It isn't a replacement for this one... jut serves a different function. I'll get to photographing and updating this eventually!
www.jillandjeff.us
Monday, November 09, 2009
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Taking a break... other forms of creativity
I recently had a week off for spring break, and although I had planned to work on a new still life at school, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I still attended my extra night classes, but otherwise felt burned out.
I spent a lot of the break doing little that I could call productive... in retrospect I think I felt a bit stifled by the daily academic coursework. Don't get me wrong--I love it, but there is not a great deal of room for creative exploration and experimentation. As creative as I am daily, I felt completely the opposite. And as much as I craved something different, I was slow to get over my general fatigue.
But the time was not completely wasted: I created online book marks for web sites of artists I like, and discovered a few new ones in the process; I checked out library books on wood engraving, sewing and jewelry making (and yes, Rembrandt and Durer and Michelangelo); I organized and rearranged the house (well, somewhat organized); I went for long walks ("long" for March in Minneapolis) and visited thrift stores and book stores.
I am back in school now and feel energized to complete the rest of the semester and am already thinking ahead to summer projects. Lots of painting and sketching. And definitely more jewelry (see my first two creations below).
Jeff has been searching for the perfect necklace for years. I took a chance and created one for him.
Created as a birthday gift for my sister Mindy. The pendant is a fossil from Morocco (ammonite).
I spent a lot of the break doing little that I could call productive... in retrospect I think I felt a bit stifled by the daily academic coursework. Don't get me wrong--I love it, but there is not a great deal of room for creative exploration and experimentation. As creative as I am daily, I felt completely the opposite. And as much as I craved something different, I was slow to get over my general fatigue.
But the time was not completely wasted: I created online book marks for web sites of artists I like, and discovered a few new ones in the process; I checked out library books on wood engraving, sewing and jewelry making (and yes, Rembrandt and Durer and Michelangelo); I organized and rearranged the house (well, somewhat organized); I went for long walks ("long" for March in Minneapolis) and visited thrift stores and book stores.
I am back in school now and feel energized to complete the rest of the semester and am already thinking ahead to summer projects. Lots of painting and sketching. And definitely more jewelry (see my first two creations below).
Jeff has been searching for the perfect necklace for years. I took a chance and created one for him.
Created as a birthday gift for my sister Mindy. The pendant is a fossil from Morocco (ammonite).
Sunday, March 22, 2009
The Buddha Loves Baseball
Here's my latest painting. The photo isn't the best (that's a dark shadow in the lower right corner, from what I don't know) but it'll have to do!
After painting in black and white I decided I wanted to paint white objects in color. I'll try to get better close up photos so you can see how much color actually lives in the objects. I wanted to paint another cast and I wanted to do something for Jeff... and baseball is very zen-like: a lot of non-action. The original plan was to use a neutral background but one teacher encouraged me to do an exercise with a lot of color, and the blue really popped other color in the objects.
I started with a color study, during which I realized that the flowers to the right of Buddha were a bit unnatural looking. I changed them and then moved on to a charcoal sketch of the still life. I transferred the sketch to canvas and stared painting.
Here's the basic set-up in my studio:
I have to say I eventually just decided this painting was done, without being satisfied with it. I learned a lot and am ready to do something new, but there are certainly areas that could be improved upon. I've moved on to another painting and will post it in a while. It's very different from this one--all earth tones and muted colors, pottery and wood. We'll see how it goes. Let me know what you think!
After painting in black and white I decided I wanted to paint white objects in color. I'll try to get better close up photos so you can see how much color actually lives in the objects. I wanted to paint another cast and I wanted to do something for Jeff... and baseball is very zen-like: a lot of non-action. The original plan was to use a neutral background but one teacher encouraged me to do an exercise with a lot of color, and the blue really popped other color in the objects.
I started with a color study, during which I realized that the flowers to the right of Buddha were a bit unnatural looking. I changed them and then moved on to a charcoal sketch of the still life. I transferred the sketch to canvas and stared painting.
Here's the basic set-up in my studio:
I have to say I eventually just decided this painting was done, without being satisfied with it. I learned a lot and am ready to do something new, but there are certainly areas that could be improved upon. I've moved on to another painting and will post it in a while. It's very different from this one--all earth tones and muted colors, pottery and wood. We'll see how it goes. Let me know what you think!
Friday, February 06, 2009
Nude isn't new--but I love it!
(Sorry, but despite my enthusiasm, no photo will be accompanying this blog posting.)
I began posing nude last week. I do it once a week, for a night class of about fifteen students at my school. I know about half of them from school and the portrait class I posed for last semester. I was more nervous about getting up in front of them and appearing nervous than actually nervous itself. I'll tell you a secret: I have always had this thought that people might be disappointed if they saw the real me. You know how it goes--we all hide our flaws with the clothes we choose to wear.
