Tis the Season!

I got the cutest Holiday cards a few days ago.

I cannot wait to be back home!

It's Been TOO Long

Hello hello! It has been too long sense I've last written on this thing. I guess I will fill you guys in on whats been going on the last month or two...

I have started working with a theme in a few of my classes, basically it's

HUNTING AND BABES

 .....or the more politically correct title; The culture of women and hunting.
I started by looking into hunting culture in Africa, which mainly consists of higher-class Caucasian couples looking for a good sport. Hunting is no longer about survival, it's for fun and a good way to shoot the shit when your bored.

TEAMWORK

Then I went back to my ole' roots in Tennessee. I guess it is bias for me to say hunting in the south is for rednecks...but I think that statement is 80% accurate. A lot of hunting in the south is greatly based on family tradition.

"My great grand papi went huntin', my grand papi went huntin', and dad went huntin', so I sure as hell am going huntin' too."

It based down from generation to generation and is used as a method o bonding; usually between father and son. So it was very strange to me when I saw pictures of a father and his wife/daughter hunting side by side. Why is it so weird to see a little girl or woman hold a gun?

I started looking at artwork by Walton Ford and James Audubon.
Ford is a contemporary artist who creates large scale watercolor paintings or animals. His style resembles Audubon's classical 19th century painterly hand. Ford depicts animals in a very scientifically and formal way, using text in the corner to resemble notes and a journal entry. However, the actions of the animals and context are very grotesque and brutal. There are mainly paintings of sexual dominance between animals. The theme of bondage and old colonial traps are painted too. Many of Ford's paintings are in a sense critiques of Audubon's paintings.
Audubon was a notorious explorer and painter known for his naturalist paintings of birds and animals. However, Audubon killed more animals then he painted while on his escapades of the Western world. So to some extent, they are faked and posed images of animals that were more then likely shot by Audubon.

Walton Ford

James Audubon

So for my final project this is my area of focus. I am working from these pictures of hanging dead animals after they have been hunted. I want to the hanging animals to represent a clothes line or charms on a charm bracelet.

What I have so far....

Give me that doe

I started sketching on  package of oat meal that I ate for breakfast this morning. I love the brown paper of the packaging. 
I used watercolor and prismacolor pencils.

I really miss seeing deer graze next to the roads back in Nashville.
I also uploaded a few more pictures to my flickr you should check out!

Hunting and Women

A possible new series of drawings and paintings...title, "God, Hunting, and Lipstick."

Number I

I've got wood

I am working with wood for the first time here! It's turning out interesting. I'm working with the idea of a building being a nest....

Found a block of wood...

Sanded this baby for a good three hours.

Started carving using my woodblock carving tools.

Almost done! I just have to stain the wood outside of the carved out circle. 

 

For my Core Studio Class, we are learning about buildings, structures and systems. For our first project we have to use wood in some way and also create "texture" with our piece. I have never worked with wood before; I mean I might have help my dad fix the fence a few time when I was a little kid but that's it! I did most of the sanding by hand, because I was too scared I would sand my skin off with the electric sander. I should learn to be more adventurous right? 

Either way, I am really happy at how smooth this turned out. The carving didn't take too long either. All I have to do now is stain the wood surrounding the nest (the carved out circle).

I had a little inspiration for this piece....

Dungen poster September, 2010: by Sam Smith

 

Mark your Calenders

For the Young Tennessee Artists 2010 Statewide Advanced Placement Studio Art at the Frist! The exhibit runs from October 29, 2010 to April 10, 2011. My piece, "Dad" will be in it!

Dad, 2008

I am 1 out 33 students whose work will be exhibited.
This exhibition reveals the students’ execution of thoughtful portfolios through artworks that skillfully synthesize form, technique, and content. The range and quality of work demonstrates a growing sophistication of AP Studio Art programs across the state.


Read more about this exhibit here.


I will still be in Chicago, so I won't be able to make it to the opening night. You should go if you get the chance!

It's 1:04 in the morning,

I'm wired on three cups of coffee, and working on something new...

Stay tuned!

Research Studio I: Assignment I

I. Copy
A direct copy of the original picture. I did leave a few things out though...
I've never been really goo at directly copying images. It was a good challenging assignment.

 

II. Abstract

 I drew this one first because it seemed like the most fun. I wanted to emphasize the patterns in the backgrounds. It gives the women and their burqas a more translucent appearance.Very ghost-like.

III. Non-Representational

I don't even know....

 

Original Image 

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Recently

Assignment I (Copy- unfinished): Research Studio

I've been pretty slammed with school work recently. I turned in a project last week for my Research Studio Class, which I will post pictures of later. Here are a few scanned pages from my Research Studio sketch book,

You can see all of these on my Flickr.

 I feel like I haven't had time to create art for fun. I'm definitely having fun, don't get me wrong, but it's been a lot of work and time. And it's only going to get worse. 

Like my knowledgeable French teacher always said, 

"Go hard or go home."

Le Journal du Mal

More recent entries from Le Journal du Mal.

 

September 10th, 2010

"NOTHING TOO BAD TODAY. JUST A PAPER CUT ON MY INDEX FINGER AND MORE HANGNAILS."

September 11th, 2010

"For dinner, I ate chicken pad thai at a restaurant called Simply Asian...my stomache started to feel funny. JE VOMIR, JE VOMIR, JE VOMIR."

September 12th, 2010

"I had a terrible time sleeping. I was constantly turning and tossing to fight the urge to vomit. I felt extremely delusional. I found myself talking to the wall and things that didn't exist. I woke up this morning in a cold sweat. Although the rest had made me feel a little better, I still couldn't stomach anything. I have felt lite headed all day."

 

September 13th, 2010

"I WANT TO TAKE A WEEK LONG NAP."

Proof Print and more

I printed a proof of my wood block on Monday.

I haven't decided on what colors to use. I like this black/blue color. But I also like the idea of a deep maroon or purple. Something kind of warm to contrast with the off-white paper. This print reminds me of the graphic novel/film Persepolis.
I will start printing tomorrow.

About an hour ago, my mom called to informed me that the French senate passed a ban in which women are not allowed to wear a full burqa in public. Although this ban will only affect less than 2,000 women, it is still a touchy matter. It only seems like it was yesterday I myself was in France. While I was there, I do not particularly remember seeing any women in burqas. I am interested to see how the general public will react to this.
Read more about this here. 

Another interesting article I found today is about the Muslim faith in China, and how women take roles as spiritual leaders in their community.  

Yao Baoxia is a female ahong, or imam, at Wangjia Hutong Women's Mosque in Kaifeng, in central China. She sits alongside believers during prayers, not in front of them like male imams. She believes male and female imams are equal in their role as teachers and leaders of prayers.

For Bai Yanlian becoming a female imam took seven years of study, including three years of Arabic-language training. She then had to take an exam to get a license from the state.

Read more about this here.

Starting over

I didn't like the way my original lithography wood block print was turning out so I turned it over and started over. Unlike engraving, I am use to small details and being able to create textures and layers with line quality. 

 

This isn't a very good photograph of he wood block, (I didn't fully color in the burqas or the hand of the girl on the left)..But the print will look different once it is transferred to paper. I will be printing it on Monday!

A few pictures I am interested in exploring more...