Here are three images of a work-in-progress that I am trying to illustrate of a street corner scene in Detroit, Michigan.

Done so far in watercolor pencils, white watercolor paint, pen & black ink, white ink... I'm going to play some more with the white ink and colored pencils... see if I should later define some lines with a ball point pen or leave as is:

Another music video that inspires me to draw.

Had to change my workspace set up because the bugs are back.

Hopefully I can do at least one new painting before the end of 2009.

Today I prepared my workspace for a new painting series:

Color Experiment/Exercise

I just had an idea. (It's 3:16 a.m. as I write this.) Maybe just to get back into painting and drawing in color again I will take a simple photo of something or someone for reference. I will draw this image in pen and ink (black india ink.) Then make 5 xerox copies of this drawing.

With these five copies I will color one each in:

1. watercolor paint.
2. acrylic paint.
3. prismacolor pencils.
4. prismacolor markers.
5. crayons.

Just to get the flow, feel, and texture, etc. of each medium.

in color

My heart has been urging for me to paint and draw in color again. I already know exactly what I want to paint. But I will have to wait patiently, until I have income again to buy the art materials.

Before I moved back to Michigan last year, I was visiting one of my fave coffee shops, Beans & Bagels (Montrose location.) A local Chicago artist, Alice DuBois was displaying some of her artwork there. I really liked what she had to show and was going to buy one of her pieces, since she sells her artwork really cheap. But I have always been broke since I inquired her about the particular piece that I wanted to buy, which was like 40 or 60 something dollars.

I've been keeping track of her flickr and on her mailing list. I just wanted to post this image of her "corner of inspiration" that she has in her flickr account.

One of my favorite things to look at are pictures of other artist's desks, working spaces, art studios, offices, etc.:

An encouraging and heartwarming e-mail from David Kovac in regards to my surgery & artwork:

Hi, Angel.

Thanks for your message. I certainly wish you a swift and complete recovery. Healing, I have read, is really the only form of magic that comes entirely from within us. (As opposed to powers that move through us, but are not originally "of us.") Indeed, we missed you at The Magic Cabaret his past week. Sandy and Jen seem very cool. I'm meeting all kinds of people who know you, apparently. Popular you!

So. I just printed out a copy of your drawing (the one of you holing a pen and writing, with you in full view) and taped it to my office wall here in my U.V. apartment. Thanks for your work, Angel. Keep going. Sometimes I imagine drawings, like dreams, are bridges we build between the Earth and the Heavens.

Your Fellow Traveller,
DSK.

Illustrated Works

Click to see pictures from the opening art reception.





Click to see pictures from the exhibit at The Woods Gallery.

On Beauty and Being Just

Taken from the first page of Elaine Scarry's "On Beauty and Being Just":

What is the felt experience of cognition at the moment one stands in the presence of a beautiful boy or flower or bird? It seems to incite, even to require, the act of replication. Wittengenstein says that when the eye sees something beautiful, the hand wants to draw it.

Beauty brings copies of itself into being. It makes us draw it, take photographs of it, or describe it to other people. Sometimes it gives rise to exact replications and other times to resemblances and still other times to things whose connection to the original site of inspiration is unrecognizable.

Reflecting After Art Opening

I was quite humbled by everyone who showed up; old teachers and classmates, long time friends, friends of friends, 2 of my favorite doctors as well as my orthopedic surgeon's family, staff from the Michigan/Indiana Chapter of the Lupus Alliance of America, art critic from Real Detroit, my 23 month old nephew, and many more. I even met some new faces. I really am blessed.

My surgeon, Dr. David Mendelson, who some of my readers might know from Issue #3 of Morning Star, asked me some good questions at my art reception:

Do you feel your artwork is evolving?
Where do you see yourself going [art-wise] ?


____________

Some thoughts I've had after the show:

• When I can afford the art supplies, I want to begin working in color again. Begin painting again. I have 2 series brewing in my head that I am going to paint.
  
