drawing....

I finished two commissioned drawings this spring break for a friend who works at the Mayo Clinic.  She is a Hematologist and wanted a drawing of bone marrow for herself.  Her husband is a Neurologist who specializes in nerves of the hands and arms, so she wanted something to give to him.  He emailed me a paper he wrote on ganglia attached to nerves in the hands with all sorts of words I didn't understand, and a couple of cool pictures of such a surgery; this is the area of the hand cut open, with the nerve pulled out and some sort of surgical material propping it up.  It was a fabulous to pick up a pen after such a long time!

I need to pump up the blacks a little still, and clean it up with an eraser, and then this is ready for delivery.  

this is so good...

So I have been reading my art crush blog, Lisa Congdon, recently, who writes great posts about what it is to have an art career.  And how to do it.  I found one of her posts recently that linked back to a column written by Cheryl Strayed for The Rumpus.  It is brilliant.  It addresses how to get out of your own way, how to do the work, how to practice. And it is a practice, this creative life.  Just like exercise and meditation and eating well and taking care of oneself.  You have to do the work even when you don't want to.  Even when the work is shitty.  You just have to work.  This line sums it all up for every one of us creatives, even though it is addressed to a writer:

"Write like a motherfucker."

I am trying to.  

SPRING BREAK!

I am so thankful you are here.  My son has been at school and my husband at work and the house quiet except for the refrigerator hum and netflix.  I have gotten a lot done.  Completed two commissioned drawings and been sewing hook and eyes.  And watching House of Cards, the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Season 2 of the Fall.  Jamie Dornan and Kevin Spacey are such amazing creeps.  Images soon, and only one day left of my break.  

March?????

I can't believe it is March.  I hadn't meant to go so long between posts, but after finishing the piece for the MN Center for Book Arts, it was time to jump right into class prep and planning.  And then it was time to go to class.  I am teaching Drawing 1 and 3-Design this semester.  This is my second semester of 3-D Design and I think we are getting some pretty good results.  My students just finished a helmet/headgear piece dealing with line and planar shapes and I am really pleased with the results.  Take a look at two: 

IMG_0950.jpg

Another two got into the Juried Student Exhibition.  Congratulations!

Keren Kroul....

Congratulations on the Minnesota State Arts Board Initiative Grant!  It is well deserved.

 I can't wait to see the work that gets made by Keren this year.  She paints these lovely, large multi panel watercolors that are map like depictions of memory.  Her use of color is really quite lovely.  But I think one of my favorite parts are the negative space shapes.  Please visit her website to see more work, and venues at which you can see it in person.  She is booked out nearly three years!

"Unquiet Mind"

"Unquiet Mind"

"Gray Matter"

"Gray Matter"

"Gray Matter" detail

"Gray Matter" detail

"Abstractions/Constructions"

"Abstractions/Constructions"

Anne Siems...

I just love her work.  Love. I wish I could see one in person.  Please check out more of her work at her website. 

"Wolpertinger"

"Wolpertinger"

"Wolfgirl" 

"Wolfgirl"

 

"Butterfly Lights"

"Butterfly Lights"

"Girl and Fawn"

"Girl and Fawn"

"St. Forest"

"St. Forest"