A Continuation of "If You Looked Over My Shoulder" Post

If you looked over my shoulder, you would see that I can create some pretty ugly things.  In the quest for improvement, it seems that it is inevitable.  I finally decided that the two images didn't work together - the layer study and the charcoal drawing.  There was something to it that was attractive to me, but I'm not sure if they really did anything for one another except muddy the golden ratio type of design of the charcoal drawing, and then add confusion to visual space.  I tried.

So moving on...this is what I have been working on lately.  I've been trying out a different strategy for incorporating layers with drawing.

This one has been exciting to make so far, and will have a narrative when it's done.

Olive helping me...whether I liked it or not.  She was allowed to lay there before I had drawn the center leaf, but it was brief.  She began batting at my pencil.



Also not done yet - it's for a Talenthouse/Secret 7 opportunity to create an artwork

based upon a song by Florence and the Machine- "Only If For A Night".  It's an awesome opportunity to create work for one of my favorite musical artists!  What's not to love about that?!  The submissions are due 9 days from now, and this work needs much work before then. 

(Check out http://www.talenthouse.com/creative if you are interested in this or other opportunities - very fun site that I had no idea existed until three days ago!)

Will these be ugly?  Who knows.  Maybe.  At the very least, they will bring me that much closer to creating something that is beautiful, and I'll hopefully learn from them.  I'll be posting about the 2011 Vision Board Review in the next few days and creating a new one for 2012.  Cheers to a new year for all of us!  Happy New Year to you and your family!

If you looked over my shoulder...

I've darkened areas with more washes of color...it's better, but still is not quite right.  Maybe I'm trying to make two works that are too different combine into one, and they are stubbornly saying, "NO!"

This is the way I had them positioned beside each other in the last post. 

And now I kind of like them like this! ha! 

The third work that will be incorporated into this is about to get underway.  I think after that I'll be at a better place to start making judgement calls on this...hopefully! 

Enjoy the beautiful sunshine for me (if it's sunny where you are)!  The sun is taunting me as it comes through the window and onto my two slumbering assistants.  I'm sure I'll sneak out for a walk at some point.  Have a good day!



Photo of the Slumbering Assistants from 2010

New Work of the Day - Will It Work?

Transition, 2011

Charcoal and graphite on Paper, 7x5"

This is how I spent my day - space traveling with the point of a charcoal pencil.  It was inspired by a texture study and the golden ratio.  The big moon type of sphere in the upper right corner was drawn using graphite so it has a sheen to it - (the sheen/values/textures turned out beautifully in person, but don't quite translate in photographs or when scanned - the shiney graphite fights against the dark areas).  After I finished it, I placed it beside the texture study to see what it would look like together as a single piece of work.

What is strange is the fact that they fit together more peacefully with these sides touching more than the way I had planned.  I can see an elipse type of shape that stretches across both of them in an almost seamless manner (squint at it and then it appears).  That is what convinced me that this is how they want to be shown...

However, the two do not quite fit because the layer study is anemic in the contrast department.  It needs darker areas in order to balance out the charcoal drawing.  I'm going to go back into the layer study and work on building some more dark and light areas.  I'm hoping that maybe they will be more unified and balanced after that.  We shall see!



Red Flags and Modigliani's Warning

I could tell you this amazing story of being approached by a gallery located in New York City (in Chelsea) who want to represent my work.  I could tell you that they are listed in the Artist's and Graphic Designer's Market Book.  I could tell you that they came across my website and that is what prompted this desire for partnership.

I could tell you that.  I wouldn't be lying.
I also wouldn't be telling you the whole story.  Teehee

Gilda Radner was right in titling her book, "It's Always Something".  There is always something, isn't there?  So here is the rest of the story -

Yes, I recieved an email from a NYC gallery located in the Chelsea who came across my website and were soliciting representation.  How did I not immediately freak out with happiness and scream while running around the neighborhood?  Red flags.

Red Flag #1:
My website currently sucks and has nothing on it except for one work.  I'm still in the process of redoing, revising, and/or getting rid of that particular webhost and blah,blah,blah.  Anyhow, the bottom line is they saw nothing.  Hahahahahaha!

