THE FINAL
Wednesday, November 12th, 2008 | STUDIES | 2 Comments
The Text:
November 11, 2008
(The anniversary of the sinking of the Edmond Fitzgerald… not that I’m superstitious, mind you)
Without the playing with fantasy no creative work has ever yet come to birth. The debt we owe to the play of imagination is incalculable.
-Carl Jung-
Before moving on to the moment of truth, there are two things I want to point out:
#1 - Why in hades am I drawing myself with feet that are too small? I would like to be exotic and political and say something about foot-binding and feminine oppression… but I won’t. Instead, I will delve into the mind of my favorite Swiss psychiatrist, Carl Jung.
It turns out, according to that wacky Swiss, the feet are symbols for the soul. Great. Just great. My subconscious is telling me I have a small soul. Does resenting your boss mean you have a small soul? I think Carl is telling me it does… But I digress~
#2 - Chris, In one of your critiques to Melanie you stated:
“Life drawing counts on different body styles to make it interesting, Melanie. However, most people unconsciously emphasize or consciously de-emphasize the things they notice about others or themselves , (often the thing they like the least when its a self portrait), and I am pretty good at spotting when something is a unique body difference or when its a stylized emphasis.”
(AS IF I’m not self-conscious enough)
The above statement so inspired me for my self-portrait. So, in honor of this phenomenon amongst those artists forced to do self-portraits in life drawing classes such as this, I would like you to behold the stick man on the paper and see the “part of emphasis.” (I think you can make it out — it is a CONSCIOUS EMPHASIS). I seriously had all of this rendered before I read that comment. Now it makes it even more worth-while and telling for me.
Let’s face it — if I have to represent myself naked, I want to REPRESENT MYSELF NAKED.
My personal goal for this piece is to read the words:
“What a spectacular pair of feet!”
What?
And now — if you dare…
Namasté… or is it Nestlé…
_______
The Goods:
THOSE FEET!
And the Professor said:
Chris to Penny
Hmmm….it seems the stick figure may not have been developed using the “all over” technique I discussed before. I think that the emphasis is slightly apparent here…I am so glad my critique struck a cord.
A beautiful final drawing Penny. The figure is balanced, proportionate, and extremely well rendered. The feet (and hands) may be a touch small, but not so much that the integrity of the final is damaged. I think some of the dark shadows could still go a bit darker, but I am very impressed by the subtlety and detail that has gone into the middle values and highlight on the muscles. A critique below mentions the “shimmery” hair…I agree with this adjective. It seems quite shiny…freshly brushed? I would assume by the application of light and shadow on the hair that it is blond…? One thing that I would mention here that does not affect the figure drawing is that the vansihing point for the figure and the paper on the wall seem to be different. If I connect the upper and lower lines of the paper in one place the horizon line appears to be above your head, but to look at the figure the HL appears to be at the shoulder…I assume you “guesstimated” the angles on the page (not a big deal, but I had to point it out) since the figure seems so accurate.
oh yes…
WHAT A SPECTACULAR PAIR OF FEET.
And the rest looks quite nice as well. Mission accomplished Penny.
___
Meanderings
Monday, November 10th, 2008 | LIFE | No Comments
Holy Crap! Yesterday would have been my 21st wedding anniversary to my 1st husband…. I kept thinking the date sounded familiar. It dawned on me when I saw today was the 10th. Tomorrow is the anniversary of the sinking of the Edmond Fitzgerald. Ahhhh yes - forever linked.
PB
That’s him. He’s a lawyer. That’s his lawyer picture. Poor guy survived me for over 10 years and three children. But you know… I survived him too. As it stands, I have known him longer than I have known almost anyone in my life. I ponder this and realize that deep down…
I’m getting fucking old.
Mom
Monday, November 10th, 2008 | LIFE | No Comments
I came to find out that my mother had NEVER been to The Toledo Museum of Art. So on Sunday, instead of heading off to church like the good Christian lemming that I can be, we packed up my mom to go see her daughter’s piece in the art museum.
