The art that exists within catalogs...

I just came back inside from checking and mail and I was pleased to find the April catalog from JCPenney waiting in my mailbox.  I am someone that HATES (seriously, you guys, HATE is the word) receiving catalogs or any other similar bullshittles in the mail.  I hate it!  However, a few months ago (January, I think) I opened my mailbox to find this slightly heavy book inside.  When I opened it up, I saw a JCPenney logo and instantly fell in love with all of it.  I had a pretty serious Willy Wonka moment (Yes, the snozzberries taste like snozzberries, but does this woman's bracelet taste like tangerines?  Because it sure as hell looks like it.) and became all sorts of giddy.  These are not the things I do when I see a catalog in the mail. 

 

I was and am intrigued by this new look for JCPenney.  They redesigned their logo (a super clean red, white, and blue) and really seemed to do an overhaul on their entire image and pricing.  While the price changes and all of that is excellent for those that regularly shop there, I am far more impressed and interested in the design work!  That first catalog was so beautiful and simple - it sort of became art-porn for me (Dick Blick catalogs are my own personal sort of "Hustler", if you're picking up what I'm throwin' down).  February was sweet chalky, pepto pink, but it was so fun!  The March catalog was a woman's hand holding onto a kite against a brilliant sort of blue sky...frankly, the whole thing is just sexy.  And now today for April, the cover is coated in shades of pastel blue with a little boy reaching for a pink egg (totally snuggle worthy).

 

Seeing advertising go this way is really refreshing.  Or maybe I'm just not paying enough attention.  All I know is that rarely do my eyes perk up when it comes to the designs and layouts from any retail company (most are so similar that they completely pass boring and venture into torturous territory), but with this new design, my eyes bugged out of my head like an animated cat-calling wolf.

 

[tags art, design, graphic design, advertisements, jcpenney, jcp, jc penney, layout, magazine, catalog, logo, colors, spring, clean]

More difficult than I expected...

I realized that updating my blog every single day was going to be hard simply because I'm usually at a loss for interesting things to talk about or present.  When I find something that is noteworthy, I share it!  But finding noteworthy art-related things everyday is not easy.  Plus, I don't want to bore any of you, so I feel that added pressure (certainly I put it on myself) to present something that is even the slightest bit interesting.

 

Tomorrow will make 1 week that I have blogged every day.  That is, if I post tomorrow!  Illustration Friday posted their new word today and, initially, I was counting on that to use as today's post, but the word is "Return" and, honestly, I got nothin'.  I keep thinking "Return of the Jedi" or "Return of the Mack" and "Return to Sender" one of my favorite Elvis songs (I like Elvis, but not in a I-want-a-giant-velvet-painting-of-his-head kind of way). 

 

Since I try to keep my blog in the art-side of things, I have been wanting to post about a blog that I follow, but I haven't figured out exactly what to say or how to present it well enough.  Basically, the blog entries consist of multiple images along a common theme.  It is seriously candy fo' my eyes!  So, go here: Chicquero to see the blog and let your eyes be piggies!

 

{tags art, writing, life, blogging, blogs, following, links, persistence, effort] 

A necklace...

Just a photo and a quick back-story:

 

A bit over 2 years ago my brother asked me to make him a hemp necklace, so I said I would.  2 years ago.  I did it 2 days ago.  Shame on me.  This is not his necklace though - I was on a roll so I made one for my mom.

Pinteresting things with Pinterest...

I'm not known for being clever...

 

I received an invite to sign up for a Pinterest account back in February.  I finally took the plunge a few days ago and created one.  I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about it or even what I'm supposed to do.  I keep hitting "Like" on images that I actually like and then I also pin them - frankly I don't know the difference!  Why would I pin something if I didn't like it and why "Like" something if I have no intention of pinning it?  Whew!

 

There was a very passionate and frightening discussion going on about artists using Pinterest and having their work stolen and something about copyright issues.  They chose not to have an account based on that.  It makes sense, of course, but the other side of it is that Pinterest seems like it could be used as a tool for promoting the work that you do.  Since I'm still not exactly sure how it really works, I don't know if the link belonging to the original image follows the image through being repeatedly pinned.  I don't even know if that made a bit of sense.  Say I have a website (soon) and I decide to pin one of my images.  The image is linked to my site, so if someone clicks on it, they can see where the image came from, yes?  Does this go away as the image goes through the process of being pinned over and over?

