First Post!

Hello!  My name is Jennifer Love Gironda, known to some as Mrs. G, Coach, JLove, Jenny, ‘da muse… it’s all the same.   My intention is to use this blog to stay motivated and to write about my work, or works in progress...or any other creative thing I am working on.  Let me say that I am trying to start this blog with somewhat of a grammatical structure…but I do love some e.e. cummings so it might be inevitable that as the blog grows my attention to syntax may fall to the wayside.  Also, there probably won’t be a continuous flow; I am just going to write what I know about my art, the act of making art and all of the happenings that impact these two things.  So…here goes.

 I just got back from an amazing trip to Minneapolis, where I attended the Surface Design Association Confluence.  One word- inspired.  But I get inspired often, and I get excited and start something…alas, life gets in the way, or that’s my excuse at least.  One of my struggles as an artist has been deciding what to do, figuring out what it is that I need to get out…will I paint it, draw it, bead it?  All of the above. 

I attended a workshop with Anna Carlson focused on moving past just the first piece, hence the title of the workshop, ‘Beyond One of a Kind: Creating Collections and Signature Style.’  I feel more confident in my work after the experience; I do have some reoccurring elements and concepts in my work, so I just need to delve into them more.  We participated in activities ranging from evaluating our own work and influence to presenting to the group and getting feedback.  Perfect start to my summer break, I needed this.

I am going to start small, just start with this weekend.  My goal for today was to get this here art blog up and running- check.  (Insert pat on back, celebratory jig, etc here) Now my focus for the weekend is just to get some drawing done.  I had not drawn in a while prior to the workshop…forgot how much I love to draw…how much I need to sketch.  When I sit down with that blank piece of paper I have so many questions, occasionally I can work these out through the act of sketching.  I wore out my trusty ink pen from the El Inn in Kyoto (best pen EVER)… I dulled my new drawing pencils…I made marks. 

So…gonna sketch.  The pic posted here is one of the sketches from the plane trip back to FL.  Gustav Klimt is such an inspiration to me…so I looked at one his pieces, pulled out the largest shapes and then put the print away and just let my hands travel across the page.  I really became aware of my love for spirals while drawing this piece.  Working on a Mucha-inspired sketch tonight… let the journey begin.

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