Friday, August 21, 2015

Released


    Another digital charcoal drawing.  I am super-loving these photoshop brushes my friend Joe Daniels gave me to Beta test.  He's a very talented animator/designer/tool developer and I know he may be putting these brushes up for sale at some point, so if you're interested visit his page and send him a message!

    This piece is one where I just started throwing lines and shapes down and watched as they evolved.  My last piece, which was largely inspired by a great photograph of a little girl in a field and transformed by my emotional state, struck something inside me that I feel drawn to and I think needs to be explored.  This method of drawing and painting allows me to let go of planning just a bit and get some shapes down, and then continually develop and refine them until they form a scene.  This is similar to the approach I used when doing my MFA work, but geared more towards literal storytelling.  My goal here is to see if whether or not I can transform a raw emotional state into a coherent illustration without losing the initial energy.

    I will admit that it's difficult to not be overwhelmed by mental editing, and I will need be vigilant about those nagging voices when I work.  Hopefully, I have managed to hold on to the spirit of this piece and the experience will make its way into those of you who see it. :)

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Unfamiliar



I haven't posted any art lately since things have been so crazy: buying a house, Gavin and I renovating it ourselves in an impossibly short time frame, finding myself working on an unexpected overtime schedule at Zoic...basically barely having time to breathe.  All the while I find myself stretched to an emotional limit and, as one of my favorite songs puts it,

"Nobody told you the best way to steer when the wind starts to blow, and suddenly you're a stranger."

So, I guess it's no surprise that when I finally pick up my pen to start a drawing something like this comes out.  This is one of those situations where I had no idea how I was feeling until I make something, and then looking at it my feelings have sudden clarity.  Often these occurrences are the best artworks I have ever created, and all of them have been unintentional and life changing for me.  I guess I just feel lost and overwhelmed and the biggest things I thought I was sure of in my life have suddenly become strange and unfamiliar.  Now that I know why I feel the way I do I can start making decisions to alter the situation and I know that with determination I will make it through.  I have certainly overcome some tricky obstacles in the past and this is no different.  So here is to looking forward to brighter days!!