• Learn how to mat and don't do matting and framing last minute. (Either that or find away to have enough money to pay a professional to mat for you.) If I had the time and money this would not be a problem.
• Some of the illustrations I did for the show I think could use more work. I love working in pen & ink, along with a ballpoint pen and white ink. The original illustrations I drew for the show are meant to be scanned black and white. I like to make the images brighter and contrast the lines darker. This, I plan to do more in my comics. Maybe I will add color to the comics.
• I want to produce prints of my illustrations, since I know that people want to buy my artwork, but of course can't always afford the expensive originals.
• In the near future, I am working on the new comic book series, "Geli Girl." Be on the look out for this.
  
• I will also be using my AmeriCorps awards to attain a dual certificate in web design and graphic design at Center for Creative Studies in 2010.

____________________

So, do I feel my artwork is evolving? Yes. I realize that me being ill because of my lupus and me being busy with work while I was in Chicago, I did not have much time for my own personal artwork. I know I have tons of ideas and projects I want to work on. My artwork at the show showcased 16 new pieces of artwork that I drew in the last four months. I find myself now focusing on what I feel is what I am meant to do and what comes so naturally and freely to me. So it's been a long time since I have been able to focus solely on just drawing... I find myself more and more knowing what I need to do and to keep going and being disciplined and creating.

The last two years I am beginning to just grasp on what direction I want to go with in my art and my style and with what is working for me and what I want. So... yes, yes... it is evolving more and I can only see myself getting more disciplined and more concrete in the actual artwork, ideas, thoughts, etc. Evolving and growing and learning more and more within experience.

Ideally, I am taking inspiration from the likes of freelance illustrator Penelope Dullaghan and mini-comic book artist, John Porcellino. Also Bluesanct/Day2 artists who's music and art is meant to be shared, created for friends and new friends. There motto is: "making homemade goods and slowly becoming your friends." I just want to make artwork that pulls people in, that people can see and relate to.

One of my favorite, most humbling situations are when writers, musicians, artists, etc. tell how me how my artwork had inspired them to paint, draw, create music, write... get back into the studio. I feel like my art has accomplished what it needs to when statements like this are said to me. Like I had mentioned before, I really am blessed.

Time Wastes Too Fast by Maira Kalman

Time Wastes Too Fast by Maira Kalman

NOTES TO SELF:

• Stop forgetting to sign my name on finished art pieces!
• Fix right eye on self-portrait on bio page of my website. It looks crazy!

Self Portrait 3

Self Portrait 2 REVISED

Original Image:


1st Attempt:


2nd Attempt/Final Image:

Self-Portrait 3 In Progress

Self-Portrait 3 In Progress:

I'm not sure how I feel about this as a self-portrait. I think I should define the lines more. Even out the scarf more? Outline the hand better? I dunno. I'm not satisfied. But it's a good try, eh? I think I'll try to work on it some more tomorrow.

Jules Adolphe Breton's "The Song of the Lark"

Jules Adolphe Breton
French, 1827-1906
The Song of the Lark, 1884
(oil on canvas)

_________________________________

Notes to self:

• Check out Breton's "The Song of the Lark" painting at AIC in July, when checking out The New Modern Wing.
• Check out Jen's sculptures in Lincoln Park on Lincoln and Clark when visiting Chicago in July.
• Borrow Willa Cather's "The Song of the Lark" from the library.

Note to self: Check out the new modern wing at AIC when visiting Chicago in July.

New Illustrations for DIY 2009 Calendar

MAY:


Broadway Grill & Pizza on Broadway & Lawrence.

My favorite place for greasy food right next door to my former place of employment (Asian Human Services.)

JUNE:



"Your Sunday's Best" Sunday open mic at Schuba's Tavern on Belmont & Southport.

At the bar.

HAPPENED: Sunday, June 1/Monday, June 2/The midnight of Kristy "K-Rock" Mangel's 30th Birthday.