Red Flag #2:
They made a small mention of an annual promotional fee.  Really?  What kind of promotional fee?  After some digging, I found that the promotional fees begin at almost $4,000!  A YEAR! Hahahahaha!  No, thank you.  (Who the hell pays this just to show their work?! - and it would be a group show!  Not a solo!)  I was surprised that they even had any work to show on the gallery walls in the photos.  This solidified my suspicion that it was a vanity gallery.  No thank you to ALL of those.

Turns out that two red flags were enough!  Besides that, I just saw the ending of the movie "Modigliani" and I saw what happened to him when he had an important show.  I'm not quite ready to be beat to death in a back alley yet as crowds applaud my work at the opening.  My work is not ready for that kind of applause, but when it is, perhaps then I will be ready for living on the edge.  Of course, the real moral to the ending of that movie was don't be late to your own show and certainly do not brag about having tons of money in a dimly lit bar.

From Doodle to Puzzle to Meditation

Charcoal on paper, 18x11", 2011

Detail of the above work

A week of exploration!  I have been working on the drawing above this past week and I finished it last night.  It's been a strange one full of fun compositional puzzles to figure out.  It began with just a goal of doodling bubbles one night.  I've been really attracted to circles in recent months...I blame the doodle of overlapping circles I drew on our drawing table for this obsession.  Though the pen marks have faded with cleaning, the circles remain present.  It's acting like some sort of strange reminder.

Soon the page was filled with the large circles connected by lines and I didn't quite know what was next.  It wasn't long before swirls of small circles began swooping down on the picture plane to add depth to the space.  I somewhat do not feel right in taking credit of the small circle placements - it was as if they just appeared, and I was only there to follow directions of what it wanted.  The paper texture guided my marks as well.  It was somewhat of a meditation to create this, and now I have begun a second drawing of this theme using the same materials, but on more of a close-up focus. 

I think the challenge that may be presenting itself is the illusion of space - or the ability to look into an area and feel as though the drawing goes beyond where my eyes can see.  I like that idea paired with areas of flatness.  This idea is not new to contemporary drawing, but it is a new venture to me.  It seems like an interesting direction to see what happens.  I'm still doing the layer studies as well, and perhaps these ideas will cross paths soon - or at least at some point during this year of exploration.

I also purchased a big piece of vellum-like paper for the pleasing price of 99 cents this week!  I have seen some artists use to overlay drawings and draw on the front side and back side to create more depth.  I will be experimenting with this to see if it will be a successful way to go forward.  I'm wondering if it will enhance that depth, or if it will just agitate the compositions by making it seem as though something is obstructing the view (and we'll all be looking at it while screaming in our heads, "Get that damn thing out of my way!").  ha!

Thanks for reading and love to all!  Have a great rest of the day and an excellent week!

K&A and You in 2012

Amanda Knauer Crismore and I have been working on a collaborative art project, Twelve, for the past year.  Each month we took turns creating an artwork inspired by the previous month, and it was a blast!  The project inspired us and kept us on our toes.  We encouraged exploration and venturing outside of our regular medium by imposing the rule that individually we could only do a medium once. 

It is now December, and we're planning the incoming year with excitement.  We would like to extend this collaborative opportunity to other artists, writers, and musicians.  So many times we can feel as though we are working in isolation from one another and Twelve offers a way for artists to come together and connect through our work.

The website and blog are now up and running!  You can find more information and sign up to be a part of Twelve for 2012 through the join us page on the website.  We hope you can be a part of it, and help spread the word!  Thanks!

 Website:  http://www.student.ipfw.edu/~knauad01/twelve/about.html
 Blog:  http://twelve-kandaplasticwear.blogspot.com

Freud and Spontaneous Combustion: Influences

I looked up a music video for Grizzly Bear's "Two Weeks" today out of curiosity.  The way their eyes appear enlarged reminded me of Lucian Freud's early portraits...but maybe not the way their heads combust into fireworks and fire.  None the less, I'm happily making the comparison.

First, Lucian Freud's early portraits:

And now for the video -

What do you think?  I haven't researched if the videographer meant to make that reference or not, but I think whether or not we intend to be influenced by particular visual images does not matter.  We can be influenced by anything and everything we see without being fully aware.

