.
Back to work. I’m warmer now.
Friday Night Lamp Light
Cutting paper under the glow of a fluorescent bulb.
Getting Ready to Hibernate
It’s the end of the year. Just finished up a couple commissions (pics coming soon) and am about to start working on some ideas for another really exciting project coming up in 2010. Some other things I’m looking forward to in 2010: got accepted into a juried art fair in Kansas City in Feb. Also got a letter for jury duty –hrmm, wait, I’m not looking forward to that. I usually get disqualified anyway – I’m horrible at answering questions on the spot. I’ll also be filling in as art instructor at a college in a nearby town in Jan & Feb (other gig for the animation class fell through. No class afterall. Maybe next year?)..
My posts will be very sparse for a couple weeks while I veg out. Hope everybody out there gets to do some vegging out themselves. Happy Winter Solstice, Happy Holidays, Happy Happy.
Kansan Snow Maiden
SNOW DAY! That pretty much means nothing to me since I work from home most of the time – except that I’m free to go out and play in it! She started as a regular ol’ snow man and quickly turned into a buxom snow maiden.
Paper Cutting in Process
Cutting Paper on a Gray Day
What a gray cold day in Kansas. I love it. The trees are yellowing with splotches of orange. The heater is on low. I’m wearing a sweater. I’ve got Pandora Radio on – set it to search for “New Riders of the Purple Sage” and wooooo hooooo it’s been my loving companion all morning/ afternoon/ surely into the evening. Giving me just what I would’ve asked for: The Burritos, Commander Cody, The Band, The Byrds, a few of those getting-to-be-oldies sing-a-long radio hits from Jackson Browne & Poco & Marshall Tucker Band, and some Grateful Dead of course… lots of repeats and some strange things that I’m not sure where the relevance lies, but hey.. I’m glad to have it. www.pandora.com.
I digress… I’m working on another larger sized cutting (16 x 20 inches) for my upcoming exhibit in Kansas City in November at Crosstown Station. I’ll have 10 + new works showing and I’ll post more details the sooner it approaches. Right now, I’m giving my exacto-hands a break. Here’s what I’m staring at when I’m not looking at my paper in front of me:
A Special Cake
Cherry Chocolate Cake
For A Special Girl