In this drawing: Sean Flannery, James Fritz, Brendan McGowan

(photoshopped: playing with brightness/contrast)


(original/not photoshopped)


This is my first attempt in drawing a self-portrait since my freshman year in college. I haven't used colored pencils in a long time. Unless you count the time I worked with grade school kids, but I don' t think that counts. Does it?

I'm not satisfied with this attempt (and I will be hard on myself.) Need to fix up the eyes and the corners of my mouth. Also, I think I need to make create a self-portrait where I am wearing my eyeglasses; since that is pretty signature of me.

I'm going to draw a couple of more tomorrow.

Although I am not satisfied with these to use for my business cards, homepage, and/or bio section of my website. I am quite happy for this being my first self-portrait in 10 1/2 years.

Work-In-Progress: Self Portait

I haven't worked on a self-portrait in a long time. I am drawing a couple self-portraits this week and choosing which ones to use for new business cards, the homepage, and bio section of my website.

Here is one of the self-portraits in progress. Drawn so far in ballpoint pen, scanned, put into grayscale mode, while messing with the contrasting on photoshop:



I'm going to add color with colored pencils and possibly go over the lines again with black pen and ink or just maybe go over again with ballpoint pen to define everything. I need to fix the right eye. It's totally messed up.

Notes: Monday, 20 April 09

TO DO:

• one man show illustrations
• research for possible commission piece
• lupus documentary
• self portrait

• start checking out the metro detroit art scene/arts community
• create contact list (also keep track of who has bought/commissioned/taken interest in my artwork)
• newsletter/mailing list
  
• hand held art portfolio
• gather together press clippings, comic reviews, exhibit postcards, brochures, etc. to document in portfolio
  
• create artwork inventory
• create master resume/cv
• create template for invoices for commissioned work
• start keeping track of budget
• create folder for receipts
• research and start applying for grants, scholarships

UPDATE:

• New business cards (Draw new self-portrait to be used for new business cards and replace image on homepage of website with self portrait.)
• CV/Resume (add afterschool matters, awards, etc.)
• website (makeover-----> focus on illustration work; make commissioned work separate category)
• artist statement
• artist bio

Brainstorming Notes/To Do List for Lupus Journal/Video Documentary

TO DO LIST:

Write/Create:

• title
• synopsis------> personal story/documentary of an artist with lupus, entering her 30's, undergoing yet another joint replacement... Struggles with change in her life, in her relationships, and with what control she has and does not have because of lupus, dealing with moving from chicago and unexpectedly back into her childhood home. ------> extension of her comic, Morning Star #3.----->shows healing process from joint replacement surgery.
  
• influences/related artwork experience: persepolis, american splendor, jeffrey brown, flying: confessions...I have worked with a lot of video editing (esp. sound) during my time in art school & consider myself an illustrator and comic book artist--this will be my first time turning my comic illustrations into an animation to be worked into a video format and/or moving image.
  
• statement of purpose:
• interview questions: friends, doctors, family
• letters of permission to record-----> research this, write proposals---> can some of my surgery be filmed?
• (loose) storyboard: comic portion, etc.
• timeline (date of right knee replacement surgery: tuesday, july 28, 2009.)
  
• budget create list of needs ( i.e. frames for exhibition, more dv tapes, editing program, tripod, pen and ink, drawing paper)
• in-kind donations, grants (doctors?, saic alumni, LFI, AAOS?)

other thoughts:

• premiere screening of video/gallery exhibition opening/reception featuring comics/animation (framed) that are featured in film. (Look for gallery to exhibit.)

needed camera shots:

• document how I walk (pre-surgery, surgery, post surgery)--show how it differs daily (depending on weather, fatigue, going up and downstairs, inability to bike, etc.) during the pre-surgery stage.
  
• chicago, detroit scenic shots

Where The Wild Things Are Trailer (HD)

Just like everyone else, I am looking forward to this:

New Illustrations for DIY 2009 Calendar

New illustrations for DIY 2009 Calendar.