I've been somewhat struggling to figure out what artists I would claim were influences...there are so many and for so many different reasons.  I think it will be figured out more clearly as my own work matures.  We are all influenced in our day to day lives either negatively or positively, and it's nearly impossible to mentally be present and critically minded about this at all times.  What are you most afraid of sneaking in to influence you, and what/who would you like to be influenced by more?

You Will Be Replaced By A Television

Have you heard about this yet?  If you live in Indiana, you probably have:

http://www.ibj.com/highprofile-art-at-airport-removed-for-video-wall/PARAMS/article/31038
http://www.ibj.com/airport-artist-complains-about-removal-of-public-art/PARAMS/article/28814


James Faust's piece "Chrysalis" is coming down to make room for a monitor, as if this world needs another oversized television screen.  It was his understanding that the wall sculpture that he created for that specific space would be up for at least a decade.  The article alludes to the lack of reading the fine print by Faust and his wife on the Indianapolis Airport Art Contract.  They claim that it the works were always intended to be rotated.  Faust knew it would eventually be rotated, but not after only three years, and replaced by a television screen.

The art community cannot be outraged completely - the television screen will be featuring video art by Artur Silva that is precisely 62 seconds long (the amount of time to descend to the baggage claim on the escalator below).  If it were only that, maybe I wouldn't feel threatened by their choice...but of course, that is not all they will be featuring.  Guess.  Yes, that's right, advertisements.  Commercials.

I'm interested to see what the ratio is between the time spent showing Silva's 62 second film, and advertising.  I'm hoping that they only show a ten second advertisement per hour, but I'm not foolish enough about the culture we live in to believe that.  They will probably load it up with all sorts of junk with Silva's film becoming the commercial break to the commercials.  If they were truly using the television screen for video art, they would have more film artists showing their work back to back without any commercials at all.  Instead, it is going to be one artist at a time...with commercials.

The airport will be looking for more local and national artists in film to feature on their new screen in the future months.  That had me thinking...

The best, hilarious idea I have come up with is this - someone needs to go over to the airport and film Faust's sculpture as is, followed by the bringing it down, and ending with the installing of the telelvision screen.  (...they started taking it down on Monday, so I'm hoping that someone had the same idea and filmed already!)

Could you imagine if they featured that on that screen?!  Of course, it would involve trickery, but I think it'd be great jab.  So if you live by Indy, get out there and film! hahaha!  Or please share your better idea of what to do!

What's your take on this article and situation?  Do you believe that Faust missed the fine print?  What should Faust do with the work now?

The One Year Project

The layer studies that I've been working on lately have yet to be discussed or explained.  There are a lot of things that culminated to make me suddenly want to go this route and experiment in this way.

I recently was researching my father's ship he was on in Vietnam - the USS Higbee.  My father served as a cook on the ship and he has often told me of fun stories I adored when I was small about eggs running across the griddle while sailing the seas.  When I was older, he also would tell me about his ship being bombed by an air attack of a MIG-17.  Luckily no one was killed in this attack, though the pictures were absolutely amazing of how badly the ship was injured.  They were all truly lucky that day.  There are a lot of things that culminated to allow my father and his shipmates survive that day and be able to dock safely.

In my recent research I actually found a photo of the pilot who was flying the MIG-17 that day.  My jaw dropped, and I sent the image to my parents' email.  It was such a bizarre feeling looking at that man with a smile upon his face...the man that at one time tried to kill my father and his fellow service men back in 1972.  Upon seeing the image, my father was so intrigued to see a photo of the man that one of his friends was trying to shoot back at with a machine gun in a desperate attempt.   My father put it plainly, "He was doing his job, and we were doing ours."  My mother added to the man's defense of my confusion of seeing the pilot, "Well, it was war." 

We quickly began conversing about wondering if he was still alive.  Did he make it through the war like my father had?  Did he survive to have children?  Is he still thriving somewhere in the world today?  We would like to think so. 

The complexity of the roles we play in life and who we are in different situations for survival is so intriguing.  With time, we forgive ourselves and each other.  Old roles deteriorate like ships rusting away at the bottom of oceans. 

