Daily Drawing – End of January

Posted on by ginagwen

One month of daily drawing is complete. Almost every night in January I worked on a bit of art. Some nights I put in quite a lot of time…I’d start and look up and an hour or two had passed. Other nights I’d spend less than 4 minutes on a very quick sketch with usually pen, chalk pastel or India ink. If I was too tired or ran out of steam, I allowed myself to work on two sketches the next night. This project is supposed to be fun, not a chore that has to be done. Some nights I was inspired and I planned out what I was going to do. Others I had no clue and surprised myself. Some I am proud of, some I am not so proud of, and some I didn’t even think would be so personal (to me at least).

Lots of artwork ahead. Not sure when to post the bigger stuff I am working on. In progress, or when they are completed. Also, I know I need to perhaps make a post a week for daily drawings. This is a giant blog post…sorry to my small yet kind followers.

Daily Drawing – End of January

From latest to oldest:

Jan 31st
January 31st: Digital art for the Johnny Cash project. Quick frame sketch from the canvas on the site. My forefinger hurt because I don’t have a tablet and I used my laptop’s touch pad. Ouchie. Messy, but I like it :) You should go to the site and do your own frame, it’s pretty amazing. The song and video are the last that Johnny Cash made before he died.

Jan 30th
January 30th: Chalk pastel pencils on 2.5″x3.5″ artist trading card. Little birds…quick sketch of a painting I need to finish. You can see the large actual painting/collage here.

January 29th
January 29th(repro) Chalk pastel on black paper. Cat is the black of the paper. I did not add all of the details, with chalk I should probably spray with fixative before I added any detail anyway. View the original famous image. I always loved this image and by repro I am trying to understand how just a siloutte and some eyes can tell a story. And of course, the fabulous colors.

January 28th
January 28th: India ink and gold leaf on 2.5″x3.5″ artist trading card. I was actually going to focus on drawing hands, but when I went to google to search for images, x-rayed hands came up. I liked my frog so much I decided to do this but do the inverse (paint the background with India ink and leave the paper showing through as the bones). Then when done it looked so Halloween, not quite what I wanted. I looked at the tiny card and back at my hand, I felt something was missing. I know this is actually the right hand, but think of it as my left palm. I am missing something gold that represented forever on that finger. I think this is my favorite because…well, I just don’t want to write about it. :-(
 

January 27th: I worked on a larger project that I am not posting yet. No daily drawing since I focused on that instead.
 

January 26th
January 26th: India ink, pastels and acrylic on 2.5″x3.5″ artist trading card. It’s a couple of my favorite lines from a Robert Frost poem called Ghost House. An old house with a red door and a dead magnolia tree in the front. You can see my old home here. In the image, the magnolia tree was still alive. The sketch is crappy, but this is also one of my favorites because it’s meaningful to me.

January 25th
January 25th: (late) India ink on 2.5″x3.5″ artist trading card. I actually was searching for an image of cat bones. I was inspired to draw a cat skeleton with an arching back. But I couldn’t really find the bones I wanted…but I came across these frog ones. They were so tiny and fragile. This image would fit in the palm of your hand…and his bones would break. And by the way, the arms have an extra bone (sorry frog!).

January 24th
January 24th: Chalk pastel on black 60lb paper. This started off as an image of a girl, but as I did it I thought, can I create a guy? So I did. In her gesture class (of which I only went to 2) Honoria is always telling us to tell a story in our work. I thought of a dead guy in water…but it also reminds me of a white Bob Marley with dreads.

January 23rd
January 23rd: (late) She looks sassy. Chalk pastel on black 60lb paper. I LOVE the way blue pastel looks on black toned paper. LOVE. Blue light. Blue veins. The color of our planet from far far away…and the lamp in my bedroom. It’s the most human color…

January 22nd
January 22nd: (late) Chalk pastel on 60lb black paper. FYI, most images I draw are references from online or in magazines, books, etc. Proportions are very off, but I can see it and can work on it. Whoa and look at her feet. Could they actually hold her up? Maybe that is why she is so blue.

January 21st
January 21st: (late) Chalk pastel on black 60lb paper. I drew a cock! No patience for the feathers. As my cousin Laura posted: “cucurucucu!” I just love the black paper.

