Jennifer Dreag
I didn’t stop forever, just for a while. I finished the Alice painting, which I will post once its owner gets her sexy mitts on it. In the meantime, here’s some weird shit I’m working on. I’m frustrated with it because, well, look at it. It’s a frustrating thing. I suppose that’s why it’s an in-progress picture and not a voila-done picture.
I don’t know what I’m saying. It’s been a weird few days. I’m out.
I’ll be honest: this was not made for this week’s Illustration Friday theme, but I think it fits very well. The word is “Lost” and the painting (“Lost and Found”) matches. This painting (6 in. x 9 in. with 1 inch border) was made a couple of weeks ago using watercolors. As usual, it contains bits of my own self image, the idea of loss, and even the eventual celebration of what loss can illuminate.
With one day left, I jumped on it. Â This made me miss my dojo loaches.
I took a series of photos a few months ago (probably longer than a few, I suck at time) of feet. When I was in junior high I went through this foot-drawing phase. I just drew feet on everything and I have no idea why. My English teacher (who wasnt a bit fond of me) smiled and said “Maybe when you grow up, you’ll sell shoes”. Yes. At 14 years old, I aspired to be Al Bundy (although I should say if Her Hotness Katey Segal was my wife, I would have zero complaints).
Last night and a bit today I’ve been playing with these photos. I have a sort of love/hate for photo editing software because it helps me get my photos close to what I see in my head, but also allows me to procrastinate on learning how to fully operate my wonderful camera. Lazy. I’m just lazy. On one particular photo, I zoomed in and out repeatedly; getting up close and personal with dry skin. The adjustments I made to the photo caused discoloration and pronounced shadows and slight imperfections so much that the foot looks filthy, disgusting, and dead. I love it. Â I love the horror of it, I guess.
Going back to the first paragraph of my childhood aspirations I actually wanted to be everything in the entire world. There were certain careers that stood out more than others, but I liked the idea of being able to help people with anything from a plumbing problem to an interior design crisis. One specific career that I was really interested in was becoming a mortician. Â I wanted to be a Funeral Director. To me, Funeral Directors got to play several different parts; like actors, except continuous work was a guarantee (maybe this is relevant to my identity issues). This life-long preoccupation with death comes through in a lot of my artwork and this foot photo was no exception! After playing around, it started looking like a dead foot. The skin, along with looking filthy and dry, appeared mottled. I’ve done this with body photos before and I always like the outcome, but I’ve never zoomed in like I did with the foot. I like that even more.
I am fascinated with breaking people/bodies into sections. Picking one area and highlighting or removing it from where its supposed to be. Disjointing, I suppose. So taking this foot and zooming in so close goes along with that fascination. It’s truly repulsive (and I’m smiling as I write that).
It is Wednesday and in 2 days a new theme will be given on Illustration Friday, but I ‘na care…I wanted to do one right now so I did.
I LOVE MS PAINT! I do. It has been a favorite of mine since high school “supposed-to-be-working-but-goofing-off-instead” time. And when I’m sleepy or just need to move my hands without much thought, this type of drawing appears. Paint, colored pencil, marker, and now in MS Paint. Naked lady with blocks of color separating her. Apparently I enjoy that sort of thing.
Here it be, yo.
Before drawing this I wanted to doodle a bit to prepare for whipping out “Vanity”. Â That’s what I told myself anyway. Â I spent over an hour working on some eye as “preparation” and completely forgot about I.F. Â Hand tired, back and neck cramped and on fire I scratched this thing out.
A chick. Â A pile of bodies. Â A hand mirror. Â What else could anyone ask for?
I am a slacker! Procrastinator, excuse-maker, etc… I was hoping it hadn’t been more than a couple of weeks since I updated with fresh work/posts, but it has. WAY more. I’m ashamed.
I haven’t really been accomplishing much as far as quantity. I have, however, finished a drawing that I attempted 3 times before. I suppose 4th time’s the charm. As usual there are several potential titles flying through my head, but at least this time there is a theme: “Dinner”.
My goal with this one was to get our female’s face and hands to emotionally match. I think I’ve achieved it. When I asked J.D. what his thoughts were, he said “Love” and I was happy.
I’m still having some problems with background. I really like using chalk pastels for backgrounds. I like the effect it offers the picture and overall feel. I’m just not always confident in my choice of colors. This one, though…it might be okay.
Time for dinner.
That is a working title, although I’m sure I’ll keep it. First thoughts are generally the ones I go with.
I am not thoroughly pleased with this piece. I felt that I really rushed it, especially today, and that impatience lead to a slew of problems. I intend to redo it at some point after I’ve given myself time to look it over and nitpick.
One thing I’ve been trying with these last two pieces (talking about the post prior to this one that has yet to be titled) is to play with the paper and see how tolerant it is. I use this paper a lot – Bristol Smooth. It’s one of my favorite papers to use, but I’m not so sure it’s suitable for pastels. Or maybe it’s the repeated erasing and aggressive rubbing that did it in, but not long into working the sky the paper started to pill up – mainly around the female’s head. It all went downhill from there.
One thing I like about the picture are the expressions. While the faces aren’t nearly as expressive as I wanted them to be, I feel like I still got some of it out. It’s certainly an excellent starting point for the next attempt at this particular piece.
I’m growing accustomed to this sigh I get when I finish a work – usually right after removing all the tape. It’s…relief. Pleasure. Excitement and anticipation. I like it! My rotator cuff, however, does not and is super pissed.
Finally I have finished something! A drawing, but it’s still something. I don’t have a title yet (of course), or at least one that isn’t vulgar/offensive/sarcastic/typical. That will come in time…I’m just glad I finished something for once and have that warm fuzzy feeling of accomplishment. I’m so done with it that I’m already picking it apart and seeing my mistakes, so it’s time to put it away from my eyes for a while and start on another.
Here are 3 poorly taken images from the drawing:
It has been quite some time since I posted. For a few months, I’ve been gradually spiraling downward in depression. It hit and it hit hard, but yesterday and today seem okay for the most part. I’m certainly not feeling my norm, but I’m hoping I’ll get back there soon. Anyway, I’m feeling well enough to do artwork and, really, that’s all that matters.
Not ready to get back to that large painting I posted about earlier and not in the mood to work on a drawing I started, I decided to try to create something that has been stuck in my head for years. Several months ago, while pondering this idea, I figured out what materials would be best to use to create it exactly how I want it. Flour, water, and newspaper (or some other kinds of paper). Yes…paper mache. Or papier-mache if you’re too cool for paper mache 😉
I’m notorious for my snobbery when it comes to supplies – not to other artists and their choices, but to my own. And not all the time, either. Just once in a while, I’ll turn my nose up at an idea I have as the words “Well you’re not an artist, then” float through my head (not said by me, but to me…more on that later). Certain things/people make me doubt my abilities, but then I remember the images that float through my head (and sometimes stick for years) and my ability to put them in physical form. And then I consider the fact these people that enjoy telling me what I am or am not are not able to do this. The satisfaction I feel when I remember that not all of me sucks is good and also acts a a giant middle finger to those naysayers. “You can say that, but look what I can do!”
Knowing these things about me, I sort of feel like I’m having a sordid affair by using paper mache. It feels good, though. I love messy and I love getting my hands thoroughly involved in what I’m doing. Paper mache lets me do that. I get to enjoy the feel of sculpting at a much cheaper cost than clay!
Here are a couple progress photos taken on June 16th :
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Back to work today – I took more photos yesterday that I will post later. My original intention was to keep the fingers and wrist flexible, but while working on it yesterday, I decided against that and formed the hand into a position that I found attractive.
It Does Art 