Shells Shells Shells

Today, our last shell drawing was due. I would say that drawing these was one of my favorite parts about the class. Concentrating on something to get the exact gesture of the contour down is a definite challenge. Drawing it over and over, each time adding an element, is the only way to overcome it and learn. Based on comparing my first one (bottom) and last one (top) it is obvious this worked for me. I loved the inability to control the ink wash in the latter two drawings. I feel it accentuated the organic feel of the form perfectly. I am so happy to have this piece to add to my professional portfolio.

Laurie Lipton

I was lucky enough to stumble upon Laurie Lipton 's site a year back when looking for inspiration for a self-portrait. She is phenomenally talented in simple media like charcoal and pen. Her subject matter is humorous, melancholy, creepy, or any combination of these things. She also usually incorporates blatant sexuality, or at least undertones of it in all her work. Definitely worth checking out. She continues to be an influence in my work.

Trials and Tribulations

I'm so excited by the improvements in my drawing. My gain in knowledge and skill is evident in my gesture drawings, long-term poses, and especially in comparing my third shell drawing to my first two. However, not everything we're learning in this class is coming easily or with improvement. I tend to struggle so much with the manekin muscle building. I'm not a talented 3D artist, but if I were, my forte would be clay. I love working with the palpable and earthy medium, but can't seem to do well with the small detail of the muscle building. This is why the manekin is so dissapointing to me. I know I can do better so I try too hard, then get frustrated with the way the thing looks, and end up giving up.

Spring Remedies

The warm weather is a perfect remedy. Early spring effecting many things in positive ways. I feel like I'm breaking out of a winter depression and coming out of hibernation. The fresh smell of rain is enough to elate my spirits for a whole day. With a better mood my artwork is changing, too. I feel that the new life emerging outside is in turn adding more life to my paintings and drawings somehow. A perfect remedy.