January 20th
January 20th: Charcoal on paper. Just some smudges. I really liked this one. I like her expression and I like the smudges that make up that expression. I wish I had done this on a big giant white canvas. The chalk pastel almost looks like crayon here.

January 19th
January 19th: Charcoal and chalk pastel on toned paper. Sat in on a gesture drawing class. These poses are 2 min. each. While I like sitting in the class, the poses are sooo short. I would prefer longer, but the point is quick gestures…so I need to work on getting faster.

January 18th
January 18th: (late) Marker on paper. Figured I’d post as well, even if I liked it or not. Proportions are off…but I like the angle.

January 17th
January 17th: Marker on paper. Just some doodles. Had to use iphone for photo, blurry but oh well. I really like the locust. May do more with those later.

January 16th
January 16th: (repro) Pen ink on paper. Just a quick sketch…profiles aren’t my forte…that is why I practice. See the amazing original work here.

January 15th
January 15th: Chalk pastel and India ink on paper. Just playing…with an egg. I wanted an egg frozen in ice…but yeah, didn’t work out so well.

January 14th
January 14th: Chalk pastel pencils and chalk pastels for the hair on paper. Too tired to finish it…did it while at Ruth’s house…only had like 4 colors to use till I got home. I only added the hair when I did.

 

 

 

Daily Drawing

Posted on by ginagwen

What is Art?
Like paintings and stuff…

 
I have challenged myself that each day I would do a daily drawing. This is not a NYE resolution (although I started Jan 1st), it’s a promise to myself to allow time to do something I love every day. The only way to improve is to practice. I hope to do that by doing these daily drawings and posting them for the public to see. I not only try harder (since I know a few people will see it) but I am also building my self-confidence (something I have lacked in my art). Sometimes I really like what I created, some days, not so much. But I post them, for me.
One of my goals in 2011 is to have a gallery showing of work. Honestly, my goal is more to create the art, period. My larger goal would be to be able to art as a full time job. I don’t know what that looks like yet or how I will bring in enough income to support myself…still considering it. Would I create even if it is not in a public forum, yes. Would I commit myself as much if I did not have this goal in 2011, probably not. By focusing on showing, it helps me look forward to something. To work towards a point of completion, a goal. If you know me, you know I don’t always finish my artwork. I either get bored or lose interest. It’s not that I won’t come back to them, I eventually do, but it may be weeks, months or years. My next step is to figure out a date to work towards.
In researching I found that most artists need 10-15 cohesive pieces for a show. I think I have my theme down. Now to do the work. I will need to consider how long each piece will take for me to create, then nail down my time line.
Another step is to go to more art galleries and showings. I need to network and also make more artist friends. I know several artists at my work, many of them have had shows. I have so many resources around me, I need to reach out.

Daily Drawings

Here are what I have thus far, from newest to oldest:
Jan 13th drawing
Jan 13th: Pastels on paper, same magazine layout of Natalie Portman. I love to cover the entire paper in color…it makes me so happy. I also love that my fingers have been black with left over pastel (even after washing my hands) for the last few days.

Jan 12th drawing
Jan 12th: I sat in on Honoria Starbuck’s gesture class. We drew for about 2 1/2 or 3 hours from a model. I forgot the sketches at school, but no biggie. I drew this line drawing from a magazine layout of Natalie Portman. My focus was more on the figure and less on the face. I liked her pose :)

Jan 11th: I forgot to draw. While in bed, I woke up and thought, “damn”.

Jan 10th
Jan 10th: India ink on paper. I am not ready to take the lead on drawing from memory. I can at times, but I almost always have to use a reference. This I saw in a video game called Limbo.

Jan 9 drawing
Jan 9th: India Ink and acrylic on paper. I really like this medium…super fun to paint in pure black.

Jan 8th drawing
Jan 8th: Repro of a Picasso. Pastels on paper. Not finished.

Jan 7th drawing
Jan 7th: Continuation of Lempicka repro. I think it came out pretty well. Is not an exact duplicate, but I like the shading and colors :)

Jan 6th
Jan 6th: Pastels on paper, repro of Lempicka work. Love her art deco style, love me some hard angles. Especially love her shading. This is part 1. Hard to do detail with big chunky pastels. Realized I need some pastel pencils.