Even if the original link was removed at some point and my image was just another image floating around out there, aside from typical concerns (someone taking the image and creating prints or printing it on t-shirts, mugs - making a profit off your work in some fashion), is there another reason to be worried?  The idea that your work is no longer yours is a bit bothersome, but I'm not sure of the likelihood of that happening with my work. 

 

I do have a great deal of fun looking at other artists' boards, though!  I have voyeuristic tendencies, so looking at images that a person has collected satisfies my weird-ass curiosity!  In case anyone wants to peek into my head, my Pinterest is ItDoesArt (of course!).  I can't promise anything exciting and, as you know, I have a problem sticking with things so my...picture collection (what the hell is it called?!) is sparse and boring.  Once my shoulder heals a bit, I will pin the hell out of the Internet...

 

P.S. Just so you're aware, every time I say "Pinterest", I pronounce it "Pin-interest" and it's making me effing crazy...I don't know why I keep doing that, but I do hope I'm not alone! 

 

[tags art, pinterest, interesting, pins, artist, pictures, images, copyright, thoughts, opinions, tools, promotion, drawing, work]

Self Portrait Project - the beginning...

*cue Rocky theme*

I started the Self Portrait Project, as seen below.  I assure you I am a human and not a landscape.  How sweet would that be, though? Height: 6,789 ft. Weight: More than your mom. Smoker: Yes (for volcanoes).  I'd get all the ladies.

 

Anyway, clearly I've not done any more than a background on it, but it's something.  Plus, I feel pretty productive today.  It has been months since I've fondled a paintbrush and doing so was wonderful!

 

My head is pounding, so this is it for tonight.

 

 

[tags painting, art, art house co-op, art house, portrait, self portrait, brush, ambition, landscape, paint]

It has arrived...

Not me, It, but the Self Portrait Project from Art House!  It's a 4 in x 4 in gallery wrapped canvas, primed and ready-to-go!  I'm currently trying to figure out just how many of my personalities I can fit on this bad boy...

 

There's also a note card explaining the rules - the same stuff on the site, just in paper form (easy for those of us that get cranky from staring at a screen for too long).

 

Who else has done this?!  Tell me!  If you haven't yet, I still suggest you swing over to the Art House Co-op and see what projects they have going on there (for free and for dollars).

 

Just a drawing...

I used to do these doodles while trying to offer tech support to customers at my old (very old) job.  Squiggles kept me sane...

 

 

[tags drawing, art, doodles, sketch, job, tech support, computer, sanity, color, marker, notebook]

Sooo cutting it close...

Yikes.  It's evening my time, but it's still Sunday!  Woo!

 

So, trying to decide what to post today, I figured I would give you this:

 

 

It's from my Sketchbook Project "Encyclopedia of It".  After looking through the book, people will realize the title doesn't make one damn bit of sense, but neither do I and while I'm hopelessly scattered, disorganized, and generally ridiculous, I still have a semi-sense of humor.  This is called "Tyrannosaurus Sex" - as if I had to tell anyone that! 

 

Oh to have a huge rack and tiny, tiny arms...

 

[tags dinosaurs, art, art house co-op, sketch, illustration, sketchbook, funny, humor, drawing, colored pencil]

The Art House Co-op Projects...

I signed up for 2 more!  I had so much fun participating in the Fiction Project (even though I never mailed anything in!!) and just as much fun doing the Sketchbook Project (I did manage to send that one in).  Now there are 2 more:

 

The Photo Response Project: http://www.arthousecoop.com/projects/photoresponse

 

and

 

The Self Portrait Project: http://www.arthousecoop.com/projects/selfportrait

 

The Photo Response one is free, but also full.  The Self Portrait is $25 to enter.  I have semi-started the Photo one (I chose the 5th photo - it was the only one that flooded my head with ideas at first glance) and I have no idea what I'm going to do for the Self Portrait.  Or rather, which one of my personalities to represent...

 

There is one more project I just spotted that I think is quite interesting:

 

The Adventure Project: http://www.arthousecoop.com/projects/videoadventure

This one is free and 351 out of 1000 available spots are filled.  30 seconds to record an adventure.  I'm trying to think of any adventures I could go on that would be filled with some sort of amusement or horror and set within 30 seconds.  While I have been leaving my apartment a bit more lately (Go me! No fear!) I can't think of anything that fits that criteria.  All I can come up with is cleaning the litter boxes, but not only is that ick, it's also more horror and amazement "How did Gabriel manage to pass that candy wrapper AND toothpick?!"  My cats are freaking talented.

 

I'll have to think on this...

 

So, yeah, go to the Art House Co-op and get yourself into something interesting.

