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.

Not afraid of whimsy…

A couple of weeks ago I did two drawing/painting type pictures that Jer insisted had a “Nagel-like quality to them” (Patrick Nagel…oh how I loved him). In addition to that, they are “pretty” and colorful and not typical of what I do. Still, I have to admit that I do like them, especially because they’re out of my norm, and it was really fun to experiment.

As you know from my last entry, I have drawings posted on Etsy and decided to post these as well. While they don’t really fit with everything else in my shop, I don’t care because I don’t really fit with everything else in my head. I suppose that makes it more honest and more…me *smile and wink*. Enjoy. 🙂

periwinkle 4 5 x 5 5 large medium

splash 5 x 5 large medium

The Self Portrait Project…

Still working on it.

The painting is done…

And now I need to find a new thing to do. This photo was taken before I put the clear coat on and I wish I had taken a better one because I always struggle with taking pictures of varnished paintings. If anyone has some good tips on how to do that, send ’em my way!

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.

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.

Illustration Friday: “Shades”

As soon as I saw the word for the week, my mind took a trip backwards to around early 2000. I was living in Pittsburgh at the time and I frequented this coffeehouse called “The Beehive” on East Carson. A door or so down from the Beehive was a store called “Slackers” and in front of that store and the Beehive is where Shades hung out. Shades was this tallish, peach-skinned, lanky kid (probably around my age, but still “kid”) who had a buzz cut, wore black t-shirts and a black trench coat. And…shades. I wanted to draw him but because I don’t remember every feature of his face, I felt I couldn’t do it. I’m certain that, 12 years later, my mind has filled in his features with various features of the many, many people I’ve met since. Still, he was an interesting cat.

I decided to do a self portrait with a favorite pair of shades. They look awful on me, unless I’m playing with ways to wear them rather than wearing them as they were intended to be worn (my face shape is just…odd).

When drawing the drawing on the lenses of the drawing (dig?) I sorta felt like the Matrix! Yes? Yes.

Illustration Friday: Fluid

Woo! Since I attempted (several times) to draw something for last week’s “Popularity” theme and couldn’t get it right, I was determined to draw something this week. The word was “Fluid”. I yanked this idea out of the hoard in my brain.

Did drawing this make me crazy, frustrated, and want to set it on fire, you ask? Why yes, yes it did. It has been hurled into the “Doodle File” for misbehaving…