Jan 5th drawing
Jan 5th: Gosh, THIS IS HORRIBLE. Quick sketch ideas for Love art show. Quote taken from The Book Thief (one of my favorite books). I will not be using this idea. Marker on paper.

 

Jan 4th: no drawing, too much time spent at hospital, I was pooped.

Jan 3rd drawing
Jan 3rd: Repro of a Mondrian…horrible, but had no time since my twin’s baby was born!! Photoshop.

Jan 2 drawing
Jan 2nd: Repro of the awesome Klimt painting called Hope II. Graphite on paper. Too bad I had no colored pencils or pastels. It’s one of my favorite paintings. I love how he creates hands and emotion. My favorite at the MOMA when I went to NYC.

Jan 1 drawing
Jan 1: Repro of Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring. Graphite on paper. Need to focus on my lights and darks. I do like that I sat down for a bit and just did it, not worrying that it didn’t look exactly right.

I am wondering if I should somehow protect these with a watermark. Please don’t steal them.

 

2010 = < 2011

Posted on by ginagwen

Oh 2010. For all the ups and downs it was surprisingly a pretty good year.
Let’s look at some pros and cons, starting with the tough stuff:

2010 Cons

  • Divorce – sucked – imagine your very best friend dying, that’s what it was like. I lost the one person I loved and opened up to…but he wasn’t dead.
  • Feeling Guilty – feeling bad for feeling bad.
  • Selling of the house – it took about 9 months to sell my home. In that time I had to keep it spotless while I lived there. I paid the mortgage alone as well. It was my home and I had to handover the keys to someone else.
  • Work – while I love what I do, there are certain things I don’t like about a for-profit institution. I have deep ethical issues that are hard to ignore and I stress about it…as well as having been reprimanded a few times.
  • Being Bitter – I have tried to squelch the feelings I have about certain things. Being around kids is tough for some reason (my nephews and niece not included). The divorce made me more cynical, which I hate.

2010 Pros

  • Divorce – I’m free! No more waiting at home… No more…him!
  • Selling the house – I no longer have a mortgage hanging over my head, or a large house to keep clean. We made a small profit so I have some savings again. While I miss it, I have free roots and don’t have to be stuck in one place…I am mobile. Plus, the sell made me focus on other things besides the divorce.
  • Roller Derby – I started the primer in January (I think) I did not stop all year round. I love the recreational league. I love the trainers and I love the other women who push each other to do their best at this crazy sport. I also love that I kind of “get it”. Having never played sports, I was weary. But something clicked, and even if I am the worst player out there, I know I have improved myself and my confidence and that’s what matters. It makes me feel invincible, because when someone knocks me down, I can get back up, shake it off and race to join the pack again.
  • Danskin Triathlon – I DID IT. I am a triathlete (words I never thought I would say…ever).
  • First Pint – In 2010, my awesome friend Julie bought me my first pint. I can’t remember what it was, but I drank it. Yes, 32 (at the time) and I had never had a pint of beer. It lead to 7 beers total that night and then much puking the next morning. Puking never felt so good. Julie says I am experiencing “the college years” now since I never had that chance. But now as an adult I can pick and choose what I want to do and make better decisions. I am still not a big drinker, but I can hold my own…maybe.
  • My Friends – I have some awesome friends. Brian and Tom are there. I can rely on them and I trust their opinions more than I ever trusted my ex husbands. Jessica was there and supported me from the training to the actual Danskin. She ran the last portion of the race with me (after she had finished). She pushed me to be a better me. I will always be grateful to her for that. Not also forgetting Denise, Debbie, Hope and Freddy who were at the Danskin too. It meant so much for me to see them that I cried at the starting line (and maybe because I was super scared of the swim :) ). Also not forgetting all the other amazing friends I have, like Mandy, Liz, and Katie.
  • My Family – come on, they are awesome too!
  • My tiny apartment – it’s small, but I don’t need a lot. And I have an “art studio/dining room” now. I can cover the walls in my art if I want…it’s mine and I don’t have to make room for anyone else (until I am ready).
  • Swimming – I learned how to swim!

