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.