Saturday, November 14, 2009

A sketchbook post in which I ramble a great deal more than I sketch

Welcome to another chapter in my continuing quest to psychoanalyze my aversion to keeping a sketchbook. My last sketchbook post, which occurred after the familiar declaration "I'm going to force myself to draw something every day," was in May. So clearly that didn't work, not even with the help of my pretty and musky-smelling Italian leather sketchbook. I felt guilty for about 3 days and then gave up easily.


On Labor Day I went to the renaissance faire for the first time in my life. I walked into Under the Mango Tree and, in spite of all the evidence I've collected that the sketchbook itself, no matter how awesome, does NOT in fact make me want to sketch, I purchased an obnoxiously expensive little (like maybe 4") journal with cotton paper in it. The rationale was it could probably take watercolor, and maybe the thumbnail size of it would be less intimidating. So not only was I ignoring all former evidence, I was also assuming that this little book was not only going to make me draw stuff in it, but also GO BACK to it later and hit it with watercolor. What was I thinking? Of course it's been sitting empty in my bedroom since Labor Day.


Last weekend I went up to visit Rochester. While I was walking from my car back to my boyfriend's apartment, I had a Moment (Moment, with a capital M, is the term I use to define a stupid ordinary occurrence that for some reason sparks an emotion followed by a long rambling train of thought in my head. I have lots of them). It was twilight and the sky was blue and lavender and everything against it was almost black, and right as I was approaching this rickety old telephone pole I happened to look up just as a flock of crows flew by the open space between the top of the pole and some bare trees. It was cool. And I stood there for a second just kind of thinking about how cool it was and trying to burn it in my memory. And I thought about how I wished I had a photo of it, except a photo totally would have made it look cheesy. Then I realized what I really wished was that I had my sketchbook and a pocket set of watercolors so I could paint it quickly.


That was the beginning of my long train of thought. At the end of it I realized that I've had this really twisted backward outlook on keeping a sketchbook. It sounds weird, even to me, but I never thought of it as a means to capture these little moments in the world, like a more permanent version of a mental snapshot. And that's like a huge DUH. I think if you asked any random person on the street, artist or not, to define sketching, that would more or less be the gist of their definition. I think I always tried to capture the sketchbook page rather than whatever it was I was sketching. I've seen so many wonderful sketchbooks, and I've just wanted so badly to HAVE one of them, that I've been obsessed with the end and completely ignored the means. Of course, my lack of means has produced me no end, which I suppose is why I keep giving up.


Yesterday my eyes needed a few minutes' break from Flash, and this new thought, which has been sort of nagging me for the past few days, actually made me want to sketch. I'd say it was the first time, except I think the same thing happened when I went to go draw that barn in the woods a couple of months ago; I just hadn't realized it yet. I went to my bedroom window and just drew the light in my backyard:



So, as it turns out, the paper in this lovely little journal I bought does not AT ALL take watercolor. Now I don't know what I'm going to do with it. I really like the size...


Then, returning to my old friend smelly Italian sketchbook, I did something I NEVER do: I tried to sketch the crow scene from memory. Drawing from memory, just barely squeaking by caricature, is my biggest artistic weakness. I'm upset I can't do the scene justice, but nonetheless I felt it ought to be in my sketchbook. I had a little help from a different telephone pole...



That sketchbook doesn't take watercolor much better. It just kind of sits on the surface and doesn't get dark. Maybe I need a watercolor sketchbook.


Saturday, September 19, 2009

Bernie Fuchs

What kind of student of Bob Dorsey would I be if I didn't acknowledge Bernie Fuchs? Bernie was a tremendous influence on Bob, and Bob was certainly a tremendous influence on me. I've seen his slideshow entitled "Why I think Bernie Fuchs is the best ever, even better than Norman Rockwell (or something like that)" multiple times, and I'm glad, because it opened my eyes to some extraordinary artwork.

It's so difficult to pick a favorite of Bernie's pieces, but this one has left a lasting impression on me since the first time I saw it:


We lost a legend. Made me a little miffed that the front page story on Yahoo last night was that Drew Barrymore dyed the tips of her hair black...

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Website the second

Many of you probably know that my (not so) secret identity is a softball coach. My dad and I actually have a business together, and we travel to different communities running skills camps, and we also host pitching clinics in my home town. After 10 years of business, we finally have a website!


This is the second website I've designed and made on my own, and my first Flash website. There were a lot of things I liked and a lot of things I reeeeeally didn't like about using Flash, but I'm glad I've come far enough with the program to at least be able to function in it. Anyway, since this is my first try with it, I'd appreciate any feedback from those who know more about web design in Flash!

Saturday, September 5, 2009

sketch-in-the-woods day


I haven't posted art in a while! I hope everyone else has been blessed with the same weather we've had here in the NYC area for the past week or so. A couple of days ago it was just too heartbreaking to sit in front of my computer, so I blew off my work and went to draw in the woods, something I've been meaning to do since I thought of it back in June.

There is a pretty sweet giant dilapidated old barn up on a hill in the woods that they used to use for a haunted house at Halloween when I was a kid. Now it's just kind of sitting there. So I sketched that:
I like sketching with vine charcoal on gessoed paper when I'm observing from life. It's practically like a whiteboard, it erases to nothing. So you can sort of mold it as you go instead of layering slowly, which I like. Only drawback is it also smudges to practically nothing if you rub it by accident.