So overall, yes 2010 was surprisingly amazing. This year was like swimming in the Danskin. I jumped into dark murky water on one end, afraid of a bleak future and what would become of me and I swam across and came out the other end stronger, more confident and happier. So 2011, can you be equal to or greater than 2010?

 

What is my new years resolution for 2011?
Keep Being Awesome.
(Yours should be too!)
 
 

Lips, Noses and the Space in Between

Posted on by ginagwen

I am starting to realize that I see people in shades of light and dark. Shadows and highlights. I have done it for as long as I can remember, but I am really doing it now without even meaning to. I notice how the light hits people’s lower lip, highlights their nose and parts of their eyes…and how the shadow is formed underneath each. I am especially partial to lips and noses. A person’s cupid’s bow is especially pleasing. Plus the space right above it, between the nose and lips. I apologize if I stare. Everyone is so different and it’s so neat to see how these parts come together to make you. I think often about how I would paint you…especially in dramatic lighting.

Today has been an art-ing day. Here’s what I got so far…
This will become something, hopefully later today when it dries…trying something new. Canvas with acrylics, modeling paste and paper. Do you see the birds yet?
birds (in progress)

This is a painting I actually started forever ago. I updated it and finished it. Canvas and acrylics.
Blue Light

This was actually last night’s…pastels on paper.
Sleep in Pastels

Last night’s as well. Pastels on paper…
Up in Pastels

I’m hungry, time to eat!

.

Design

Posted on by ginagwen

Sitting and eating dinner on my living room floor, I looked at an outlet on the wall next to me. It reminded me of something…this! Created in Photoshop CS5

Ghostbusters Outlet

Also, I have a friend with a last name of Coker…so I made this. Created in Photoshop CS5 and converted to a 3D object. You could actually spin it around and see the whole can :D
Diet Coker

Charcoal…

Posted on by ginagwen

I realize I haven’t posted crap here in forever. I have been painting and drawing and designing stuff. So here’s a start.
Spent a few minutes on each image, using charcoal and paper.
Charcoal 1
Charcoal 2
Charcoal 3
Charcoal All
I like to draw…trying not to focus on making it perfect and just letting my brain go. Not as easy as it sounds.