I began creating a drawing series based upon this event in my father's life, and the new photos I found online.  The following is the first drawing I did in this series...there are still problems with it that I need to remedy, but at the moment this is what I have so far. 

I was thinking that it would still lack something once it was in a more final, polished form. 

Then, I took a walk around Portland last week photographing texture/color/buildings.  I have been intrigued with the colors and textures of rust for a long time.  I thought that perhaps this is what was missing from this drawing.  The studies began.  I'm thinking that perhaps the studies could be a part of the piece - maybe along the sides of the drawing.  It will add a textural feel of the tangible along side the image.  I've also thought about a more direct application.  I think I will begin experimenting with that this week with an older drawing to see if it will work visually.

In addition, another idea went into the mix.  I have been researching graduate programs and actually visited one of the schools I was interested in.  The tour consisted of walking around the current students' studio spaces.  What I found to be true throughout the tour was the fact that exploration and experimentation were extremely encouraged.  Some students were gaining ground by working in a manner that they had previously ignored in their undergraduate work.  They were encouraged to stick with a certain manner of working for a year to grow in their practice and understanding of their own methods.  I left there thinking, why haven't I done more of that? 

So here it is.  I have given this much thought and have decided to explore the combination of drawing and these layer studies for one year.  I think I would have a lot to gain through this method and it would encourage me to grow in different ways.  Drawing skills would be improved, and creative problem solving would definitely be exercised in new ways. 

With that, I welcome you to my year long project of experimentation!  Are there any projects you would like to embark upon?  I would love to hear about your experiences with such projects that you have been through or ones you have in the works.  Thank you for reading!

Not So Blank Any More - Revise, Revise, Revise...

When I first created this blog, the name "Blank Canvas" fit well.  It was a fresh, new blog on a fresh new computer with internet capabilities.  I was beginning to make the commitment of creating art on a regular basis and sending submissions to exhibition opportunities.
Lately, I've felt that this title does not apply anymore.  After two years of gaining in studio practice, and direction after all that college entailed, I feel that the name of this blog discredits progress.  To go forward working under the same title would be misleading and depleting.
I've been thinking that perhaps the title "Emerging Surface" or something about emerge or surface would be a good idea, since I have dedicated myself to working in a particular manner for a full year that deals a lot with the surface of paper, texture, and the images that emerge.


Or maybe I'll just use my name...not too sure at this point, but for now it works. If you have any ideas, I'm open for any suggestions!


I do have information to pass onto you!  One of my fellow artists/college friends sent me links to two of his websites found on www.mosaicglobe.com and www.wix.com .  The sites he did looked amazing!  Not to mention, they were FREE!  At least they are free up to a point - if you want to upgrade, then it costs money, but a lot of online needs can be met with the free hosting service.  I'm completely psyched about this, as I hope some you are too!  Here's also a look at my friend's blog on wix -  enjoy!
http://www.wix.com/avisapien/rah

Studying, studying, studying...maybe it's crap, maybe it's not.  I really don't know, but honesty is always refreshing.

New Little Studies

Recent studies:

I've been experiementing with color layers on 5x7" watercolor paper.  It's been interesting, and I've learned a lot from these paintings so far.  I've posted seven of them on Etsy today for $12 each with free shipping.  There are also more photos of these works above on the site as well in frames if you are interested.  I invite you to check them out at: 

 http://www.etsy.com/people/OnePebbleStudio?ref=si_pr

 I'm going to keep going with these studies...in fact I'll probably start some more of them tonight.  I'm interested in using these combined with drawings in a more formal sense...I'll keep you posted of my progress or blunders (not sure how well they will combine with the drawings yet).  Cheers to feeling like a bit of a mad scientist!  Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy my crazy little Etsy site if you check it out.  Sincere thanks!



I Am Not on A Porch Overlooking An Expansive Landscape

 I spent a large part of today going back through my listings on Etsy and taking additional photos for the postings.  This involved rearranging the living room,and taking down the existing artwork to make space for a photo area, followed by dragging out all of the works into my living room.  I struggled a bit with lighting - I used a combination of natural light and an adjustable floor lamp...this is not exactly what experts suggest.  One can tell when looking at the photos that they were not shot in a fancy studio, but it's what I had to work with.  I did the best that I could for the day, and actually I don't think they turned out half bad.  It's definitely better than just having one photo per listing.

