More Sketches

Okay, so my perspective is way off on some of these, particulary the one where it looks like the women's bowl and cup are about to fall off the table. Oh well. The other morning, I biked downtown and sketch part of the Main Street bridge. Landscape/cityscape isn't my thing, but I acutally enjoyed doing that sketch.

Hot, hot heat and Illusions

It's been so hot that going outside with any intention of staying sweat-free is futile, even for 5 minutes. I've decided to accept it rather than become annoyed. Summer, after all, is my favorite season. This is when I miss living 2 blocks away from the beach. At least there's a sea breeze there.

Over the past few weeks, I've been trying to nurture an interest in photography because I'd like to start incorporating collage into my paintings. Rather than cutting and pasting images from magazines, I'd rather take my own photos and use those. My friend, Rebecca, donated her old Nikon FM10 camera to the art program at SP. I decided to bring it home this summer and get a feel for it. With the help of my friends, Jennah and Patrick, I have a basic understanding of how to use the camera....more than just aim and shoot. Thanks, guys. After 2-3 weeks of shooting photos here and there (including a half-day trip to a state park in Palatka...hotter than balls and infested with mosquitoes), I dropped off my roll of film at Walgreens on *Saturday. With great excitement, I went to pick it up this morning only to be told that my roll was blank and that the photo tech had lost it. If your roll is blank, they are supposed to at least SHOW you it was blank. The manager offered me a free roll of film. Wow. That's redeeming. Realizing that an argument would be pointless, I left the store tearing up a bit.

*I should probably mention that when I dropped off my roll, there was a sign on the counter which informed customers that they were unable to process photos that day due to malfunctions with their machinery. It apologized for the inconvenience and promised that a technician would be out soon to repair it. The tool who took my roll (who I'm pretty sure was the culprit in f-ing up my film) was really nonchalant about it and said, "Yeah, I don't know, I just got here and they told me the machine is down."

So, after being angry what I've realized from this experience is my difficulty with letting go, especially when it comes to art and its process. It's the same type of feeling I had while in printmaking and graphic design courses at UNF. There is a certain point where you have to surrender to or accept the process and just let it run its course. With printmaking, there are so many variables; you can have a killer image, but if you inked your plate wrong or didn't wipe it correctly or the press isn't set at the right pressure, your print is going to turn out wrong. With graphic design, if the ink in the printer is off, all of your colors on the monitor will look nothing like what prints. And now, with photography, if someone messes up your film, that's it. Gone. Maybe this is why I'm attracted to painting and drawing: you have a little more control than other mediums. But it is just the illusion of control.

What I'm trying to say is, I need to let go. This explains a lot---this is why I've been all stopped up inside when it comes to art---this is why when I think about a portfolio for grad school, fuses in my brain short out---this is why I've painted over 4 different series that I've started over the past few months.

::sigh:: Serenity now.

Sketches: 06.16-06.20.2009

Here are some sketches from the past few days. Boy am I rusty on depicting the human figure. Yikes. I'll get there.

It feels incredible to be out sketching on site. It reminds me of being in Venice, Italy, sketching in restaurants and piazzas all day. I had forgotten how good it feels to use your sketchbook as a camera to capture an environment, people or no people.

Apologies for the crappy scanning job. And I thought I had cropped out the edges of my sketchbook. I'd also like to thank blogger for taking at least 8 minutes to upload each sketch.

Al's Pizza

Biscotti's

Cool Moose.



I had to get some bloodwork done the other morning. This sketch was done while sitting in the waiting room @ Quest Diagnostics; this was a very small room with about 40 chairs, uncomfortably close, facing a small television at the front of the room. They should have lined the perimeter of the room with chairs, and then put the remaining seats back-to-back in pods in the middle of the room. This is what goes through my head.

Starbucks in Riverside

Starbucks in Riverside

This is the same girl, two times. After the first sketch, I wanted one zoomed in bit more .

Starbucks in Riverside.

Responsibility

I've decided to make a schedule for the summer so that I don't sleep it away (very tempting).

Main Goals:
-create a solid portfolio for this fall's grad school application & work on my artist's statement
-yoga at least every other day
-continue and complete the P90X program (Uncle Pete, "I hate it, but I love it!)
-start training for a 5K
-re-visit some art criticism texts and critique some art shows
-travel somewhere (be it a day trip or longer)
-brainstorm ideas for the '09-'10 school year
*create assessments for each grade level
-take advantage of free Cummer admission to draw in the gardens/galleries
-learn new recipes & eat less crap

Daily routine should include:
-exercise (part of this needs to include Sam)
-sketching (from observation in public)
-painting
-writing (journaling, blogging, or whatever)
-reading
-cooking (I need to eat out less)
-drinking lots of water

There. It's in writing. Now I have to follow through.

Mistake: More than you ever wanted to know about the movie, "Waitress"

I saw this movie in the theatre when it came out a few years ago. Recently, I purchased a used copy of it at MovieStop thinking that I really enjoyed this film. After watching it last night, I remembered that I didn't think it was all that great in the first place. This movie could have been pretty cool, but it failed somewhat miserably. Why? There is an outstanding lack of motivation in the storyline & characters. The viewer is expected to just accept the characters' shortcomings, flaws, decisions, depressing situations, etc. without any background information. It's hard to have a relationship with the characters because of this. They are believable but only within the realm of the movie itself...it's virtually impossible to see them as being potential, real-life people. Now, if this was some fantasy movie, I'd be sympathetic, but it's not. Therefore it's troublesome that poor, little, waitress Jenna in a small town married to an awful excuse for a man is expected to be believable.

It's also difficult to see her relationship with her husband as believable. Earl, so incredibly selfish and needy, who scripts what Jenna should say and do to show affection, doesn't ever seem to pick up on her blatant sarcasm. Ever. Perhaps if they had given more background on how they met/why they got married/why they're still together, this wouldn't have seemed so out of place.

And then there's Jenna's relationship with her doctor. Again, there's no motivation for him to be having an affair with Jenna, other than physical attraction. But the movie tries to make his attraction to her more substantial than that. The portrayal of the doctor's wife gives the viewer no reason to dislike her or to see any reason why he's unhappy in his marriage.

Overall, this movie is unconvincing. While I like the idea, it simply doesn't read the way the director intended, perhaps.

Still, there are some things I adore about this film.

-the palette.

-the scenes that show her making pies or imagining new recipes.

-when she discovers how wonderful it feels to talk to someone who genuinely cares to listen.

-the moment she holds her daughter for the first time

That's it.