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A blog post in certainly overdue...but in the meantime, here is where I have been posting my in-progress works, musings on cheerleading, and love of sparkle... 
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(Top Row)...artin' at lunch, worked on a LV fashion illustration, based off the Spring 2013 print ads...put on my sparkle and headed to my game (Bottom Row) in-progress works... (Far Right) Finished CED13-22
...Just some pics from today...CED13- 21 and another fashion illustration...waited too late to write about 'em...gotta sleep! zzzzzzzzzzzzz 
CED13- 21 shown from the start to finish
And...another fashion illustration...I need to figure out if I am going to post these with my other recent works...or somewhere else...
 I am such an art nerd. I wanted to take a moment and dedicate one post to Faith Ringgold, and the lecture that she gave yesterday at the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach. My apologies in advance, there will be some rambling. Faith Ringgold is one my my personal 'art rock stars', so when I saw the email from PBCATA- it was a no brainer, I had to go. I admire her for being an artist...she is a painter and, though she does not consider her work to be textiles so much (seriously, she said it several times yesterday)...fibers folk love her. She is a teacher, an author. She is a teaching artist. And she was sparkly. Folks, she was sparkly, on the inside and out. All things that I can identify with and strive to be.  'I love to teach, and I love being an artist. I can do both.' When Faith spoke of her love of teaching, it was so genuine. She said her mother was a teacher, and she was so proud when she spoke of her, and of being a teacher herself. This really resonated with me. So many times as an art teacher, folks think you can't DO. Why are you a teacher? You can't be a real artist and be a teacher. But you can. I can. We can. Sure, it means you have to steal away bits of time to dedicate to your work. But I always think to myself...this is the whole reason I got into this gig in the first place- I love making art. If I stop doing that- then what? And sometimes it is discouraging. I have had some moments in the past few weeks, especially trying this whole licensing thing...when I have thought to myself..WHY am I doing this? WHY am I making all of this work? WHY bother? But...I just have to do it. It's who I am. Like it or not, I am going to make this art, even if it's just for me.  'When they say you can't do something, so more of it'. Prove them wrong. Wait, who is this 'them' anyway? Sometimes...'them' is just our own self doubt. I know this to be true. Do.More.Art. Note to self...everything else will fall into place. I will keep on teaching art and making art...and if all these pieces don't get out there someway, somehow...I will just amass a huge collection of work. It's a win-win.  (Left) Faith in full red-fabulousness talking about her work (Middle) True Story. (Right) Me...a Faith Ringgold art quilt in front of my face. I wanted to take a running jump into the wall and try to get into the composition...roll around in the colors...wait...uh... Faith Ringgold said alot of things, things that I scribbled down in my sketchpad...but these are just a couple of the things that I wanted to put out there, hoping that her words will inspire someone else like they did me.
Ya Gotta have Faith. Dear four day weekend, I love you. I really do. Wait, sorry...I was distracted by the awesomeness of having an extra day added onto my weekend. Where to start? Well, judged a competition on Saturday...I know that not everyone out there can relate, but I really do love art and cheerleading pretty equally. After turning my head for every shimmery t-shirt, bag, jacket, uniform or pom that passed by...I am beginning to think maybe it is the sparkle that keeps me coming back. Came for the cheer. Stayed for the sparkle. So after driving back from Fort Lauderdale...yep, nap. Then, yep, right again- art. My husband has somehow dragged me into watching another show. So we watched the show and I worked on my art...my favorite thing ever. Below are some in progress pics as well as the final picture of CED13- 19. That was last night. I have been working on the backgrounds a little more, adding line, color, texture, pattern... The first pieces in the series just have white backgrounds. One reason...in my head I was thinking that if I tried to license the images or use them for cards I could have more options with a white background...change the background color, apply it on a textured background digitally...but I have decided to just go ahead and add the backgrounds if I want to and not worry about any commercial aspects. My daily pieces seem to just be for me, occasionally I sell some...they don't seem to be right for the art licensing market... So I will just make them for me. Last night's gal is surrounded by a swirly background, and she has a birdcage tattoo on her shoulder. I was thinking of a line from an Avett Brothers song, ' Head Full Of Doubt, Road Full Of Promise' There was a dream and one day I could see it For me...these words really ring true to what I have been going through the past couple of weeks with trying to get my work out there. Having really wrote much about it...but I have been sending inquiries out regarding getting my work licensed. It can be very discouraging, and at time has been just frustrating... but I really had to just remember that I am going to make my art, no matter if art licensing folk want it, or anyone for that matter. I can't doubt myself, or what I do... like the art in my is the bird, and I am freeing it. But it wasn't all negative...I did have a promising phone call this past week. Fingers crossed, I am working on some images and I hope that this could be something good...but if not, again, I won't doubt myself. I can't. I will just keep on doing what I do, making this art.  