Some artists have a photo studio to photograph their works, others just make space.  Some have money to get professional photographers to photograph their pieces, while others do the best they can. 

The Haves and the Have-Nots.

It would be great if we could be judged among our peers in more of an equal manner (if we have to be judged at all), but this is not the way the world works.  It's easy to see on Etsy.  Some artists have awesome photos of their work and these stylish banners that look so professional.  They have done amazing jobs with representing themselves and they do it with such ease...or at least it seems that way.

Artist websites vary greatly, but some really are works of art in and of themselves.  They can be absolutely beautiful and sophisticated.  They are often easy to navigate with a simplistic style.  They scream, "I am a REAL artist.  I am a TRUE PROFESSIONAL."  Maybe they are not so crass as the capital letters I used, but there is a powerful professionalism about them before even browsing through their work.

Equally, there are some pretty terrible ones out there too.  The ones that annoy me the most are the ones that are simply CVs with a few photos jammed between the lines of information and links.  They lack any charisma, despite the oversized signature at the top of the page.  Judging by the CV, these artists are quite accomplished.  Maybe they are too busy traveling the world from gallery to gallery in their clean white, flowing clothes to bother with the web.  I also picture them drinking wine on porches looking down over an expansive landscapes of olive and cypress trees with a slight breeze.  This is what my art history books have done to me.

Anyway, I am not one of them.  For now, I do not own any white clothes except for a couple of blouses, and I do not stand on porches overlooking expansive landscapes.  However, I do not feel sorry that I'm not one of them who can afford luxuries of a professional photographer, a studio that is only a studio, a brilliant web designer, and plane tickets to gallery shows around the world.  For now, I can honestly say it's kind of fun not to be one of them.  I get to try to learn all of this stuff on my own, and by trial and error.  It gives me much needed time to experiment with my work.  So far I believe that I have only errored, but there will be a time when I get it right.  Eventually.  I hope.  The challenges allow us to learn.  My struggles with the format of my website (yes, I'm redoing it AGAIN) will eventually make sense and it will look professional someday.  Maybe not this time around, but maybe the time after that I will get it right.  I am making measurable progress and that's good.  I am still trying, and sometimes, even though I'm not getting it right, that says a lot.

Take a Walk in Portland

Today I had a meeting in NW Portland and decided to take my camera along.  There are so many times when Matthew and I are down there and wish we would have brought our cameras to capture what our eyes love so much about this city.  Today I didn't miss out on the opportunity.

The walk started out innocently enough, but then I began to think of it as collecting textures.  The brick, the moss, the rust, the old buildings as remnants of the not so distant past still persevering against the shiney new giants beside them...I quickly realized that I will probably use these as reference points for future works and to strengthen the aesthetics of what I am currently doing.

The weather was chilly...I rushed out the door this morning without putting on the sweater over my long-sleeved tee, but it didn't matter.  I was so enthralled with the city, I hardly noticed.  It was a day well spent in Portland.  I love this city.  Here are some of the photos of the day - just click on them to get a bigger scale and more detail - enjoy!

Enjoy your day!  Love to all!

Going Forward

Today I've been continuing the de-clutterization of the apartment...all seems to be going well, but I am realizing that it's going to take a bigger chunk of time than I expected. 

I also took the opportunity to photograph the painting that's currently in the works.  I like to photograph my art while it is in progress sometimes because it distances me from the work itself.  It seems that I can evaluate the progress and think of different solutions when I see it in a different manner than just standing in front of it.  I like to think that it makes my evaluation a bit more objective.  Sometimes it helps and sometimes it doesn't. 

This painting is quite a departure from what I've done before.  I can see hints of this in earlier works - I took the things I liked from earlier works and am trying to get it all inside one work.  I'll keep you all posted!

Currently working on...

The beginning of a painting on a 36x24"canvas...I will be adding to this today.



Detail of the above work...



Inside the sketchbook

Inside the sketch book

Just a bit of what's in the studio and sketchbook - find myself seduced by line a lot lately...