 

[tags art house co-op, drawing, video, painting, portrait, projects, adventures, art, self portrait, photography]

The idea of 365 days...

Obviously NOT my idea...  I don't know how many days I would have shoved into one year if I was in charge of that project, but I wasn't.  Maybe 5?  Be really REALLY old and still look totally kick-ass?  Yes, thank you.

 

Moving on to more sensible things, the idea of doing something everyday of the year - 365 days - intrigues me and makes me slightly ill.  I'm not talking about showering or sleeping or eating the food.  I mean doing what I have seen so many others accomplish - make a blog post every.single.day.  Yikes.

 

I admire those that can do it.  I even admire those that try.  I like the idea of doing it, but, as I am with many things, the fear of failing is so, so great.  So I haven't even attempted.  I think I might, though.  I would like to try.

 

Aside from my fear and the many ways it manifests itself (and there are many), my other problem with not always accomplishing things is my horrible memory.  If I connect a day of the week with a topic, then I think my chances of actually succeeding at posting something every day are a bit better than if I just tried to wing it.

This is why I like Illustration Friday.  It's on a Friday!  So on Fridays, I get to have a pretty good idea of what I'm going to illustrate (even though, as you know, I don't always actually do that...).  Since I'm slightly more determined than not to give this a go, I have Friday checked off.  Now I just need Monday - Thursday and then Saturday and Sunday. 

 

I've noticed that people that post every day of the year sometimes don't even write anything.  They just slap a picture up on their blog...I like that idea!  I don't like it, though, if it doesn't make sense.  I suppose that would be okay, though, yeah?  Nonsense is sometimes the best sense.  Certainly can be the most fun!

 

Tonight I am going to figure out themes/topics for the rest of the days of the week and I'm making tomorrow (Saturday 24th of March) my start day.  I might not make it to 365 days, but I am going to try to do one whole week!  *weak laugh * HA!  My air just sputtered out of my balloon, but that's okay because I can use my airless balloon as a slingshot.  Yes.

 

Tell me if you have ideas for the other days of the week!  Like...Macabre Monday (that actually appeals to me now that I typed it out...) or something easy to remember!

 

[tags art, drawing, blog, illustration friday, posting, writing, ambition, fear]

Illustration Friday: "Shades"

As soon as I saw the word for the week, my mind took a trip backwards to around early 2000.  I was living in Pittsburgh at the time and I frequented this coffeehouse called "The Beehive" on East Carson.  A door or so down from the Beehive was a store called "Slackers" and in front of that store and the Beehive is where Shades hung out.  Shades was this tallish, peach-skinned, lanky kid (probably around my age, but still "kid") who had a buzz cut, wore black t-shirts and a black trench coat.  And...shades.  I wanted to draw him but because I don't remember every feature of his face, I felt I couldn't do it.  I'm certain that, 12 years later, my mind has filled in his features with various features of the many, many people I've met since.  Still, he was an interesting cat.

 

I decided to do a self portrait with a favorite pair of shades.  They look awful on me, unless I'm playing with ways to wear them rather than wearing them as they were intended to be worn (my face shape is just...odd). 

 

When drawing the drawing on the lenses of the drawing (dig?) I sorta felt like the Matrix!  Yes?  Yes.

 

I am lame...

There is a very good, and lame, reason why I haven't posted anything in nearly a month (that makes me want to faint).  I've been depressed.  Not the manic-mix where I am depressed but getting a variety of things (some questionable) done, but the kind where it is difficult to breathe.

 

However, as the wise man who was once a newt said: "I got better" (written in my most-bestest peasant English accent)

 

I am feeling better.  Unfortunately I have nothing...not one damn thing...to show for my absence.  It would be great if I had painted something awful on that giant blank canvas hanging on my wall, but the only thing I did to it was scooch it up the wall because my arm kept hitting it when I sat on my sofa-thing.  Progress!

 

I'm looking forward to this coming Illustration Friday's word.  I have no idea what last week's was and while I still have 2 days to scratch something out, I think I might just wait until the end of this week.

 

So...yeah.  Sorry for my lameness and what makes me feel even more sorry is that there have been views and yet I haven't produced entries.  So...thanks for still viewing in my absence.  I do appreciate it :)

 

Off to find some steam so I can pick it up!  (could you imagine trying to pick up steam?  Literally, I mean.  Like hoarding handfuls of steam and quickly shoving it in your pockets...  I like the image in my head...someone draw a person shoving steam in their pockets and link me to it!)