Art Inspiration- Lori Earley
“It was both subversive and classical at the same time, owing as much to Margaret Keane as to the elongated forms of El Greco, yet the staggering technique and sheer force of beauty in the image propelled it out of the kitsch arena into something much more.”(Hi*Fructose, Vol. 5 2007 “Bewitched: The Art of Lori Earley,” by Kirsten Anderson)
“The inspiration comes from an emotion or feeling Lori wants to capture. ‘Most of the paintings are essentially self portraits of things I am going through at a specific time.’ She says. ‘If it’s not a painting of someone I know well in which I’m trying to convey something about them, 95% of the time it’s about me, but using someone else as a model.’ (Hi*Fructose, , Vol. 5 2007 “Bewitched: The Art of Lori Earley,” by Kirsten Anderson)
“The exaggerated features of her figures, with their huge, almond eyes and thin, willowy bodies, are all extensions of Earley’s psyche in one form or other. Whether it’s the deflated fatigue of a painting like ‘Drained,’ or the piercing glare of ‘Regret,’ they’re all manifestations of some element of the artist’s emotions. But regardless of whatever feeling Earley is addressing, the paintings all seem to be bathed in a sort of melancholy and each one of them communicate something deeper below their beautiful surfaces.” (Juxtapoz.com, April 19, 2007, Interview with Lori Earley By Kristopher Monroe)
There’s a lot of quotes on this artist, but I found them useful to collect. Her females all tend to carry that melancholy feeling without the overt “I’M SAD” expressions. Maybe one of these days I’ll get to see her work in person. Anyway, since she’s one of the few artists in my series of art inspiration posts to actually have a website, I suggest going there to see the rest of the work.
Artist Link- http://www.loriearley.com
Untitled: mixed media collage
I’m having the hardest time coming up with a title for this piece. I still don’t know if this should be considered complete as well. The urge to tinker and fix mistakes still tempt me. I’m going to reprint this project because the possibilities that collage brings gives me the capability to work multiple compositions. I’m hoping the next version I create might be used for the upcoming show. Still not sure what will be needed yet, but the excitement has not worn off.
Yay.
Projects are starting to snowball. Last year I was struggling to put together ideas, while this year there’s too many to juggle. I have two books waiting to be printed, a linoleum to carve and print, an eight-foot tall monster to silkscreen, as well as various sketches to develop and blocks to reprint. Guh, too much!
P.S. Don’t forget the poll from last post, I still need more input!
Rewriting the About page
Having a blog/website combo can sometimes put me in an awkward place. I want to keep everything informal and engaging, but then whenever I’m in a show or a website writes about my work, they usually pull writing/artwork off my website. This is all fine, but then it makes me be more aware of the content that is published. I need to consider now that professionals in my field might look at this website.
This brings up the necessity to rewrite my “About” page. I’m working on my writing more with my mentor this semester. This week, I need to work on my “elevator speech” which will be my two sentence summary of what my work entails. That statement will be perfect when talking about my artwork on the website, but I’ll also need to write more about myself (guh). However, this is where I feel like it gets sticky and need reader input.
Which means…. wait for it….
A poll!
Yes! Get excited. Or don’t, but I really need feedback. I don’t want to assume that I know the correct path. The last time I put a poll up for my site redesign, the feedback was very helpful.
How should I go about writing the new "About" page?
- First Person: your blog is written that way, so should your About page. It's too confusing if both POVs are on the same website. (50%, 5 Votes)
- Third Person: it's more professional and it has been noted that other websites copy/paste that info as an artist statement (50%, 5 Votes)
Total Voters: 10
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Feminality Show
This post should really be called, “OMG I’M FREAKING OUT RIGHT NOW”
I just got accepted into this show:
Kelly McKernan posted on facebook about how she just got accepted to this and I thought to myself, “Dangit Megan, why aren’t you finding these opportunities?” and I checked out the show she got accepted into. I read the info and realized that they were still looking to fill two more spots, so I got excited and took an initiative for once in my life. An hour after I sent an email, I got reply saying that I was in and details are forthcoming. YES!
Here’s the link:
http://www.feminalityartshow.com/
My artist info includes my “about” page blurb. Makes me consider editing that since that’s the second time it’s been included on another website. Oddly self conscious about it now.
I got to figure out how to raise money for a plane ticket. This show can’t be miss. I want to meet all the artists and see the galleries!
-Megan (super hyper and super stoked)
Moth-book 1 of 3
I’m planning a trilogy of art books this semester. I hope to make more than just three, but definitely working with this set. The first book is Moth, the second and third will be Bird and Bee.
This is the first time I made/attempted an edition of books. I usually just aim for one. It was difficult to do, my materials were low and my money short. I somehow managed! There are eight in all, with five decent ones and three really crappy ones.