MARCH:


Illustration of bus and it's passengers in San Francisco.

This image was taken at night, when I was walking from the AAOS's eMotions Pictures art reception at the Moscone Center all the way to my hotel room at the Dragon Gate entrance in Chinatown.

I had drank at least several glasses of wine and had absolutely no problem finding my way back to the hotel.

Happened: Fri., March. 7, 2008.

APRIL:


Illustration of an elementary student planting flowers in Chase Park on Ashland & Clark.

For Global Youth Service Day, AmeriCorps members from Asian Human Services teamed up with Passages Charter School students to plant flowers and clean both Chase & Welles Park.

Happened: April 25, 2008

___________________________

3 image down, 9 more to go. Touch up with pen and ink/brush. Then add 12 captions to go under each illustration. Glue illustrations and captions to calendar. Bind together & hang.

Re-Reading Rilke Again

"...seek those which your own everyday life offers you; describe your sorrows and desires, passing thoughts and the belief in some sort of beauty--describe all these with loving, quiet, humble sincerity and use, to express yourself, the things in your environment, the images from your dreams, and the objects of your memory. If your daily life seems poor, do not blame it; blame yourself, tell yourself that you are not poet enough to call forth its riches; for to the creator there is no poverty and no poor indifferent place."

--Rainer Maria Rilke, "Letters to a Young Poet."


__________________________

current projects:

• lupus documentary
• illustrations for a one man show

Matter of Time

Corkboard Notes (Inspiration, Encouragement, & Influences)

(click on image for a larger view)

1. A postcard of one of Emily's paintings.
   
2. A postcard I found an exhibit I went to. I don't know much about the artist or piece, but I fell in love with the colors.
3. My friend Adam sends me a lot of good mail. This is a postcard he sent to me. I just love this image of the man smelling the fresh peaches. There is something about this image that gives you a sense of joy being alive.
4. A picture of Static Films (Mark, Kevin, Doug, Evan, & Beth) in Maine, by Alyce.
5. Fliers of some of my first bluesanct/drekka performances.
6. Another picture of Maine taken by Alyce.
7. An illustration by my friend Joel, who I met at SAIC's Campus Crusade. I picked this postcard up from his BFA show.
8. Another postcard I picked up from an SAIC BFA show. I love this one because I liked the image of an artist sitting in his studio.
9. Another postcard of one of Emily's paintings.
10. A letter Emily sent to me at the end of last year, in which she wrote: "Keep drawing and making comics! You are awesome and talented. I want to see your work published in an anthology. I want to see an exhibit at the MCA of A. Busque!"
11. A card that my favorite artist, Makoto Fujimura, sent to me (with one of his paintings on it) along with a check buying some of my comics for the International Arts Movement.
12. A postcard of a painting created by Heidy Chaung. I met her in NYC in March of 2001. She and I corresponded for a while sending letters to and from Chicago and Boston. She had a very, quiet, gentle, yet brave and strong soul.
13. I found this image last week of Simon Reilly's "Mind's Eye." while flipping through a back issue of Art in America. I don't know much about this piece. But when I saw it, I couldn't help but to think about all of the goals I want to accomplish this year and the struggles I have been going through since I moved back to Michigan.
14. A postcard for Philip Von Zweck's radio show "Something Else" on WLUW. It's funny how my experimental radio class in 2000 went to his show to present some sound pieces. Michael was there visiting Philip. Both of us not knowing we would see each other. He and I started talking that night. This is, after the first time we "met" where he stared at me for an hour or so at Earwax Cafe. Then as I was leaving, he chased me out the door and embarrassingly gave me his e-mail address. I later found out that Michael designed this postcard.
15. James quoting Shakespeare's "Hamlet" when he was drunk; written on a back of a slip for some contest drawing Latitude was holding.
16. A postcard of a photo by Steve.
17. Another postcard Adam sent me, telling me to "take care of my knees."
18. A card that the Brice Family sent to me after Pat's funeral. I cannot even begin to know how to explain who Pat is to me and so many other people; The amazing energy he brought into a room, by just being there...
19. A card sent to me by Community Legal Resources thanking me for my volunteer work for them and the artwork I created for their 10 year anniversary event.
20. "Nothing matters when you love someone." Jeremy wrote this on a napkin, when he was drunk. I love it.
21. When I was working on issue #3 of my comic in 2004, I spent many, many hours at the Starbucks on Lincoln and Wilson. There was another person there who was always painting with watercolors. Eventually he and I introduced ourselves to one another and talked a lot about art. His name is Curtiss. He painted mandalas. This one he painted for me and e-mailed the image to me.
22. A postcard Emily sent to me in 2003. She writes to me: "My 'aloneness' is a choice... and although my single, soul desire is to find a companion... I just can't compromise the responsibility I have to myself and achieving my goals."
23. A postcard of a photo by Andrew.
24. Postcards I picked up during the Van Gogh and Gauguin exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago in 2002. I went to that show at least three times. It was AMAZING.
25. My favorite picture of Lynda Barry, drawing in her studio.