Well I am flawed. And I love posing nude. It is liberating.
I love that I can get over myself and conquer silly fears.
I love that as much beauty as I find in others, I can find in myself too.
I love that I am a living part of art history. Not only am I learning to be a great painter, inspired by masters such as Rembrandt and Repin, but I am also experiencing a part of what inspired them in their training and work. And posing is giving me a better sense of what the body does, how it feels, and what is going on inside the form that I want to capture in my art.
I love knowing that I am contributing to something beautiful, something wonderful: the development of artists. Not just art, but artists. I get up on the model stand, drop my robe, and within seconds am lost in my head, see myself as "a figure model" like so many that I have drawn. As an artist, you see only lines and curves, value and volume. The nude part of it doesn't even enter my mind.
I chose a difficult pose to hold: standing, with a bent knee and most of my weight on one leg. I did so purposely, wanting to provide something beautiful for the students to work with. Many models request a seated pose, but as an artist I know what it's like to be excited by drawing a standing figure. My foot falls asleep by the end of the night, but I like the challenge. It's worth it.
This class lasts fifteen weeks. But it won't end for me there. I plan to do a lot more of it.
I began posing nude last week. I do it once a week, for a night class of about fifteen students at my school. I know about half of them from school and the portrait class I posed for last semester. I was more nervous about getting up in front of them and appearing nervous than actually nervous itself. I'll tell you a secret: I have always had this thought that people might be disappointed if they saw the real me. You know how it goes--we all hide our flaws with the clothes we choose to wear.
Well I am flawed. And I love posing nude. It is liberating.
I love that I can get over myself and conquer silly fears.
I love that as much beauty as I find in others, I can find in myself too.
I love that I am a living part of art history. Not only am I learning to be a great painter, inspired by masters such as Rembrandt and Repin, but I am also experiencing a part of what inspired them in their training and work. And posing is giving me a better sense of what the body does, how it feels, and what is going on inside the form that I want to capture in my art.
I love knowing that I am contributing to something beautiful, something wonderful: the development of artists. Not just art, but artists. I get up on the model stand, drop my robe, and within seconds am lost in my head, see myself as "a figure model" like so many that I have drawn. As an artist, you see only lines and curves, value and volume. The nude part of it doesn't even enter my mind.
I chose a difficult pose to hold: standing, with a bent knee and most of my weight on one leg. I did so purposely, wanting to provide something beautiful for the students to work with. Many models request a seated pose, but as an artist I know what it's like to be excited by drawing a standing figure. My foot falls asleep by the end of the night, but I like the challenge. It's worth it.
This class lasts fifteen weeks. But it won't end for me there. I plan to do a lot more of it.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
.gif)
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Starts and Finishes
I finished this painting over the holidays. Next step: painting still life in color.
Before moving on to still life painting, my teachers asked that I complete a color exercise. I set up a small still life and spent the first two days doing a color study. I then did a one-day color study of the same still life, followed by another, then finished with two studies in one day. The point was to see color and get as much information down as possible within the allotted time. Exact replication of the objects wasn't necessary (and I was taking mine down each day, so the set-up varied somewhat).
This exercise was also a great boost to my confidence. There are aspects of each of the studies that I find appealing. It was initially pretty tough switching to working with color, and tough to move fast. But by the end of the week I was having a lot of fun. A couple of days ago I did a one-day color study of a more complex still life (I'll post it in a couple of weeks--I don't have a camera here now) and it never entered my mind that I wouldn't be able to get it done--and done well--in three hours. That's progress!
Two-day study:
First one-day study:
Second one-day study:
Two studies/one day (1.5 hour):
Two studies/one day (1 hour):
Before moving on to still life painting, my teachers asked that I complete a color exercise. I set up a small still life and spent the first two days doing a color study. I then did a one-day color study of the same still life, followed by another, then finished with two studies in one day. The point was to see color and get as much information down as possible within the allotted time. Exact replication of the objects wasn't necessary (and I was taking mine down each day, so the set-up varied somewhat).
This exercise was also a great boost to my confidence. There are aspects of each of the studies that I find appealing. It was initially pretty tough switching to working with color, and tough to move fast. But by the end of the week I was having a lot of fun. A couple of days ago I did a one-day color study of a more complex still life (I'll post it in a couple of weeks--I don't have a camera here now) and it never entered my mind that I wouldn't be able to get it done--and done well--in three hours. That's progress!
Two-day study:
First one-day study:
Second one-day study:
Two studies/one day (1.5 hour):
Two studies/one day (1 hour):
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