Playing catch up…

Posted on by ginagwen

It’s been a long time since I have posted to this blog, just haven’t felt like writing much. Life has been going on and some of it sucks and other of it is good. I know I am considerably luckier than most people, not only because of my family but also because of my friends. I feel I have a great support group all around, even if I am too bummed to notice it. On April 20th the divorce was final. Sort of funny that it happened on such a stoner day. Actually, it happened at 2pm exactly. What took about 12 years to build took about 6 months to end. It would have been 8 years of marriage in May. I am still trying to sell the house. Got a contract but the buyer backed out for no reason given. Inspection hadn’t even happened yet. I love my home…and there is a small (very small) part of me that hopes it doesn’t sell. But I need to move on and hopefully soon it will go to a good family. I think I am just nervous about the changes that will happen when I sell it. Not looking forward to renting again.
I thought I was doing better about everything. But lately students and coworkers have been asking why I look so sad. One student told me that she never sees me smile anymore. Another told me to cheer up. I don’t mean to look unhappy, I didn’t even realize I was looking so glum. I thought I was taking steps to feel better, but it must not be kicking in yet.
Currently, my life is filled with Derby, Danskin, Drawing and Work. If I haven’t mentioned it, I am on the Texas Rollergirls Recreational Derby League. It’s not the pros, but we train twice a week and have scrimmages. My derby name is OMG!na. I love and hate the name (my closest friends know why!). I feel I am very slowly progressing, I feel sorry for my teammates…I feel like I hold them back at times (and that’s because we change teams often!). But I do like it and I know if I keep at it, I’ll get better. I was never a sporty person, never have trained or been “coached” either. It’s all so new and weird to me…actually I have never been very competitive. I leave that up to my twin sister. I like to play and have fun, she likes to win. On the rec league we have a range of women, from the “hey, let’s learn and grow” ladies to the “Gosh, why aren’t you faster!” ones. Overall, most fall in the 1st group, and that’s why I like it.
While practicing roller derby twice a week, I am also training 3 times a week for the Danskin triathlon. I guess with the divorce and all I felt I should do it. Not sure what got into me but I thought now is as good a time as any! I want to feel victorious, not sad at what I thought my life should have been. Women have told me about the Danskin here in Austin and how awesome it was to do it. I’ve heard so many cool stories about it and I said why not! The tri consists of 1/2 mile swim, 12 mile bike ride and a 3.1 mile run. I actually am starting to enjoy the running and biking (we’ll see how I feel on Tuesday when we do a BRICK – a bike/run together!). Everyone warned me about the swimming portion and I believed them. I know how to not drown, but not how to swim for real! I took a swimming class in February to start learning how to freestyle. It was hard but I felt more confident, at least I got the idea down. Fast forward now to 1 month before the event and I am having a hard time. I don’t know how people do it! Swim nonstop for such a long period of time! You know when you are running and you pant…imagine doing that in water…you can’t! There is no “catching your breath”, no “let me rest for a sec”, you can’t! We had been training at the YMCA pool…you know, where the water is clear and you can touch the bottom (or side of the pool) if necessary…and is hard but doable. On Saturday we went out to Pflugerville lake at 7am to get into 68 degree water. I thought the cold would be a problem, nope it was the solid green water. Once again I was warned, and I believed them, oh I knew it would be scary and I was scared. But I had my coach right there with a flotation device ready, I tried to mentally prepare. I did a couple of rounds around the first buoy (there were 4, this one was from the shore to the 1st buoy). I was okay, had to stop several times, but I could do it. Afterwords I tried swimming from the 1st to the 2nd buoy. I got to the second and I felt really dizzy, so I turned over on my back and that’s when I panicked. I couldn’t touch the ground to steady myself and staring at the sky made it worse. I started screaming and freaking out and the coach came to me and I think I may have yelled to get out but she grabbed me and had me stare at her and take deep breathes. I was crying. Took a minute or two but I finally calmed down. It was the worst feeling. If you have never swam in open water then imagine this, close your eyes (okay, imagine, since you can’t read this with eyes closed). Close your eyes, and block your ears about 80% and now imagine doing this in the middle of the ocean with waves and a current. WTF right! Sensory deprivation is what they said freaks people out and it does! You can’t see your own hand in front of your face underwater, and when you try to take a breathe people are swimming by so you may get a big gulp of water instead of air. And in open water, there is no “edge” or shallow section (besides the shore). Thankfully there are “swim angels” at the Danskin, I think that is the only saving grace that is letting my mind continue to think I can do this. Without them, I don’t know if I could manage.
Even though I freaked out, I did swim back to the 1st buoy and back to shore. Oh and just FYI, going around all 4 buoys and back is about an 1/8th of a mile…I couldn’t even get past #2!). I pretty much cried all the way home, why was I crying, I have no idea, it just felt good to let it out. Maybe I was crying since I feel like i have so much to learn in 1 month, maybe I was crying because I don’t understand why I am doing this or maybe I was crying because it just sucked. Wow, I just realized that this all happened yesterday morning. It feels like forever ago!
I know I need to really focus on my swimming, today I went to the YMCA closest to my house and swam 900 meters (800 is 1/2 mile). I had to stop at every 25 to catch my breath…but I need to build my endurance. I can tell when I am doing well, moving through the water easily, but I can also tell when I feel like I am not getting enough air and start to freak. I need to do this pretty much daily. There is no excuse. It took me 45 min to do it, which is way too long, too much wasted energy, especially when you have a bike and run waiting for you. I need to bring it down to 30 min and no stopping. I also tried a few times to close my eyes, to recreate the murky water and try to not get dizzy. I know it will pay off if I just keep doing it. If not, I will keep those swim angels busy on race day!
As for the drawing portion of my life, I am taking Dr. Honoria Starbuck’s Drawing and Anatomy class. For 4 hours I get to draw from a model and get some direction. Sadly, I have been putting the least amount of effort to this endeavor. I am supposed to be doing homework to learn the muscles and bones of our bodies, but I have not. I only use the 4 hours to draw and that’s about it. I do really enjoy it and I want to focus on it more, but with Danskin and Derby, 4 hours is all I can give. I want creativity in my life, but why am I always putting it in the backseat?
Work is work. I try and do my job to the best of my ability and go home. I used to pour a lot of extra hours into it, and still do if I have to, but with my limited time, I like to keep the free time I have.