I don’t even know what to say. Her mind is like a tack - and her body has failed her. She can barely get the liquid in her feeding tube, she can’t speak, she breathes through a trach that has to be suctioned several times a day… she can no longer bath herself and can barely hobble from one place to another.
It’s amazing those times that she can make it to the bathroom.
I bathe and groom my mother the same way I used to bathe and groom my daughters. There is an old saying that there is magic in brushing an old mother’s hair. Well… it isn’t working. Or maybe it is.
My heart melts towards her… which is a miracle in and of itself. I still hate humanity, however — this is what keeps me strong.
Hands and Tootsies
Monday, November 10th, 2008 | STUDIES | No Comments
The life drawing class is drawing to a close. I fear I do not have much to show for it other than an ulcer. Here are samples of two of my studies:
MY HAND
I left off the plethora of rings that I wear.
Here are my tootsies:
My Janky Toes
My toes are pretty janky. I read that feet are a symbol for the soul. I continually render my feet too small in the drawings for this class. Gee, does this mean I am small-souled right now?
Well… is it small souled to get ruffled over a person getting a basket of fruit when all they had was a bad case of indigestion? I have indigestion all the time. Where’s *MY* basket of fruit.
Make it strawberries. I can’t have bananas or oranges on the South Beach diet. I want a cornucopia of strawberries. Of course, the last strawberries I bought ended up with green fuzz on them.
Give me CASH.
Arts for our Future - 2008
Monday, November 3rd, 2008 | STUDIO 566 | No Comments
I am terribly sentimental about this show. I look forward to it every year. This is my 13th year participating.
Dramatis Personae
1st Place – Color Pencil
Blues Tattoos
3rd Place - Computer Graphics
Life Drawing…
Wednesday, October 29th, 2008 | STUDIES | No Comments
Here it is. My very first real attempt at a drawing. The assignment isn’t to be finished. I have others I have to draw for this assignment, but his is the first. Kind of gets me right… here.
TA DA!
This freakin class needs to be over.
THE BIG EVENT
Saturday, October 25th, 2008 | LIFE | 2 Comments
My Future's So Bright
So… this was me. That is the illustration. That is the back wall of the Canaday Gallery at The Toledo Museum of Art… in the far corner. And yes, the jeans I am wearing ARE size 5, why do you ask? Do not be jealous, I’m 45 years old fer cryin’ out loud.
I would like to humbly thank the TWO of you (and your wives) who showed your support for me. Do I sound anguished and bitter? Good. That means I am a true artist.
Although… RL… I sincerely thought the man from the Monopoly game (Oh good, I want to be the shoe) was going to toss me out for laughing. We must do more socialite events together more often as I have never enjoyed sardonic cynical wit so much in my life. fah fah fah fah. And for the TWO of you (and your wives): I made it - on time - to honorable daughter number one’s Senior night.
I ran onto the site right up next to her dad - it was cold and rainy - and he laughed at me. “How was the art opening?” he asked. “Oh… you know… a bunch of people dressed in black, drinking wine.” We lined up with honorable daughter #1. Some woman came by and said something. I put my red sunglasses on and a bunch of folks started to laugh. I thought they looked slick. Turns out they were announcing us and we hadn’t a clue. I put the shades on right on cue. That’s because… I’m cool.
PRESENTING - THE NOGGIN
Thursday, October 23rd, 2008 | STUDIES | No Comments
I call this piece:
THE GREAT AND POWERFUL OZ
THE GREAT AND POWERFUL OZ
I still have to label all the bones.
BEHOLD - THE HAND AND FOOT
Tuesday, October 21st, 2008 | STUDIES | 1 Comment
I call this:
THE FICKLE FINGER OF FATE
THE FICKLE FINGER OF FATE
I posted with this assignment:
… notice how the red nail boldly points heavenward - symbolically indicating the anguish of humanity’s blame towards the gods.
I call this:
RIGHT FOOT BLUE: THE PERILS OF TWISTER®
RIGHT FOOT BLUE: THE PERILS OF TWISTER®
