Writing 5 (blog posts) for Crit 4

In my last critique I showed several pieces from my previous critiques (donuts and Mooreman's) as well as a new piece. A portrait of my current boyfriend, Jackson Sanor. I really enjoy working on portraits of people that have impacted me in some way or another. I was critiqued by Emi Gennis and briefly by Malcolm Kucharski. Emi gave me the advice to "GET THESE ON THE INTERNET." She suggested that these pieces are very marketable and that people in a town like this would be interested in some art like the donuts and bar scenes. She encouraged me to keep gooooooing! Do other businesses! Maybe the school? I will once again be in Pittsburg for the summer and I intend to use that time to work on more Pittsburg Love Pieces. The watercolor and the graphite just go hand in hand like PB&J. I would like to have a large set to compile for print for the Student Art Fair put on in the fall. Posters, greeting cards, prints, booklets etc. I'm really excited about this project. I hope that I can keep this fire burning into the fall.
For this next critique I have made another portrait piece, this time of my most influential professor, Emi Gennis.

Some Sketches and color tests.

Emi has really showed me the internet. I know that makes me sound like I'm four, BUT she's really opened my eyes to the art world that is online. There are so many communities of young, thriving artists out there making so so much art! Amazing, inspirational, puts-a-fire-in-you-and-makes-you-feel-like-you're-gonna-be-just-fine kind of art! Finding the web has really helped me as an artist and shaped my style and growth. I owe her a lot. 

Emi Gennis, 9x12, watercolor and graphite

Along with that, I'm working on a study of her hands at work (I mean she is an artist.)

Hands 5x7 graphite

They're just graphite right now, and I'm not to sure about the angle... but I'm going to try to get it watercolored and bring it to critique for thoughts. I had hoped to get a little bit of my next portrait worked on but I don't know if I'll be able to. 

2.) Next I would like to take a moment to talk about another student, and friend, in my critique course- Brittney Walton. She is a quiet, calming person that loves dogs more than dogs love dogs. This semester she has been working on a creative project involving etchings. 

I really admire her effort and ingenuity. I can tell that she has done quite a bit of research in order to work on these pieces in such a creative way. In order to get the amount of pressure to ink the etchings she ran them over with her car, see below!

I quite enjoyed her final pieces. Some didn't turn out as she expected, but that comes with taking such a risk. 

Since then she's been working with linocuts. 

Check her out at https://brittneylwalton.wordpress.com/

Writing 6 (blog posts) Artist Lecture

Today I attended the lecture of Gwen Walstand and Sarah Perkins, as well as visiting the gallery of their work. I LOVE COLLABORATIONS! Mostly because I'm not very good at them and I admire anyone who can work together peacefully to make something beautiful. This particular exhibition is a study of the town of Cairo, Illinois. Which is the title of the show, a collab of vessels created by Sarah Perkins and photographs captured by Gwen Walstand. 

An example of the works shown here.

The town of Cairo is at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio River. This was a booming prosperous town, with traffic from trains, boats, and on land. Post Civil War slaves lived there, and the town was divided by race. Resulting in horrific lynchings and violence throughout it's history. Even in the 1970's, white business owners refused to hire African American workers. because of this tension and violence, the current Cairo is left in a state of disrepair. 

Something that I found particularly interesting was the fact that the town of Cairo was once a place of commerce, success, and culture. A beautiful place with grand buildings, full of progress. It's amazing how hate can stop all of that. How intolerance and a lack of understanding can halt such beauty and growth. I think that it was very fitting to capture this once beautiful, once ugly, place with art. One of the most beautiful and expressive venues mankind has created. 

The vessels are metalsmithing with enamel, showcasing the architecture captured in the photographs. 

One thing that Ms. Perkins mentioned was that she had gone to the town before Mrs. Walsand and taken photographs. Later when they were comparing their images, they found that they both took a picture of the same building. This building had been painted white. In the time between taking their separate images, someone in the town had painted more of the building, and filled in some of the chipping areas of paint. I think it;s so poignant that there are residents in this town that can look past its violent history, and still love the town and try to make it a little bit better every day. 

Writing 4 (blog post) for Crit III

Hello all! Back again so soon, huh? Well if you recall, at Critique II I brought in some small 5x7" illustrations of observations at Mooreman's Southside Bar and Grill, my favorite saloon in town.

Here is one of the 5 that I showed. 5x7" Pool Table watercolor and graphite.

These illustrations were critiqued by Li-Lin Tseng, my Art History professor and boss, as well as Portico Bowman, my favorite printmaking, bookbinding, tea drinking professor in the department. I came away with many comments and I appreciated the feedback. Some of the things that were asked were: WHY do we want to see these images? WHY should I keep turning the page? Portico enjoyed the pool game image (on previous blog post) as well as the "9 Stages of the Glazed Donut" because they were intriguing and left little clues of life. They weren't completely stagnant and they left here curious. I plan to ask myself these little questions before I start pieces in the future for this project.

NOW for Crit III. I am starting my next phase of my Pittsburg works. This series is a little more time consuming so my production rate might be a TAD slower.... Anyway I will be working on a series of portraits of people that I have met in Pittsburg that have positively impacted my life in some way. These are people that aren't even themselves from the burg, but represent Pitt to me. These people did not exist to me before I came here and now my life is forever changed because of them. I hope to create on of my roommate and dearest friend, Ryan Osborn, my most influential professor, Emi Gennis and a few other friends that have changed my little world.

The first in this series is my current boyfraaand Jackson Sanor. Since meeting him I have learned things about myself and about real life grown up relationships. He is very passionate about guitar and engineering. I went with the guitar.

Jackson G. Sanor, 9x12" watercolor and graphite.

Some practice sketches, composition, and color testing.

I very much enjoyed creating this piece. I wanted to include text because I believe that it adds an element of fun, and allows you all to understand a little bit more about him. A little bit of what I see, intimate details about him. Next I plan on working on my BFF Ryan R Town Osborn, I may try to get some sketches in before critique but we shall SEE ABOUT THAT.

I'm also bringing a cover design for the Daylight Donuts series (kind of beating a dead horse with the donuts, huh?) Anyway, in another class I am making these drawings into a book so I created a cover here:

Daylight Donuts illustration Book Cover. 5x7" watercolor and graphite.

Now I would like to talk a little bit about a classmate of mine, Carlie Gernhart and her blog, Pure Imagination. <------- this title could not be more accurate. Carlie, do you actually have bones and organs or is it just your fascinating imagination in there?? IT'S. SO. BIG. After reading her posts, you should have no doubt in your mind about the creativity and passion of this artist. Her fantastical and purely magical designs and stories of the worlds that she creates in her big old brain is inspiring. Righy now she is working on character design. Previously in Crit II she showed us some designs of demons:

Carlie Gernhart- Demon Design 4.

I mean would you just look at that? Straight gruesome, girlfriend. 

Here is an example of her character design for the upcoming crit:

 

I love that these characters become completely real to her, and in turn the viewer! I have no doubt in my mind that she will be a success. I IMPLORE you to check out her work here: http://pureimaginationink.blogspot.com/