Art Post II: "Four to the Floor"

Title: "Four to the Floor"
Spring 2009
Medium: water colour, oil pastel, glitter varnish

At the time, I was into the song "Four to the Floor" by Starsailor which for some reason made me recall the dances in Swan Lake. I was also into using photos of ballerinas for references as they more conveyed the feelings I wanted in my drawings.
 
Initially, I abandoned this piece because I wasn't liking how it came out. Then a girl I was in love with was having a rough time, and I kept asking myself what more could I give her? What more? Then I saw this and was inspired to revisit it. I'm really pleased with how it came out, but disappointed that it meant nothing to her when I gave it to her.

What are your thoughts?

Daily Sketch Post 6/29

Confession: I have a form of bipolar. As an artist, this is a blessing and also a curse. Ha! Basically, I'll have a week where I am able to produce all the things and be really excited about it, and then I burn out.

I made a deal with myself that I am not allowed to do any work- pay the bills work or art or fashion, no work at all, one day a week. That is the only way I was able to bring myself to do this sketch, figuring if I just accurately draw myself trying to produce content, then at least I did something! Maybe I should have made these semi-daily to let myself off the hook?

No, routine is good for me, it's good for my mental health. So I'll do my best. Also, it's about to thunderstorm, and that always makes me want to sketch. So we'll see what happens with the rest of my day.

Daily Sketch Post 6/28

First off, she's nude because I forgot to draw clothes. Once I noticed, I decided, "Fuck it! She'll be nude, it works with the feels!"

Second off, I usually am compelled to draw when I can't express my emotions, which is um, kind of all the time. So often these daily sketches have almost a "Dear Diary" to them. (Or at least if I had been delving in all the long.) It's probably a good exercise in mental health to talk about what was going through my head, and sharing it with you allows a shared experience since emotions are rarely unique.

I learned that some one I used to be in love with got an opportunity I had last year, and saw her asking for support. At first I was angry and upset because she NEVER supported any of my creative endeavors, even after pouring what little money I had into her album that she then never did anything to write or record.
But then I realized it didn't matter. So she didn't support me. She's no longer in my life, so it doesn't even matter. What matters is now I DO have friends that love and support me.

So while the girl is alone and vulnerable, she only has to look to the stars above to see there is no such thing as being truly alone.

Daily Sketch Post 6/27

Today has been interesting, full of cautious freedom.
First, I was granted a new job. This may mean better finances, but I am concerned I may be let down as seems to be the pattern of my attempts in finding gainful employment over the last couple of years.
 
Second, I was let go from what was becoming an unhealthy situation. It's sad because I feel most of my words fell on deaf ears, but it is a lesson for me in not only setting and enforcing boundaries, but also effectively communicating expectations. It will probably be awhile before I date again, and that's okay. I think taking the time to instead develop a relationship with my art is something I should have never let myself become diverted from. (Not a result from this situation, but rather a series of unhealthy situations I allowed myself to be involved in.)

I decided to use a similar sketch to yesterday to hone in on how quickly one can go from entrapped and broken to free and repaired.

Daily Sketch Post 6/26

This is a bit more detail than I normally put into my daily sketches, but I felt the need to get how I often feel when in a relationship. Bound to the other person, with a loss of freedom.
I enjoy playing with just black, red, and white because it adds a fun challenge to still get a very deep emotional point across while having severe limitations. I decided to make her eyes red to indicate that she isn't entirely so innocent, and had her part to play in her situation, which I often find is the truth in romantic relationships, particularly unhealthy ones.

"If you offered me a passionate love affair and you offered me a high-priestess role in a fabulous castle above a cliff where I can just, like, live a very spiritual kind of religious-library-communing-with-the-stars, learning kind of existence, I’m going to go for the high priestess." - Stevie Nicks, Rolling Stone, 1997 

How do you feel in a relationship? More complete? Happy? Trapped? Please comment and share!

Art Post I: "Lady In Waiting"

Title: "Lady In Waiting"
Spring 2009
Medium: water colour

I literally have no memory of creating this piece, but I do recall the vision haunting me. I must have felt like I needed to be hiding in the shadows, as much as I wanted to be in the light.
It's actually two separate pieces that I cut and pasted together to make painting the background easier. I'm pretty excited by the results. People seemed to like the progress on this one.

What are your thoughts?