I got a visit from a giant schnauzer in the middle of it. He put his face right on my paper. But he was so adorable I forgave him. He ran away before I could draw him though.

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Sterling's solo show

"Emergent", The debut solo show of painter Sterling Clinton Hundley opens september 4th at Ghostprint Gallery in Richmond, VA. from 7pm- 10pm. The artist will be in attendance.
220 West Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23220
(804)344.1557
http://sterlingclintonhundley.blogspot.com/

Sterling made a difference in my life, and since I can't go support him in person I'll do what I can on the internet!

Friday, July 31, 2009

Figure drawing?

I got the biggest urge to do jazz & sketch at the Society this week only to find out it's closed. Anyone know another place in the city I can feed my figure drawing craving?

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Something I've never seen before

It's rained a lot here recently.  I believe the official count is 17 of the last 19 days, or something just as ridiculous.  My studio flooded 3 days ago and the water still has not gone down because the ground outside has had no opportunity to dry (thankfully my family remembered to get everything up off the floor while I was out, so no damage... just annoyance).

Anyway, unusual situations often make for unusual visual occurrences.  Due to the weather, my mom's garden has become a small wild veggie jungle.  This is what I saw today when I went out to pick some arugula for my sandwich:


The broccoli bloomed!  I learned only very recently that broccoli is actually a bunch of flower buds, and now I've seen the flowers.  Well, I thought it was cool.

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Sketchbook highlights

I'm trying!


In-game sketching


My closet


Sketch from Mad Men (great show, everyone should watch it!)


Flowers at my grandma's house

I wish luck and a lot of fun to my friends repeating the Academy.  I'm jealous!!


Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Printer?

It seems like I use this thing for questions almost as often as actual posts.

So the question of the day to the tiny little art community that actually reads my blog (especially those who sell prints) is where do you get your stuff printed?

There was a lab at my school of course, and it was pretty great because we have a print media major there.  But alas, I no longer go to school.  I'm spoiled because the portfolio prints I got there were pretty great, and I've only had bad experiences outside of that.  Now I have someone who wants to buy an approx. 18x24 poster of one of my pieces, and I'd like to give her a nice print, obviously.

So where do you all go? Schools? Local printers? Kinkos? If anyone has had SUCCESS at Kinkos, I'd appreciate your secret.  The only prints I've every gotten from there were awful.  I'd print it myself if I didn't need wide format.

Saturday, May 9, 2009

My sketching woes

I know I'm not the only one who lit up at the illustration academy when Scott Anderson talked about sketchbook envy.  It's certainly an affliction I have.  I thought I'd write a bit about my own personal brand of sketchbook dysfunction.

For me, keeping a sketchbook is a lot like speaking Japanese.  I studied it in college, I got straight A's, and I do pretty well for myself if I'm writing a letter or something with the assistance of a dictionary (or in the case of illustration, photo reference).  BUT, if I have to be spontaneous, I'm in major trouble.  I don't know enough words to hold a nice conversation, and even when I do I can't get them out because my brain freezes.  I feel the same lack of fluency when I try to sketch, and as a result I never do it because it makes me feel so uncomfortable.  It's also not a relaxing activity to me, in part because it's such a struggle, but also because I'm fortunate enough to be getting illustration work, and when I do have free time I feel like I need a break FROM drawing.  

I also have this insatiable desire to write in my sketchbooks instead.  Analogy again: I've got no problem writing in English!  I love it.  Here's the stack of writing journals at the top of my closet that I've kept running nonstop since 7th grade:


...plus one on my nightstand.  Sketching is just like another language to me.  I often write all over my sketches, especially when I'm not happy with them.  

Doug Chayka just made a nice post over at the academy blog that was worded in just the right way to make me want to actually do something about my sketching problem, despite the fact that I've known forever that I should.  So maybe, if I'm better at this than I am at resolving to exercise more, I'll be able to manage a semi-regular documenting-my-life post.  


Here's the desk in my bedroom, where lately I've been spending half my life since the proportions of my work shifted in favor of Flash (I spend the other half on a softball field).  I'm not even sure if I like sketching with a pen or pencil better.

For me, a cool sketchbook is a must.  I just can't draw in a spiral one with a paper cover, unless I'm doing thumbnails for a project.  My current sketchbook is a souvenir from Gayle's trip to Italy:



It kinda smells like anchovies :)

Friday, May 8, 2009

Anthropologie

Anyone who has had the misfortune of hearing me talk about clothes (or worse, actually gone shopping with me) knows that Anthropologie is my favorite store.  I love it for its beautiful clothes, but also for the creative handmade touches they put into mundane little things.  

My grandmother sent me a gift card and this is the slip it came in:




The little egg comes out.  I also got a birthday coupon that came in a fabric envelope:


This stuff (actually, their Christmas wrapping) inspired a last-minute mini portfolio I threw together the night before Comic Con in February:



I'm going to try to at least post more fun inspirational things in place of the work I'm not allowed to show.  Maybe gross pictures of all the crickets my new glue traps are catching in my studio...

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Robert Ryan

I had a nice meet-up with Jamie and Annika in NYC this evening.  We went to Earnest Sewn, which has a little gallery thing in the back, and saw the work of Robert Ryan, who illustrates with cut paper.  His style really struck a chord with me, so I thought it was worth posting.  Check it out!