The Sketchbook Project.

Never heard of The Sketchbook Project? Well, let me fill you in!

Every January, hundreds and hundreds of personalized sketchbooks show up on the doorstep of Brooklyn Art Library.  These hand-drawn, glued-together, water-media worn pieces of artistic gold are poured over and sorted through by the minions of the Art House Co-op.  Then these books are sent on another journey like a traveling circus visiting cities all over the nation.  Cities like Chicago and San Francisco will get the chance to check out the ever changing library of sketchbooks.

That being said, I am so excited to be involved in this project!  As an avid sketchbooking fiend, I can't wait to send my book on its way after its filled to the brim.  The last day to be a part of the 2013 Sketchbook Project is Oct. 31st, so giddy up kiddos!

Grand Canyon Sketchbook Pg. 1

Hey all! I've been so busy with One Day Apparel stuff that I haven't had time to do some scanning.   So, I decided that it would be great to share some drawings from my backpacking trip through the Grand Canyon this summer.  I dedicated a whole sketchbook to help capture moments from this once in a lifetime opportunity.  I hope you enjoy the first batch of scribblings!

5am sitting on a rock on the shore of the Colorado River.  

Our Hance Creek campsite.

Zine and Heard.

Ah yes, The Coraddi! UNC-Greensboro's student-run magazine filled with both art and lit gems alike.  Although it is normally a Fall/Spring installation, they are accepting submissions for a summer zine.  The theme is 'Sketchbook/Journal' with 2 grayscale scans per person.  I was so excited to get involved because I am really big into sketchbooking and I always have one on me.  So, I went through my pile of on-going sketchbooks and submitted these puppies! The first is from my little Grand Canyon sketchbook and the second from my beloved moleskin. Hope you enjoy!

Sketchbook Pg 6

I'm finally got a hold of one of the scanners at school so here are some sketchbook images. It seems like I've been pouring all free moments into my sketchbook studies, but hopefully I can upload some pictures of my current paintings soon. My color theory class has opened me up to gouache, and I've been having a lot of fun incorporating it with ink drawings. So here they are!

Sketchbook Pg 4

I finally got a hold of a scanner! So here are some ink drawings from my summer sketchbook. I will have many more creations scan and up soon enough. Enjoy!

That's All Folks!

I was looking in the printing making section of the library when I came across an interesting book called Folk Toys of India by Ajit Mookerjee. These toys are made from clay and papier-mâché and are painted with a heavy emphasis on line and selective color. The characters of these toys consist of milkmaids, lamp-bearers, drummers, and something as simple as a mother and child. There are also a wide array of animals ranging from pigs, tigers, horses, and dogs. This book also contained some interesting contour drawings of a few of these toys. These drawings inspired me to go through and do some drawings of my own. Here is one of the sketch pages of my study of the toys. The owl here can be associated the goddess of wealth and acquires sanctity. The little guy in the bottom left is the Jagannath, which is based on the famous icons of the Puri temple. To the far right is Nanda, which is part of a series depicting Krishnalila, and the last is simply a horse on wheels.I was surprised that this book pulled me in the way it did. I find the imagery fascinating and I hope to stumble upon more varied influences like this more often. One quote from this book stuck out to me:

"The form of expression, ranging from realism to abstraction, simplicity to fantasy, is as modern as it is timeless."

I feel as if in my work I am always dancing around these things in search of my range within each of them. What is my artistc pH? am I more abstract than real? am I simple more than fantastic? or maybe I'm a neutral pH of 7, half of each. Who knows, I'm still working on it!

Sketchbook Pg3

So I went through a bunch of my art utensils that I have collected throughout the years and noticed that I had a ton of blue. Crayola and Prismacolor mixed with off brand and no brand markers and pens at varying dryness. I decided it would be fun to doodle and use different different utensils for different details. Here are some drawings!

Thoughts on Self-Portrait Collage

In my Variable Topics of Drawing class, we are getting to the tail end of our self-portrait collage. With this in mind, I am feeling a little uneasy about the final product. A few weeks earlier, I made a list of things that need to happen in my work:

1) Edit what isn't working

2) Bring some clarity to the piece

3) Develop 3D form idea more clearly

4) Experiment with a variety of materials

5) Lose self-conscience approach

6) Develop figure

7) Form structured red and blue shapes within thought bubble

Going back over this list, I noticed one thing in particular that I cannot scratch off the list. Number 5: Lose self-conscience approach

I don't know what is going on in my head this part of the semester, but I can't shake this feeling of unease, worry, and embarrassment toward my work. Things that are not class involved seem to be flourishing in way, while with class work I feel stumped. There is a cloud that, at least for right now, I can't get through. The game plan is to continually push myself to not think and just make. I am writing out my concept in hopes of clearing my head a bit from this mess.

Concept:

We as bodies are just the vessels of our mind and soul. I am an inanimate object without what makes me me. I could look completely different than the way I do, but still be myself on the inside. Due to the inevitability of change, it is also very clear to me that I will physically look different years from now. I want to portray the puppet that is a body as this scribbly, amorphous, and dead looking figure, with the mind represented in a thought bubble. The mind is to be represented in red and blue structural yet abstract shapes and forms. These forms when viewed through 3D glasses will show the importance of mind as oppose to the generic vessel.

Early collages/drawings

Current, yet not totally up to date photo

Sketchbook Pg2

While watching Law & Order, I drew this sea monster. Go figure. Very scaly, slightly agonizing, and just because I felt like it.

Sketchbook Pg1

Here are a few sharpie and prismacolor marker self-portrait doodlens. I like experimenting with contour drawings and blocking in the dark value. There is something interesting about using a different marker for the line and value, they are both labeled the same color but their shade/hue is different.