It’s very long. I’m doing another version of this print in a bigger size. MUCH bigger.
Front side was relief printed, backside is screen printed. The story is written there, but I don’t really know how to go about documenting this book. It would be hard to digitize it without it becoming awkward. I’ll have to see how professional book artists display their books online.
-Megan
AE Featured Artist Winner: Gender Show
I got this fabulous email earlier:
Dear Megan,
On behalf of the Exhibitions Committee at Altered Esthetics, I would like to congratulate you.
Your piece, “Birdsnest (Pink)” have been selected to represent Ae’s Gender show for March 2010 Exhibition.
What does Featured Artist mean?
This means your art work will be on the Ae 2010 calender for March of 2010.
(Be sure and pick up a FREE copy of the calender. They will be available mid November 2009.)
Also, “Birdsnest (Pink)” will be on the postcard for Gender, the brochure, and the press release for the show.
Dates to Remember:
Gender – Artist Potluck Saturday, Frebuary 27, 2010 1-3pm
Gender – Opening – Friday, March 5, 2010 6-7pm (Artists) 7-10pm (General Public)
Gender – International Womens’ Day Celebration – Monday, March 8, 2010 6-9pm
Gender – Artist Discussion – Saturday, March 20, 2010 1-3pm
If you have any questions, please ask.
Thank you again for submitting to the Altered Esthetics – Featured Artist Contest. Congrats!
~kristin
Exhibitions Director
Hells yes. I love this gallery. This will be the third show I’ve participated in. Now I need to update my resume.
-Megan
P.S. Gallery Link
Artist’s Book class
I’ve been taking an undergraduate class this semester. I’m allowed to take up to three if I choose in my graduate education. This Artist’s Book class is the first one. Every class opportunity before this I somehow rationalize not taking it or had a sneaky way to learn the techniques without spending 5 hours a week in a class. This class I couldn’t refuse. It’s been rewarding to finally learn to correctly make books. It gets frustrating to learn from books and tutorials. I learn the majority of what I know myself, but not the little essentials that make the book expertly crafted. The biggest lesson had to be the paper grain, which is not covered anywhere I looked. Now my folds don’t look so shoddy and my covers don’t bow.
Above is a box/book that was collaborative assignment as well as the meander accordion book (below). I made my own book as well, but I’m saving it for its own post later.
-Megan
Art Inspiration- Edvard Munch
“Munch’s style is thrilling because it is so economical. Nothing is overdone. Every stroke of the brush aims right to the heart of the matter, even as it carefully measures every size, space, color and tone. As he paints a feeling instead of a scene, his work anticipates the following sixty years of modern painting and print-making.” ( Chris Miller- NewCity Art- website, Review: Becoming Edvard Munch/Art Institute of Chicago)
“In these paintings Munch struggled to render his own emotional and psychological traumas, including the deaths of his mother and older sister, as well as his doomed first real love affair, into universal images that resonated with the outside world. By so doing, he said, he hoped to ‘understand the meaning of life’ and to help others gain similar insights.” (NYTimes.com Art Review | Edvard Munch, “Munch Was More Than a Scream,”By GRACE GLUECK website Published: February 17, 2006)
I saw this last print, The Kiss, recently in the drawings and prints collection at the Minneapolis Institute of the Arts. I think it captures the “economy” of mark making that the first quote was describing. I kind of wish I could do the same myself, but it’s hard to not go overboard with carving in printmaking and drawing. The first two prints I saw in the Edvard Munch exhibition in Chicago. I enjoy his varied prints and experimentation. In my opinion, I think they surpass majority of his painted work.
-Megan
Make it work-in progress
MAKE IT WORK! If I had my own Tim Gunn, he tell me that over and over until I became a production machine. This semester has been the semester of bad prints and mishaps, but I’m going to make it work! I will! I need to push myself to my breaking point and beyond.
This particular print was already a mess to work with, but I didn’t like how the proofs were looking. Neither did my mentor, but at least I got some suggestions on how to steer it in a better direction. There’s only so much you can do with a relief print, but I think collage helps.
Guh, all these photos are horrible quality. My fault.
While this is still in progress, it’s improved leaps and bounds past the previous composition. Plus it’s got MULTIPLE FACES. Super creepy. I don’t know if it’s noticeable in these pictures, but I was able to get a bubbly texture on the relief by applying PVA glue on top (look for it in the sweater and stalagmites). I did this technique on the last relief print as well. It seems to work better when the linoleum is mounted on wood. I notice it starts to give in to the press when I was printing this block. Sorry, printmaking talk that’s probably foreign to a lot of the readers. Will try to avoid that.
I’ve been working on a book as well. Here’s a sneak peek:
It’ll be an accordion fold. I was finish it for class today. I’ll blog the photos of it later this week.
