Drawing Blind 2: The Self-Portrait

Another blind contour drawing, this one a self-portrait, looking in the mirror. It's interesting to draw without looking at the drawing - you get marvelously focused on the subject. I usually find myself "cheating" at least once, glancing down at the paper just to see where I am. Strangely, I'm usually pretty well oriented on the page, but I still have a hard time trusting myself . . . I've been using a plain roller-ball pen, but am interested in trying a pen that would make a less consistent mark - one where you can vary the width more.

Drawing Blind

Today's drawing is a blind contour drawing of my sweetie, resting on the couch and playing with a pen while watching Buffy. I'm sure all of that comes through . . .

The Chuck Close Exhibit

Today's drawing inspired by a visit to the Chuck Close Exhibit at the Portland Art Museum. Wonderful to see so much about the process of his printmaking . . . He was a photorealistic painter, started with close-ups of faces, used a grid to break it up and enlarge it while maintaining the perspective. His later work showed the grid , even emphasizing it and using it as a compositional element. He also used different types of marks - scribbles, circles, even fingerprints - and frequently vivid color to create the images.

Nest Head

I've certainly had days like this. Fortunately, today was not one of them. The ennui is fading, and I'm starting to feel energized again! I'm not teaching at all during January - I've got too much work scheduled for the Other Part of my Brain - so the drawing a day (along with some classes I'll be taking) will serve as my creative accountability.

And, I've got a few cool links to share!

For you Portland folks, the main library downtown is featuring a mail art show! I didn't pull it together to participate (it wasn't juried, making it a great opportunity for the entire community to participate), but am excited to visit - Diane over at DIY Alert talked about it on her Cool Places Alert blog this week, and gave some great links to learn more about mail art.

I'm also very excited about the up and coming jewelry exhibits at The Museum of Contemporary Craft here in Portland - Touching Warms the Art and Framing: The Art of Jewelry. Both look like they're set to open January 19th, but get this - visitors get to touch and even try on the jewelry created for the Touching Warms the Art exhibit - I cannot tell you how much this thrills me. I am thinking about becoming a member of the museum just so that I can crash the pre-opening gala! (Although it's not really crashing if I'm a member and have an invite, is it?) It also looks like the jewelry is made from a lot of found, recycled, and non-precious materials - something that appeals to me. I'm going to be reworking my Toolbox Jewels class into Junk Drawer Jewels - incorporating more different types of found objects into the workshop.
And last but not least, my friend Mark Silver of Heart of Business publishes an e-newsletter that is full of wonderful information for the spiritually-minded entrepreneur, folks who want to "make a difference and a profit." His newsletter this week was about creativity - and he hit on a really important point: it takes quiet time in order to turn around and have productive time. You have to allow yourself times to be fallow or to simply be quiet and reflective in order to be creative. If you want to read the whole article, go here.

And perhaps that is part of the purpose of post-holiday ennui: my mind forcing me to rest, to contemplate . . .

New Year's Blog-o-Lutions

A few madcap ideas for my blog in 2008 have been dancing in my head, and after reading M5K's entry for the day, I've been inspired to follow through by making a bold public declaration to all three of you who read this.

They are my Blog-o-Lutions for 2008, my personal evolution in blogging, a solution for my annual ennui (cause I always feel better with a mission), a revolution in creative dedication, my New Year's Resolutions. All blatantly adapted from a lot of really great ideas other people have already come up with, hopefully all duly referenced in this post.

I only hope I'm not biting off more than I can chew. Here goes:

1. I will post every day in January, March, May, July, September, and November. This is more interesting than just doing it everyday in November as part of NaBloPoMo, but is less terrifying than the 366 leap year commitment. It gives me permission to have bursts of intensity while totally flaking out for half the year. Works for me.
   
2. I'll be aiming to get more art on the blog - I'm groovin' on the recipes and the DEMOS, so more of them. I'm still wondering if I want to dive into participating in any of the big inspiration sites like Illustration Friday or Self-Portrait Challenge, but for January, I'm going to post a drawing a day. Doesn't have to be complicated, can be on a post-it, whatever. I'm just going to draw something everyday.
   

Ok. That's it. Here's the first drawing. Quick sketch done from a picture I took of myself while I was on the phone. Colored with marker. Emphasis on rapid: note the remaining pencil lines. Not crazy about the yellow highlights on the face - think it looks like I have weird yellow pockets of puff under my chin and over my eyes - but it manages to capture my self-absorbed manner of multi-tasking and my secret desire to be interesting enough to be the topic of my own reality-based TV show or a photo spread in People Magazine. Hmmm. I can feel the ennui lifting already as I drift into fantasy land . . .