In spring, he returned to the vicarage of Etten and spoke again about going to London, "If he really wants to, I shall help him go," wrote his father. But finally he went back to the Borinage, and that summer of 1880 he lived in the house of the miner Charles Decrucq at Cuesmes. There he wrote in July the wonderfully touching letter which tells what is going on in his innermost self, "...my only anxiety is, how can I be of use?... Can't I serve some purpose and be of any good?" It is the old wish, the old longing to serve and comfort humanity, which made him write later, when he had found his calling, "And in a picture I want to say something comforting as music is comforting." Now, in the days of deepest discouragement and darkness, at last the light began to dawn. Not in books would he find satisfaction, not find his work in literature, as his letters sometimes suggested; he turned back to his old love, "I said to myself... I will take up my pencil... I will go on with my drawing. From that moment everything has seemed transformed for me..." It sounds like a cry of deliverance, and once more, "...do not fear for me. If I can only continue to work... it will set me right again." At last he had found his work, and his mental equilibrium was restored; he no longer doubted himself, and however difficult or hard his life became, the inner serenity, the conviction of having found his own calling. never deserted him again.

- from The Complete Letters of Vincent van Gogh, Volume I

DIY 2009 Calendar In-Progress, Part 2

January:



Illustration of Krystle "K-Roll" Gemnich, A little bit of Robert Buscemi, Kristy "K-Rock" Mangel, at the very first Comedians You Should Know Show at the Fizz on Wed., Jan. 23, 2008. It was a SUPER COLD January night.


******************

1 image down, 11 more to go, then 12 captions to go under each illustration. Glue illustrations and captions to calendar. Bind together & hang.

2009 Calendar In Progress

I've decided to start a new ritual for myself in which at the beginning of every New Year I will make a calendar for that year. As well as draw or paint a new self-portrait.

I've been working on the calendar all week. This is what I have so far:



Applied copper leaf to the calendar pages.


Created a calendar template out of a lino block. Next year I will clean up the squares. For now, I am satisfied with the "messiness" of it. I find something authentic about the print this way, with it's spots and glitches.




Making borders. On these pieces of paper I plan to draw an illustration for each month of the year. Each illustration will be of something that happened the year before on that month. For instance, for the month of August I am going to draw a picture from my goodbye barbeque in Chicago from 2008.


Writing in the dates and months.


Laying it out.

So now, I'm just working on the illustrations to be glued onto each month also adding in a caption below the illustration. And then I will bind the calendar and finally hang it on my wall.

Next project: self-portrait.

Other: Update website (artist bio, artist statement, resume, etc.), New comic

New Additions to the Studio

Along with my drafting table--since I got a $35 gift certificate to Target for Christmas--I bought two cork boards for the studio. The top cork board has items that have special significance to me and collected postcards that are visually inspiring. The bottom cork board has my favorite picture of Lynda Barry in her working space. I plan to use this board to thumbtack notes of my current art projects and/or to do lists, reminder notes, etc.



