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.

Illustration Friday: “Swim”

Scarlet dreams of scarlet seas she finds on the sidewalk during an episode.  Satin protects her the way Satan couldn’t.  

Illustration Friday: Refresh

With one day left, I jumped on it.  This made me miss my dojo loaches.

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…

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!!

The Sketchbook Project book is here…

And has been…for a couple weeks!! I just haven’t mentioned it because I haven’t done any work in it yet. The reason I haven’t done any work in it yet is because I just finished illustrating THE FICTION PROJECT! I am SO horrible with these things. Thankfully Art House Co-op will still take my book. It won’t go on tour, but that’s cool because that wasn’t the point of me doing the Fiction Project anyway.

Since I’m terrible at most things having to do with paying attention, I didn’t realize that the sketchbook would be so much smaller than the fiction book. It has much better paper, though, and I am kind of excited about the size. Depending on my mood, I either have too much workspace or not enough. The size of the sketchbook is enough that I won’t be limited but also won’t be overwhelmed. It’s all good.

I haven’t finished my paper mache arm, yet. Things went awry in real life and I’ve not had a chance to get back to it. Soon, though. Soon. I need to see it finished and heft it about.

One thing I did manage to nearly complete (nearly completing things is a big step for me) is a painting that my friend, A wrote a poem about. I wanted to give it to him, but first I wanted to touch it up. I managed to do that! I also varnished it and now all I need to do is ship it to him. That’s the part that I was supposed to do earlier this week, but that’s another thing that was tossed to the side when life hit the fan! Soon…very soon!

That’s all I have for now. I’m not sure why but my head has been flooded with ideas and images that I need to do (I like to refer to them as “visions” because they feel like it, whether it’s when I’m dreaming or awake and they sort of flash in my brain and stick). Notepad has come in very handy for this. First I must ship out A’s painting. Then I must send the Fiction Project. Then I will get back to my own thing (the arm, the visions, etc…) while also working on the Sketchbook Project. All things will fall into place…they just have to.

Finally the writing is fin…

I finished writing in my Fiction Project book last night. The last story is completed and now I just need to illustrate it and send it. I contacted the staff at Art House Coop to make sure they would still accept my project even though I am really, really late. I know that it won’t go on tour, but that’s okay because the whole point of me doing it was to actually complete something. As usual, I’m running behind, but that disappointment is balanced out by the weird sense of accomplishment I get every time I get closer to sending it. Oh, and they will still accept it.

I will be signing up for the Sketchbook Project today (or tomorrow). That isn’t due until January 2012, so I’m pretty sure I have time. I only had a bit over a month to do the Fiction Project because I didn’t know about it until 3 days before registration ended. I got the book sometime in April.

So, yeah. For the past week, while working on the FP, I take breaks more often just to do quick drawings that aren’t related to the project at all. They’re not anything but ways of relaxing and exercising my hand. As always, the “meaningless doodles” are potentially vulgar and sensorially offensive.