Hedgehog in the Fog

Posted on by ginagwen

“Hedgehog in Fog” cartoon was produced in 1975 by Yuri Norstein (director), Francheska Yarbuzova (production designer), Serhy Kozlov (script writer).

In the year 2003, basing on results of a survey of 140 cinema critics and animators from different countries, “Hedgehog in Fog” was declared the best cartoon in the history of animation.” -article

It’s perfect.

Painting Progress

Posted on by ginagwen

Need a name!

Need a name!


Progress on the painting I started last night. Obviously I still need some work!
I can’t remember how big this is. 6×6? I should measure it. It’s a little canvas…one of those little crappy ones with the artists name and space for a grade! Or something like that…too lazy to go pick it up and look. Hm, maybe I should invest in nicer ones. Eh, I am still trying to get the whole painting thing down, once I grow I can get the fancy smancy stuff. I went through Little Earthquakes, Choirgirl Hotel, and Boys for Pele…I’m telling you, I need more records! I do have MJ’s Thriller!

After my class today I went to Star Co. Coffee in Round Rock and checked out the Photography clubs exhibit. It was really cool! It’s neat to see some of my very own students with work up. I don’t teach photography but I do teach digital imaging, which those students have to take. I wish I could have a web design exhibit…a lot of the WDIM students are amazing artists. Too bad we can’t have a virtual exhibit :D

Danny picked up his fish tank. The house is quiet…no running water from the aquarium filter. There’s a big empty hole in the living room…
And I will fill it with a Christmas Tree! Oh wait, a mini-bar!!!! Screw “mini”, a bar!

Personal Update

Posted on by ginagwen

Painting - Angel

Painting - Angel


I think I have completed this angel painting tonight. It’s done in acrylics on canvas with some gold leaf liquid stuff to make the halo. The halo is sort of bothering me, we’ll see if I go back to it. I am supposed to give this up for the Student Art Show at Ai, but I kinda doubt it will sell anyway, so I’ll probably keep it (or perhaps a Christmas gift?).
I started the little one to the right, tonight after the other was done. I have this awesome little record player, I turn on some Tori and just paint. It’s nice, but now I need more records…or perhaps I just need to use my ipod (but the player sounds so good). I need to do this every night, I do enjoy it and feel so much more zen after wards.

These last couple of months have been really tough. Actually, I guess I could say, life changing. At times I am completely fine, knowing that this is probably for the best. At other times I am freaking out, crying, angry, depressed and pretty much starting to understand that “trust” is a 4 letter word. Okay, I know it’s actually 5, but whatever! You get the idea. I will get through it, I will be independent and I don’t need anyone (except friends and family).

Lately I’ve been thinking about personal goals. Not little goals, but big ones, like things you’ve always wanted to do or accomplish. I was lucky enough to learn a little bass and play in a band. I was on the same stages as some of my favorite bands (including Prince! when we played in Indiana). But I would really love to learn piano. I have had one for years (although it’s at my parents house). I have just wanted to learn how to play for so long. I have a little keyboard here in Austin, but it’s not the same. I know basics, some chords, which key is which, how to read some music, etc. but not how to just sit and play. Who knows, maybe it will be really tough to sink into my melon, but what the heck, I got the time. So my immediate goal is to save up funds for a piano (upright, tuned and ready to go).

Also on the horizon is more roller derby. I completed the primer for the recreational league. I am really excited about this. I have my derby gear, including some Reidell skates, helmet, knee and elbow pads, wrist guards, and a mouth piece. Am I ready for full contact? No!! Eeks, I am nervous, but I figure the rec team will know when I am ready and throw me in the fire. It’s actually been pretty amazing. Lots of tough (and not so tough) ladies skating and having fun. I need a roller derby name though. There have been some thoughts on “Whorchata”, but so many people don’t even know what that is. Hm…we’ll see. Any ideas?

I downloaded the album “19″ by Adele. I liked her “Chasing Pavements” song, I mean, it’s okay. But the other night on a TV show I heard “Hometown Glory” and I loved it. I found out who it was and hey, it’s Adele! Turn it up and listen…I’m impressed.