Bright and early this morning, I awoke with the idea to paint an angel. An angel to give to Faith Ringgold. So I did. I draw out an angel in a patchwork dress, holding a needle and thread and reaching for a star that says, 'Faith'. I just had to do it. Then I took it to the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach.  I was distracted by an awesome installation in the front lobby of the museum, hand beaded images on vellum with the bare threads showing in the background, framed. I love this idea...especially the fact that the work was combining textile technique, the beadwork, with a more traditional presentation, framed paper. In the back of my mind I remember...I love beading...and fibers...I definitely need to revisit my own textile combinations. I digress. Of course I had to find the bee and take and Art Hive pic...then I checked some of the exhibits. I was inches from a Nick Cave Soundsuit. The textures...attention to detail...wow. A Faith Ringgold art quilt...right in front of me. Art Heaven. ...then I headed to the lecture hall, packaged up my gift and sketched while I waited for the lecture by Faith Ringgold, one of my art idols. She was dressed in a red lace shirt, a shimmery headscarf, oversized spiral earrings and red sequinned boots. A lady after my own sparkly heart! And the lecture was great. Will dedicate a separate blog post to that...maybe tomorrow.  After the lecture, Faith was signing books. She signed my copy of Tar Beach and also really seemed to like the angel I painted for her. A-ma-zing!  Jenny, come back to earth. Oh, oh yes. Reality. Hello. After the Norton...back home to watch some football with my husband (yay, Ravens!) and finish up the piece I started before the lecture, CED13- 20. Decided to add a little more color to the background of this one, and working with a paisley design. I think maybe I saw a paisley at the Norton today and it turned up in my work.  And...that's it. Time to watch a show with my favorite person in the world, my husband. Night ya'll!
...so...much...going...on. Tried making some mini collages to show what has been going on since Sunday...I don't know if the program is having some hiccups or if I am sleepy...probably a little of both...will try again tomorrow.
I think I need to get some sleep.  ...the last two days have been a blur of teaching art, making cards, coaching my JV team, sparkly gator gifts, artin', a cheer competition, artin' at the cheer competition, artin' by the pool...and listening to Rage Against the Machine while...yep, making art.
Okay...gotta go...make more art!  Started today's piece off during my lunch...finished while watching Project Runway All Stars...this one ended up being the same pose that I used for CED13-7, which is funny because I didn't even realize it til it was complete, and I used entirely different photo references for inspiration...guess I liked that pose! Going to try and gradually transition from the peacock feathers to a new motif...not 100% what I want to do yet, maybe something floral?
We'll see. 
...I left my red art bag with MY LIFE IN IT (translation: my daily art, pencil bag, favorite paint brushes and watercolor pencils) so I didn't post my work yesterday...but I took it as a sign that I should get some sleep, so I did...today...teachin' art (gave out their new sketch assignments, can't wait to see what they come up with!)...had cheer practice with my HS team (nice job on the new cheer!)...then I headed straight to my friend Jessie's house to help 'em prep some new Art Hive Magazines to be mailed out...Jess and I had doodled on the packages while Angela and Sofie wrote out the addresses...I like getting together for art time mid-week!
Oh, and I posted my work from yesterday and today...now...time to sleep! 5am is just around the corner! Side note...so far I am liking twitter and instagram. I haven't really had time to do too much, just been doing my own quick posts. I think these are better ways to post in-progress works and my random encounters with sparkly thangs. I made take down my teaching blog link and just go straight to using the hashtag #teachingartist...but then again I like to post PDFs sometime and more explanation on lessons and such...so...not sure... |
Author...just a gal trying to get this art out of my soul to share with the world on a DAILY basis...no big deal...check out my ramblings!-JLG 
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