The Sketchbook Project 2014

This thing has to be postmarked in three days. THREE DAYS. I’ve been making progress — more progress in the last week than I made in 6 months — and I still have a bit to go. 9 pages, I believe.

My biggest issues with this project (or any creative project) are fear, poor planning, and choice of medium/mediums/media. When I’m making something for someone else, terror strikes and I feel paralyzed. If it’s for me, then I don’t care and somehow it turns out well. Anything else, though, and I feel incompetent. Smooth lines become jagged from a shaky hand, choosing a color palette is nerve wracking, subject matter–forget about it.

However, in the past few days, I discovered a workable theme, a palette, and — most important — the medium! The pages of the sketchbook are not typical heavyweight paper; they have their limit. In the past, I’ve attempted marker (which bled through) colored pencil becomes time consuming depending on how it’s used (I like to make it saturated and blend blend blend), pastel gets all over the place, and paint wrinkles the pages too much. I have a tin of Derwent Inktense pencils. I use them once in a while for various things, but didn’t use them on the sketchbook until recently. HOLY HELL! They’re magical!

Granted, I’m only using a variety of reds, but still. The paper doesn’t buckle, the color is saturated, but isn’t bleeding through, and adding water gives my hand a much-needed break from the blending of colored pencils.

So, with three days left, I’m pretty sure I can swing it.  Also, sorry for the bad photo!

Sketchbook Project 2014…

Every year I do the Sketchbook Project offered by the Art House Co-Op in Brooklyn, NY. And every year I don’t send a damn thing in.  Well, last year I did.  I think.  It’s just that I get so excited about it and then completely drop the ball because of a variety of factors: fear, fear of being judged, fear of…being judged.  And fear.  Of being judged.

It (me) = Total Wuss.

I think that’s what it is.  Plus, I feel like I have absolutely zilch to offer.  Who wants to see drawings of dismembered humans whispering secrets to other, naked, humans surrounded by red ribbons?  No one, that’s who.  I haven’t drawn that yet, but it’s in the works.

Until then, here is an in-progress picture (self-portrait type thing) of me whispering to me.

The Photo Response Project

In addition to the Self Portrait Project and the Mystery Project, I’m also doing the Photo Response Project – a free project offered by the Art House Co-op.

It needed to be postmarked by April 30th and I will be one day late. At least I finished it!

I should say, though, that I thought it had to be postmarked on the 31st and I thought tomorrow was the 31st. As I discover every year, there are not 31 days in April… *The more you know!*

The Self Portrait Project…

Still working on it.

Self Portrait Project – the beginning…

*cue Rocky theme*
I started the Self Portrait Project, as seen below. I assure you I am a human and not a landscape. How sweet would that be, though? Height: 6,789 ft. Weight: More than your mom. Smoker: Yes (for volcanoes). I’d get all the ladies.

Anyway, clearly I’ve not done any more than a background on it, but it’s something. Plus, I feel pretty productive today. It has been months since I’ve fondled a paintbrush and doing so was wonderful!

My head is pounding, so this is it for tonight.

It has arrived…

Not me, It, but the Self Portrait Project from Art House! It’s a 4 in x 4 in gallery wrapped canvas, primed and ready-to-go! I’m currently trying to figure out just how many of my personalities I can fit on this bad boy…

There’s also a note card explaining the rules – the same stuff on the site, just in paper form (easy for those of us that get cranky from staring at a screen for too long).

Who else has done this?! Tell me! If you haven’t yet, I still suggest you swing over to the Art House Co-op and see what projects they have going on there (for free and for dollars).

Sooo cutting it close…

Yikes. It’s evening my time, but it’s still Sunday! Woo!

So, trying to decide what to post today, I figured I would give you this:

It’s from my Sketchbook Project “Encyclopedia of It“. After looking through the book, people will realize the title doesn’t make one damn bit of sense, but neither do I and while I’m hopelessly scattered, disorganized, and generally ridiculous, I still have a semi-sense of humor. This is called “Tyrannosaurus Sex” – as if I had to tell anyone that!

Oh to have a huge rack and tiny, tiny arms…

The Art House Co-op Projects…

I signed up for 2 more! I had so much fun participating in the Fiction Project (even though I never mailed anything in!!) and just as much fun doing the Sketchbook Project (I did manage to send that one in). Now there are 2 more:

The Photo Response Project: http://www.arthousecoop.com/projects/photoresponse

and

The Self Portrait Project: http://www.arthousecoop.com/projects/selfportrait

The Photo Response one is free, but also full. The Self Portrait is $25 to enter. I have semi-started the Photo one (I chose the 5th photo – it was the only one that flooded my head with ideas at first glance) and I have no idea what I’m going to do for the Self Portrait. Or rather, which one of my personalities to represent…

There is one more project I just spotted that I think is quite interesting:

The Adventure Project: http://www.arthousecoop.com/projects/videoadventure

This one is free and 351 out of 1000 available spots are filled. 30 seconds to record an adventure. I’m trying to think of any adventures I could go on that would be filled with some sort of amusement or horror and set within 30 seconds. While I have been leaving my apartment a bit more lately (Go me! No fear!) I can’t think of anything that fits that criteria. All I can come up with is cleaning the litter boxes, but not only is that ick, it’s also more horror and amazement “How did Gabriel manage to pass that candy wrapper AND toothpick?!” My cats are freaking talented.

I’ll have to think on this…

So, yeah, go to the Art House Co-op and get yourself into something interesting.

Slacka! Part Deux…

I am the World’s Biggest Slacker. Maybe slacker isn’t the right word…procrastinator. Laggard. It has been quite some time since I blogged and I’m behind on everything else as well. The Sketchbook Project? Soooo behind. Adding more items to Etsy? Soooo behind. Drawing, period? Yep…behind.

I had hoped that I would at least scrawl out an illustration for Illustration Friday, but I didn’t do that either. I haven’t really done anything art-related in a few days, but today I am going to try. Maybe even whip out a drawing for I.F.!!

In the midst of all of this dilly-dallying, something possibly exciting happened; I was asked to give private art lessons to someone’s child. It’s a 13 year old boy, so I think it will work out well since I typically act like a 13 year old boy (sense of humor: check, general behavior: check). It is something that I am considering doing, though. I think it would be good to do; certainly inspiring.

In the meantime, I will leave you with an image I submitted to Illustration Friday in 2006. The word was “Skyline” and I drew it during one of the many (many, many, many) identity issues I’ve had over the years, hence it’s signed with my old moniker “Renner” (I’m still fond of that one, so it’s not entirely gone…) and a symbol I use sometimes still.

Have a great day everyone and if any of you are stagnant in your creativity, I hope today provides a break for you too!!