I Finally Went Big

Hi there. How are you?

Friends, I finally did it. I went big! It only took 3 months for me to sit down and actually finish this large (for me) 12" x 18" drawing.

I'm pretty darn happy with the results.

I finally finished this large 12" x 18" drawing that I started in September 2016!

It all started in September.

After making several small drawings in this same style, I felt the urge to work on a larger scale. You can see and read more about those earlier pieces HERE.

In September 2016, I found a pad of 12" x 18" paper in my husband's art supply stash and went to work with a red Bic pen. I thought it would be fun to share the process shots that I took along the way. 

Here are the first marks I made.

The first marks of my 12" x 18" abstract ink drawing. I started with the red.

The early stages of my abstract ballpoint pen drawing.

Then I added blue.

After a while, I started layering in the royal blue. Adding a second, darker value adds more depth and dimension to the composition. I had considered using black instead of the blue, but the art teacher in me thought better of that. Color in your darks is always a better option. This color combo might be a bit patriotic and maybe cliche. I don't care, I love it!

A work in progress shot of my large abstract ballpoint drawing. See how much more dimension the areas with the blue have than those with just red.

A detail section of my still untitled ballpoint pen drawing.

The last leg

Last Friday, I spent much of the day in the studio. I was determined to finish up this drawing. After a day's work, I took photo of the piece. For some reason when I look at my work on the computer screen, I can better take in the composition as a whole.

After months in the works, this drawing was nearly complete.

Finally finished!

After a few more tweaks, my drawing was finally complete. Yahoo! My next hurdle is to properly photograph it so that I can make prints and/or textiles out of this composition. (Can't you just see this on a pillow?)

The best way I've found to archive my work is to scan it. As this drawing is way to big to fit on my scanner bed, this isn't an option. Hopefully I'll have some time later this week to set up the tripod and my trusty Nikon DSLR and make it happen.

Eventually, I'll frame this piece too. My handy husband is going to help me make custom frames for this new series. No more cradled hardboard mounting and varnishing.....These pieces need to behind some glass! (Well, actually plexiglass.)

Here's what it might look like framed:

Completed and still untitled ballpoint pen drawing in framed mockup.

I'm still not sure what color/finish the frame will be. I just know it will be minimal and will hopefully complement and elevate the work.

Want to buy this piece unframed? Just get in touch!

That's all for now. Hope you enjoyed this. I'll be back next week with another post.

Anything you'd like to know about?

Do tell.  I don't have a topic in mind for next week yet.

Ciao!

New Work, but Now What?

Hi there. How are you?

Just over a month ago, I set out to make some new original pieces. I was dying to make something new, something abstract and intuitive. Here are some of the pieces I've made:

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I'm really happy with these pieces and I have enjoyed the process of making them. They're very "me" and I plan to continue to make this type of work. I'm hoping to work with an awesome frame maker acquaintance to get these puppies ready to show and sell.

Now here's the tough part......

How will I market and sell this body of work? I know there is a market for abstract work, but it's probably not the following I have grown over the last 10 years. My current audience is interested in flowers, chairs, birds, and coloring books.

So have I shot my artistic career in the foot by changing direction?

I don't think so, but there is work to do. As much as I tell myself that it's not necessary for me to sell this work, that it's perfectly OK for me just to make art for the sake of it, I know I won't be content with that. I do want to sell this new collection and the real work is going to be finding the audience for it. This is where I'm stumped, or maybe just afraid? I've got to make a plan.

The Midwestern will be a testing ground.

I'm looking forward to heading north in a couple of weeks for the opening of the Midwestern at the Rockford Art Museum. As I mentioned a few weeks back, I've got an abstract piece in the exhibition. It's a big cool deal to be included in this show and being accepted was one of the things that inspired me to make more work like it.  I'm hoping I'll gain some exposure for my current work by having this piece in this well known museum show......It's a way to put my work in front of the right audience.

I know that buyers/galleries aren't going to come looking for me.

I need to do the work, and that work is hard and a little bit scary. But, if I'm going to be an artist who sells work and is successful, I need to make it happen and I need to put myself out there.

What I do know is that I am enjoying making this work. 

I'm enjoying the process much more than I have in a long while. It's meditative work for me and I can do it with very little thinking.  When I'm not making I'm thinking about making. That's a good sign! If I like what I do it shows in my work.

That's all for now. Thank you for continuing to follow me on my artist journey. Ciao!

Back to the Book

Hi there. How are you?

My sketchbook has again been calling my name and I've been spending time with it every day. I pulled out an old sketchbook with 8.5" x 11" pages, which allows me more room to play than my usual 3.5" x 5.5" sized Moleskine does.

My current drawings have been a little bit looser than usual and I have been drawn to pattern making. Making these drawings is relaxing, almost meditative for me. I don't know where I'm headed with these drawings, but I do know that I'm having fun making them. And at this point, that's all I'm concerned with.

If art isn't fun, why make it?

I'm just allowing myself to create without any pressure to make sale-able objects. I know that I am lucky to be in this situation, that I'm not forced to sell or make money with my art at the moment. All I'm trying to do right now is enjoy the artmaking process, which I'd sort of lost lately. Read more about that here.

My favorite pen these days is a Pilot G-2 (seen in this picture right above.) It is oh so silky on the page. Though not quite as precise as a ballpoint pen or a Micron, which I've used much of over the years, I really like the way the Pilot feels as I draw and the lines that it makes.

I realize that my art practice has very much been inconsistent.  One day I'm making mixed-media bird illustrations, then next I'm painting, and now I'm drawing patterns. Some will no doubt see this as a fault. I see it as a journey. I'm taking steps to recapture my joy for making, and it's going to take some time to find my way.

Thank you for following my along on my journey friends. I hope that you enjoy this glimpse into my life as a creative. If you'd like to see what I'm up to on a daily basis, do follow me on Instagram. I've been trying to post a new drawing every day.

Ta-Ta for now. Jen