monday's motivation

 

illustration by mary engelbreit

friday finish - self portrait

for the final project in my figure drawing class our assignment was to create an alter ego.  we were to pick something that occurs naturally (not manmade), so animals, plants, minerals, etc. then we had to impose some or all of our features onto our object of choice.

i did a drawing of a seadragon (closely related to a seahorse) and i imposed my iris in the place of the original eyeball. the contrast of the blue eye is striking next to the yellow and oranges of the body. the background is a deep purple, which is the compliment of yellow, although it doesn't show as well in the photo.

i used chalk pastels on bfk reeves drawing paper. it was my first experience with pastels and i found i really enjoyed the materials. i only used red, yellow and blue pastels (and white to get highlights) to create all the color in this piece. i have to toot my own horn in this case because i think the colors turned out amazing, and i mixed them all!

this piece is currently at the frame shop and there is an empty space on my wall waiting for it....

willy-nilly wednesday - exhaust

for this wednesday treat i have a random thought.

while walking from one side of campus to the other, with only 15 minutes between classes, my breathing space was filled with cigarette smoke (from the girl in front of me) and, later, gasoline exhaust from a campus atv....

if i had to choose between the two....i pick gasoline.

happy hump day!

tuesday tribute - ajean ryan

i took a figure drawing class over the summer....and i suffered a lot. mostly from my own resistance though, i will admit. once the class was done i actually missed it. it was as if i had finally gotten into the groove of it and the 8 weeks were over.... now i'm back to trying to self-motivate drawing in my sketchbook. needless to say, that hasn't been so successful.

i also have to say that my teacher was a great sport despite me being difficult. she is a wonderful teacher and has an incredible passion for both teaching and drawing...and art!

she recently had an art opening in denver that i had the privilege to attend. there is nothing quite like experiencing great art with the artist standing right next to you.

ajean's work is beautiful and definitely worth seeing in person. she works with ink and chalk pastel, which i have to say is an intriguing combination. i've never seen it used together before.

'The Hidden and the Haunted' : pastel and ink on mounted board

her work is delicate yet powerful, and it comes from her soul. it comes from the part of her that every artist has. it's the part that calls out, longing to be expressed, and will quite possibly make life miserable if it is ignored.

'Just Until Tomorrow' : pastel and ink on mounted board

ajean is deliberate in her process and what she wants to convey with her work, and she is very articulate when describing her intentions. that is an area in which i wish to grow as an artist.

'Summer Snow' : pastel and ink on paper

thank you, ajean, for sharing your passion with the world.

to view more work by ajean:

www.ajeanleeryan.com

info on her current show can be found on the gallery website:

www.icecubegallery.com/current-exhibit/

new format....hopefully

i find that without a specific intention by blog resides in the part of my brain with all the other things that seem like a great idea, but never really come to fruition...

well, that is going to end now. hopefully....

i am beginning a new blog format with a daily prompt for myself. my hope is that this will open my perception of the everyday and i'll find lots of intriguing things. it's amazing what you find when you have something to look for.

so, here's the rub:

monday's motivation - a bit of encouragement to start the week. it's really for my own motivation really, but i'll share.

tuesday tribute - i often come across artists/art that inspires me. i'll share them on this day. it's open enough to include current artists, classic/historical artists, great books, new music, etc.

willy-nilly wednesday - this is really whatever comes up. it's sure to be entertaining at least...

thursday's thought - i'll attempt to share my brain musings here.

friday finish - i'll share my own artwork here. i need a bit of prompting in my creating as well. this section could include quilting and sewing projects, school projects, etc.

tune in for the days that interest the most... and bear with me while i get into the swing of things. my intention is to post daily. it might take me a couple weeks to get consistent.

yay art!