It's Monday, which means, it's that time again... time for a State of the artist update!
Weekly Words
Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.
- Pablo Picasso, 1881 - 1973
We are born as blank slates, such creativity encapsulated in the mind that doesn't know "those things aren't real," or "you're not supposed to be able to do that." The challenge, I think, is to retain that creativity and imaginative spark as we go through life being told "that's not real" or worrying about rent, food, bills, all the trappings of being an "adult," without losing sight of the joy of being childlike.
Current Project
Aside from commissions and an unrelated, ongoing project, still taking up the bulk of my time and energy, I'm working on my Holiday Card art... and rejecting most of it. *heh* Such is the way of the creative mind, right?
I thought I'd give you a couple of the sketch ideas I've rejected... although elements might reappear in the finished product.
Clicking on the thumbnails will take you to the full size image!
I find it interesting that I live in a tropical region where it rarely drops below 65 degrees, even in the "dead of winter" (if we're LUCKY) and yet I'm drawing images of snowflakes... O.o I really need to experience a more traditional northern hemisphere winter one of these days.
*** If you didn't see last week's State of the Artist update, you missed the open call for Holiday Card requests. If you'd like to receive a Holiday Card (featuring brand new original artwork) please REPLY ONLY TO THIS LINKED POST.
All replies to the linked post are screened for privacy, and only I will be able to see them. Please, even if you've received a card from me in the past, leave your mailing address in the comments ONLY to the post linked above. I do not keep addresses after the holiday cards have been mailed out. ***
From The Archive
Forest Throne
Completed: 9.2006
Media: Graphite, 9x12"
Since I posted rejected sketches above, I thought it appropriate to post more pencil work here. Although this piece was completed five years ago, I am still very much enamored with it in nearly every way. I love trees, particularly atmospheric photographs of large stands of leafy trees (the kind we don't get where I live,) but I don't particularly relish drawing them, so this piece was more of a personal challenge.
The figure seated in the throne-like tree trunk came first, rather floating in the center of the page until the tree-throne actually grew up around him, rather organically.
I was then left with the challenge of what to fill the resulting blank space with... I actually spent a few hours combing through my morgue of tree/forest photos before settling on something Aspen/Birch-like, with a heavy-dose of "making it up as I go along." :)
Original (9x12" archival paper, graphite): $150
Prints (8x10" giclee): $12
*please note if interested*
Near Future
Convention season is over for me for the year (unless I find some random new venue to attempt,) so it's time to buckle down on the (still) remaining commissions in my backlog and my Holiday Card art project, before posting a new commission queue for those of you who have sent me notes asking when I'll have new slots open. I thank you all so very much for your patience and understanding regarding ongoing commissions and future commission slots, it means the world to me in what has been a rather difficult and stressful year!
Convention season starts again for me come February where I will have a table at MegaCon in Orlando, Florida, the weekend of February 17-19.
I do hope to start up Sketch-A-Day again in January, although it's primary purpose was to make sure I had enough to start the Work-A-Week project in February so I'd have at least 4 new pieces by MegaCon.... however, MegaCon is early next year. So, who knows, maybe Sketch-A-Day will start in December this year.... we shall see!
Thank you all for joining me on yet another State Of The Artist update! I do hope you enjoyed this week's offerings. As always, feel free to leave comments below!
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