Down on the farm

Still searching. These are big barns that will look great in the snow. This feels like a gentleman's farm, not a working the land farm. Still searching...

Your Inner Sheep

I am researching sheep farms in the area for reference. I need to find the right look, barn, sheep, landscape and people to build a relationship with. I will need photos of the farm throughout the seasons. Today I found two in Coventry, not that appealing and one in East Windsor. I think I need a new camera with a zoom lense to take closer images of the sheep.

Meanwhile, at my art table, something is happening with sheep and watercolor. I see it needs more landscape in the distance and maybe some humor like the sheep in my Dennis and Bunny project from July.

TMI -- too much information (to process)

That's why it's important to take really good notes. Speakers Wednesday : Arnold Roth (57 years of freelance illustration) and Daniel Abraham (copyright law). Great history and registration of images information.

Speakers Thursday: Zina Saunders (fabulous portraits and stories about her subjects), Joe Ciardiello (ink and watercolor washes) and Cheryl Phelps (licensing images). Then, off to the Illustration House Gallery downtown for a look at some original work of fabulous illustrators.

New York, New York

Arrived in NYC on Sunday by train. Had a nice ride with roomie Jackie, unpacked and went out for a walk to enjoy the nice weather in the city. Roomies Lori Anne and Q got in and we all went to dinner with some of the 2nd year boys that were also in town. Ended up eating at Brooklyn Diner near Times Square. A little too touristy for me, but had a good salad and enjoyed the company.

Monday was all business and I was relieved to have my genre piece reviewed and accepted. Now, move on to the next assignment which will be a New York experience piece. Also another paper from one of our lectures this week. Steve Brodner and Leo & Diane Dillon were our Monday speakers. Fabulous stuff, lots to think about and write about already. Had a great dinner of Indian food at Nirvana. The Grand Union Hotel is great and we are laughing ourselves to sleep.

Today we were off to Brooklyn to the Lewin's beautiful brownstone near Pratt to see their studios and learn how to light a reference photo with dramatic shadows. An adventure just getting there on the trains. Ted is working on pencil sketches for his new book about the horse stable in Brooklyn that has been there a very long time. It's as if he writes a documentary for kids about this wonderful place and its characters which includes the horses.

Final Genre Piece

Here we go. I have to stop touching it and let it dry for NYC. I feel it is a bit overworked, but the more I paint, the fresher the technique will be. Leaving on Sunday. I will be posting while there so stay tuned!

New York Readiness

Am I ready? Just as I experienced the weeks before our July meeting time, the anxiety and insecurity are back. It's the personal battle of "am I good enough." Then the lecture to myself runs its course and I am fine. After all, anxiety and excitement produce the same physical response from the human body. So, let's just say I am very, very excited (hmmm, and a bit nervous)!

My papers were fine. Had fun completing them. When the visuals are added, all the thoughts come together. Always that way. The pictures and the words together make the strongest communication. That might be my art directorness training coming through. We bring all our life experience to the work we do.

So, am I ready? Of course I am. I have my trusty, inexpensive Kodak camera that has taken me through my travels to Greece (islands and architecture) and Mexico (radish festival, butterflies and whales). I have my genre piece (almost complete, hope it dries) and I took the reference phot0 for it with the Kodak. It's all about the light and if you can create dramatic light that helps tell the story (pictures and words again) you've got great reference.

After talking to Bill Thompson about my "inspiration breakdown" I have once again been drawn to the world of fiber. Wise man Bill said, "think of things that you know well, love or are fascinated with." So off I went to the NY Sheep and Wool Festival in the lovely Rhinebeck, NY area. It is so beautiful there and what an inspiration of all things fiber. I took many photos (reference with the good ol' Kodak) and hope to get some sketches and thoughts on paper. Life is good.

Genre Assignment: rough comp

Here is the rough comp. I still feel I have a ways to go. Loosen up for a less forced look. That will take a few more roughs!

50 sketches...

They make it look so easy.

I feel out of practice. Must draw and draw and draw again. Who took this photo? Oh, that would be me. What was I thinking? The foreshortening of the arm, the angle of the face, the exposed hands. Oh, but those hands tell a story all on their own. This is really fun -- I mean the part where the drawing can look so much more dramatic than the photo. And the 50 sketches, well it's fun when I am fresh in the daytime, hard to do in the evening after a day of the white noise and a cubicle in the corporate world.
Keep drawing, this could be quite glamorous but dark. Almost a film noir look. Hmmm, Robert Mitchum where are you. Maybe black and white is the way to go. Not glamor. Surely more disillusionment, pessimism, and despair is more on target. Sure, once the guy in the hat is in the picture.

Nothing like a dame!

Images by Joe De Mers and Robert Fawcett


I need reference for my genre assignment. My newly wedded friends Jim & Susie have the right wardrobe (oh, those hats & pearls) and talent to go along with it. Thanks guys, I'm forever grateful.
I think it's a possible mystery story for the woman's magazines of the 50's. Now the scary part, let's see what I can do with it...

Genre Assignment

I am looking for reference for my genre assignment for Vin DeFate’s class. I want to do a slick, which is a 2-page spread for a magazine story. You know, the romance short stories in the 7 sisters magazines of the 60’s: Better Homes & Gardens, Family Circle, Good Housekeeping, Ladies’ Home Journal, McCall’s, Redbook and Women’s Day. I remember as a teenager gazing at these images in my mothers mags. Certainly had something to do with my unrealistic impression of romance. Then the feminist messages appeared and boy was I confused. I probably still am!

Anyway, much research to be done and many, many sketches. Hmmmmmm, maybe 50?

See some samples below. Could I ever be that good?

First two images by Lorriane Fox who was a close friend of Murray’s. In fact, I believe it’s the back of Murray’s head in the second image (See the back of Murray’s head in class photos earlier in blog!). Carol and Murray own that original.
Next two images by Don DeMauro and Frederick Varady.

Re-entry after 2 weeks of art boot-camp heaven

It was an amazing 2 weeks of new people, new class rooms (they've added on since my BFA) and tons of new ideas. My head is spinning with visions of illustration history and all the genres that accompanied those years when illustrators were the go-to folks for advertising, book covers, magazine stories and anything that needed visual communication. Murray Tinkleman has gathered an amazing collection of seasoned professionals from his years of working in the industry. This is clearly going to be a lot of work and a life changing experience.