-Megan
Tim Gunn- Inner motivator
I wish my inner motivator was Tim Gunn from Project Runway. His little mantras and gestures would cut to the chase in my inner monologues of ridiculousness. For example (images found on Photobucket):
and
I kind of envision Tim doing this a lot with my current prints.
And my favorite:
Okay, the last one was silly, but seriously, who wouldn’t want this guy to give guidance in the studio? He’s awesome.
Art Opportunity
The school sent a mass email on this event as well as the Graduate blog. I think I’ll do this myself, once I get a decent paycheck. The application deadline is October 1st. Art opportunities such as this are great for beginning artists trying to build their exhibitions/resumes. I wish somebody directed me to apply/seek out those projects when I was a sophomore. I honestly think that my late efforts to join in several print exchanges helped me get accepted into my current school. Some of my rejection letters from the state universities often mention that the level of competition (artwork) and experience (resume) were the main reasons for picking other applicants. That’s really my own guess to one of the reasons. My slides* were crappy too, but that’s a tangent to this post. Anyway, for the undergraduates thinking about graduate school or just building experience, start looking for call to art submissions online, find printmaking exchanges, or see if the local coffee shop put on exhibitions. That’s a good starting point unless you’re more gutsy or have the right connections.
Excerpt about The Sketchbook Project:
“Atlanta, GA, Sept 2009- Atlanta’s Art House Co-op has opened a call for entries for the Sketchbook Project, Library edition. Participants are asked to donate their finished sketchbooks to the project, which will be exhibited in galleries and then reside in a permanent collection where library patrons can browse by theme, media, or location.”
Seems like fun and a great way to exercise a lot of creativity in a short span of time. Check out the website link above to apply.
-Megan
*Thank god that most schools have switched to digital submissions…unfortunately after I applied.
Inspiration- James Jean
James Jean’s Vanity
“Incorporating traditional symbolism and dynamic narratives, Kindling introduces finely rendered imagery created with Jean’s unique aesthetic, extraordinarily kinetic style and sophisticated color palette. The subjects, as the artist explains, glide through the tableaux, tracing a narrative of thwarted desires. His subtle yet suggestive themes of metamorphosis, mortality, and sexuality blend together seamlessly, bridging the gap between the real and imagined. ” (NYArtBeat.com, James Jean “Kindling: New Works on Paper and Canvas,” — link)
Another artist quote/inspiration from same assignment. Love love love love it.
-Megan
Blender marker transfer
Okay, so I bought one of those Chartpak blender markers last year when I was attempting transfers. Since it didn’t go so well with the first trial, I gave up on the technique and worked with wintergreen oil. I’m starting a linocut for a book and wanted to shortcut some of the drawing. I’ve done gel medium transfers as well as wintergreen oil and found both to be either finicky or disastrous when it came to the printing. I’ll argue that those failures could have been my own fault, but I decided to give the Chartpak blender another go. It worked pretty well. I used a spoon to help the transfer along, so that might have been the secret all along. The one part that annoyed me however was the marker’s juice was almost depleted by the end of what you see in the photo. I hardly used the maker, maybe three or four times. Kind of wasteful financially in my opinion. Oh, also the marker is very fume-y, even in a spacious room. Gag.
Anyway, I guess I would only recommend this for small projects, sketcbhooks, and stuff like this.
Helpful link: click click
Progress
Making progress this semester, but mostly just messing up a lot on my printing. See second image as example. The first image is finished, I think. I might add some white conte for highlights, but I’m still undecided.
This has been the semester of crappy prints. I need to get my act together. Sometimes it has an interesting aesthetic, but otherwise useless as a print. My only hope these days is to transform them into adequate mixed media drawings.
I’m currently proofing a relief print. I’ve been horrible about documenting my process. My camera’s battery is dying out and doesn’t power on past ten minutes. Most likely, I’ll just scan the final print. Just think of it as a surprise? Eh, sorry.
I’ll also start making books soon. I’ve been writing out ideas for simple pamphlet books and simple folded books. I think it’ll help bring out the content in my portraits once I make them. That’s my plan anyhow.
-Megan
Edit: Cheapshots at my own art. Now all I can think of is “Let the Right One In.”
braiiiiiiiins
Inspiration- Cindy Sherman
“After working out the possibilities implicit in her early, relatively restrained pictures, Sherman, a fan of horror films as well as of melodrama, took a sharp turn toward the grotesque. The conventions of fashion modeling gave her the initial pretext- models are, of course, monsters of beauty, but fairy tales and gothic stories provided her with a wondrous array of freaks and creatures.” (Disparities And Deformations: Our Grotesque, pg 120—Robert Storr)
One of my assignments for class was to find quotes about artists that inspire my work. Cindy Sherman’s work that follows her infamous Untitled series gets me super stoked. I especially like her technique of making the photograph mimic a masterpiece painting.
Slick.
-Megan
