Some things of late...

I retouched to give it more vibrant colours and depth. I wanted to try and make the fish look more like it was sucking in the city. I didn't accomplish everything I was trying for, but I really the outcome.




LOOK! Heather got the tattoo done!! Someone was actually brave enough to have my work on them forever! Haha, but actually I really like how it turned out...I'm tempted to take up a career in tattooing if art school falls through.

Anyways, that's all for now. I'm sorry I've been lacking in the posts...buuut keep an eye out, I've got a painting in the works! And I'm going to cram more life drawing in as the portfolio admission deadlines get closer.

Chicken

Capilano University had a open media-presentation day, including portfolio reviews for their Illustration Design program. I had, of course, planned for this day. I got together all my best work and tried to mentally un-psych myself out. We went. I sat. And sat. And sat.

The room was hot. The amount of people in the room x their artistic talent -my self confidence + one single open window = Sam shrinking further into the corner. After watching a couple of portfolios of 'strongly encouraged' and ' I don't have any recommendations for improvement' my stomach had wrung itself into a Celtic knot. My eyes were watering at the mere thought of putting my drawings in front of everyone to look at. To judge, to criticize, to mock.

So. I choked.

I asked Ryan if we could go, and so we went with my tail between my legs.
But, it wasn't without a lesson, or at a loss. The uber-amazing (they don't need further education) portfolios showed me what I needed. The variety of media, the perseverance, the passion, and the dedication all were what was lacking in my pages. I still have some time. No, it's not a lot, just a month and a bit. But I want this. I need this. So this, I will do.

Art show.

Our pieces were accepted into the art show at the Mission Arts Centre.
They're for sale and sitting in a little gallery. Woo hoot.

I feel proud that it was accepted, that a piece of my work is up on a wall where people are looking at it.....but at the same time, it disappoints me and I'm embarrassed by it.

I don't like that this is the first impression of my work in the art community here. It's not that I feel it is bad and that I'm a 'bad artist'. With all the pressure of time constraints and challenges, it isn't anything near what I had in mind for the idea. I feel that it lacks any creative originality or artistic emotion. It's nice yes, the basic idea is portrayed...but all the emotion and feeling behind why I drew the original sketch is lost in the typical colours, lighting. It's simple. Basic. Empty.

I just wanted to do so much more.



Ps. Ryan is so amazingly talented. He just started drawing again after 14 or so years in May. Now look at him! He just got his first portrait commission. I'm so happy for him. It motivates me to get myself going if I'm ever going to make something happen with art.

sixteen

They caught the killer of my cousin and charged him with second degree murder.
Rather then feeling celebratory in the success of the justice system, I feel sick.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2009/01/09/chiasson-charges.html


The fucking kid was sixteen years old. Six-fucking-teen.

A kid killing kids.

Together Green

The other day Ryan and I set up to do some art, and there in the newspaper Ryan had spread on the paper was an ad for an art exhibition at the Arts centre in Mission. The theme is Livining with the Forest, and anyone could enter. Since we didn't have anything done with that theme, we decided to pull together and get something done in the 3 days before the deadline. I had two days off, so thus we pulled out everything we had to get it done.

We submitted them yesterday, so hopefully we'll hear back today or tomorrow if they're accepted into the show. If they are, you'll HAVE to drive out here to see them, and maybe buy one of them.

Together Green

It's a 1 x 2.5 ft canvas roughly, all acrylic.

Campaign for Real Beauty

A sketch done lately after watching a special on anorexia and bulimia. It terrifies me how common it's becoming. I really admire Dove for their Campaign for Real Beauty, but I feel it's not enough.

I read an article that discussed the Campaign, and how Dove is actually taking a hit in the market for it. Yes, watching a commercial with real women lifts self esteem, but women are not buying their products. Women are still more inclined to buy the products with the over photoshopped thin women in the ad. Why? Because we STILL want that "perfect" body. Why would buy something that advertises what we already are?

The change needs to come from us. We need to love ourselves, before the corporations start selling to us. But if we're so stuck on the ads they sell us, how are we to change our views? It's another circle we'll have to break.

So this is the new year

We stayed in, just the two of us. A big bottle and half of red wine, and a bottle of tequila. Sketchbooks and pencils scattered across the table, music playing in the background. The countdown came in quietly. A shot upon the hour ensured we weren't too sober, and that I was in bed early...though Ryan stayed up to enjoy a s nowy naked hot tub.

Everything about this year is going to be different. No resolutions, but plans and action to get things done.

Starting with finished projects, and accomplished goals.


...and here is Heather's completed tattoo. This writing goes with it much more.

This was my gift to Kathi this Christmas. It's 8x11 graphite on sketchpaper. It was drawn from an old photobooth photo that I found in my shoebox. And by old, I mean we're 15 or 16. It's frightening to think that was 6-7 years ago.
Man, and I thought I was so young.