Found Drawings

Some people are restless, tossing and turning-type sleepers; others are still while they dream. I am fascinated by the idea that even in our sleep we can manipulate materials and create beautiful compositions. For my found drawings, I photographed the beds of three artists for whom sleep was a precious commodity due to the demands of a week-long sketchbook course. Their bedsheets, though, tell a tale of fitful, interrupted sleep -- I know I spent many a sleepless night considering ideas and images these last two weeks!

Project Book

I enjoyed the project book, and I was happy that I chose a subject I could relate to and into which I could incorporate a little humor (even if it was corny!). On the other hand, I thought that the altered book allowed a little more freedom because I wasn't tethered to a particular theme, and if the art took me to a different thing entirely, that was okay. In the end, I am pleased with how the whole thing turned out... especially the middle spread with the tiny rows of bright green corn shoots.

More donuts!

My aunt used to tell me this joke, "Do you know what Cheerios are?.... Donut seeds!" (Haha! Can't blame me for the sense of humor I've developed). Here are a few more of my experiments with the idea of donuts: donut seeds, donuts pouring from a sugar packet, and kid floating in a donut inner tube.

Letting loose

The one-minute sculptures were an exercise in letting loose, or maybe it is more like I didn't have a choice about the matter, I just had to do it! It was during this morning that I realized not every attempt at art-making was going to be successful, and it was okay if I never came back and reworked it. I had one minute, and if it didn't happen, I had about 30 seconds to get over it and move on to the next drawing! If I had focused on my disappointment in my drawing, I would not have been able to do the next one.

Map it out

My single page book map did not turn out spectacular, but it was a learning experience. This is definitely something that I would like to take back to my classroom and use with my students. I can see it being a chance for them to explore more definitions or just to create a comic strip narrative. As flashcards, one side could have an image (i.e. an abstract work or a sculpture) and a corresponding page could have the definition (maybe in the student's own words).

Go nuts for donuts!

Donut Skeleton! After 40-some donuts, you just start doing crazy things.

Mini Collage

I was impressed with the many solutions that people came up with to the problem of creating four mini collages and then taking one of them and changing it in three different ways. I think it was Mike who focused in on one section of his mini collages. A solution that never even occurred to me!

Flag Book

The image I brought for this week was beautiful visually, but the words I used ended up sounding very cliche once Lauren explained further what we were trying to do with the concept web. I am wondering now how I would have approached this differently had I known where we were headed.

As far as the classroom goes, I am excited to have another tactile way for students to take notes! An 8-section flag book would be great for principles of design or elements of art flashcards! Eight is the magic number because you have one card for each of the seven principles or elements and then one card to use for the concept of principles or elements. I am thinking of having the word on one side of the card and then a visual example on the back.

Cover Girl

I used a stylus from an intaglio class to scratch into the front and back covers of my altered book, then I wiped gesso and acrylic into them with a paper towel. I repeated the process several times before I was satisfied, but I think it turned out nicely.

First Day!

I divided (but have not yet conquered) my altered book (a children's encyclopedia copyrighted 1912). To remove 50% of the information, I put down then pulled off packing tape. I love the blurred remnants of the imagery and text and also the softer, toothy texture that the process created.

I did the blindfold drawing using a Sharpie marker, and, of course, the ink bled through to other pages. Little dots appeared everywhere that I paused to wait for more of Laurie's instructions. I decided to go ahead and use the dot-covered page, which is a big step for me (I prefer pristine surfaces; Lauren's class is definitely going to stretch me).