At some point, when I actually have some sort of income, I plan on getting bamboo blinds for the window, as well as bamboo blinds to mount on the plain, blank walls. (This idea, inspired by my friend Jen.)

Simone Weil

A full-length documentary on Simone Weil? I am looking forward to this so much: www.linestreet.net

Resist the Temptation to Talk About Your Work Instead of Doing It.

I just finished "How to Get Hung: A Practical Guide for Emerging Artists" by Molly Barnes about 2 hours ago. I am inspired to update my resume, bio, create a new artist's statement, and to re-organize and simplify my website. I find it a bit scattered right now and seems confusing of what kind of artwork I do (Artist books? Sound? Teaching art to kids? Comics? Painter?) I'll have to find a better way to present this in a less confusing matter.

The problem: I'm trying to figure out how to cater to the different people who I want to look at my site. If I'm applying for a teaching artist job, I would like to direct those to my educational category. What if I do start that mural business? But what if people are mainly interested in my illustrations like I did for ArtWalkRavenswood? Or what if I am applying for a job that would take interest in my sound and video editing experience. I'm trying to figure out how to show this on my site, without making it look like too much stuff. I need to weed out my more weaker pieces and keep the strongest pieces. I find myself more confident in my painting and illustration skills and am debating to cut out all the sound stuff altogether even though that is what I focused on entirely in art school. I'm trying not to get sentimental of what I cut. Do I really need my sketchbook pieces out there, even though I love how much it shows my etching style, but it also reminds me of my favorite high school art teacher that made me the artist I am today?

Also, I find this excerpt very useful:

"Finally, resist the temptation to talk about your work instead of doing it. It is true that if all you do is chat you avoid creating pieces that deserve to be crushed in the disposal. You avoid these dreadful, gut-sinking, morale-lowering moments that come with unsuccessful experiments. You escape the numbing fear that comes with exposing your soul.

There is no substitute for work. Whether or not you have already found your form, your theme, the most important task you have is to keep at it. Keep experimenting. Keep exploring new territories. Keep defining new boundaries. Each new technique you master, each new material you solve, each problem you resolve extends your ability. The more you are capable of expressing the more you'll find to express."

Now, we shall see what 2009 brings out of me artwise. Excited? I am. I bought a used drafting table from Craigslist for $65. (I'm happy that it was from an alumni of Center for Creative Studies and he was happy to give it to someone who would put it to use.) I spent the majority of New Year's Eve moving around furniture in Space 311 so it would be ready to shine in time for the New Year. Much work will be created on this table.

Similiar Techniques

Last week I finished reading "The Artist Within: Portraits of Cartoonists, Comic Book Artists, Animators, & Others" by Greg Preston the same time I was looking over my sketchbooks, notes, journals, etc. from the last four years in preparation for my next comic. I was excited to find out that graphic novelist, Craig Thompson, whose artwork I admired from his well known illustrated novel, "Blankets" works in the same technique/order as I do. (I'm sure many graphic novelist work in the same way, but like everyone else I really loved "Blankets" when it was released!)



It reads: "Thompson's technique is as unique as his medium. He begins by jumbling words and pictures together in a shorthand which is nearly illegible. He then goes over the work again, drawing everything in a crisp, clean style to iron everything out. Thompson insists on doing a first draft in ball-point pen before the more time-consuming brush and ink method."

Before I read this page, I had found my own draft from one of the stories I did for my Morning Star, Issue #3. Here is that draft:

This draft turned out to be a 9 page story. Here are 3 pages out of 9 (final print) that was based off of this first draft:

Ninja Kneesocks

Here is a comic book character (alter ego, aside from Geli Girl) that I wanted to create a couple of years ago, that never developed into anything more than just rough draft sketches. I thought it was cute enough to make it to a Geli Girl Notes post though:


Ninja Kneesocks