Today’s works 11/29/11

Tis the season to get more stuff

I reworked a sketch that originally was going to be about how women haven’t come far enough out of this restricted Victorian ideal… sexy, alluring models sell women womens’ clothing – just like in the Victorian era only we have more T&A, we still are paid less and some people think all we’re good for is making babies (like the government and those right winged folks who want to control my ovaries and every other womans’). Then,  I started to think about consumerism. So she is apparently thinking of faceless models in low-cut dresses, wine glasses, and flowers.

In the spirit of material objects… comes Jesus Christ Super Sale. I was listening to songs tagged “Jesus Christ Superstar” today on LastFm while doing some holiday decorating.

What I was thinking when making this image, is that it’s ironic that a religious holiday is also associated with mass consumerism.

Artistic Dyslexia

I finished this one the other day… there’s two more paintings that I finished and have yet to scan into the ole computer.

I feel like this drawing should be either titled “I give up” or “What the Fuck?!” And yes I know, I made the hands backwards. I think I might have some sort of artistic dyslexia, I seem to draw hands backwards quite often. I once exhibited a piece with the hands backwards and didn’t realize, until the opening reception that oh fuck, the hands are backwards! 

new! and upcoming!

Today is the day! We’re hanging the House of Icon show at Gallery X… I’m somewhere between being so excited I’m like a kid with ADHD on Christmas Eve, and so exhausted that I could curl up anywhere and nap for about seven hours. The exhaustion is probably the time change, we fell ahead and now I’m all messed up. My body thinks its an hour later than it really is! What sadistic bastard came up with changing the time in fall and spring?!

And in more good things… here’s some art I didn’t have time to scan and post this past week. I feel it is very Halloween inspired, but fun just the same. The last piece was clearly inspired by watching Rocky Horror Picture Show on Halloween night.

Some girls…

I finally got around to scanning some work I did a week ago and one that I did last night.

The first two are my fierce looking chicks. I think the first one kind of reminds me of the girl with the dragon tattoo.

The following drawing was inspired by a woman in an online personal ad who so subtly mentioned that she isn’t looking for “skinny anorexic looking girls who look like boys” as if all us “skinny anorexic looking girls” just wake up in the morning thinking, “I’m not going to eat today!” As a “skinny girl,” I found it insulting even if I don’t identify as butch or as a boi. Hey everyone likes what they like, but there were far nicer, less bitchy ways of putting it… way to impress people too.

the long days ahead.

I spent the past several months worrying about school, school work, and trying to have a life between work and school. I had a million things going on at once and I was lucky I could get a sketch in here or there.  Now, finally, I can do my own art work. I don’t have to worry that I’m ruining my façade of an art career by going back to school (well until September when I can think I’m jeopardizing my fake art career again by doing school work instead of artwork). I should feel free.. instead I feel listless. I have all this freedom to do my own artwork and stare blankly at my sketchbook… and be incredibly frustrated in the process.

After much staring at the blank page, I came up with this one today.

Of course the biggest part of my frustration might actually not be making art but a big change in my life (other than school) My non-American girlfriend left the country. That’s right, I wasn’t dating a U.S. citizen and if you don’t like it you can stop reading this blog. I personally think people should be able to live where ever the hell they want. The government seems to disagree. Of course, if the president or some high-ranking official were seeing an immigrant of the same sex, things would change and we all fucking know it. But there isn’t, so all of us in a same-sex international relationship are just plain fucked. Unless your wealthy, then you can leave to go be with your international hottie. I can not. I am broke, did I mention my fake art career?

I have my paintings, drawings and photography to pour all my blood, sweat, tears, frustrations, and longings into, or not.

bang and blame.

My thoughts were racing as I sat and foolishly decided to draw with a hurt elbow. My first thought was what if people, particularly the government stop the blame game. The Democrats blame the Republicans who blame the Democrats who blame the Tea Party. Blame and blame but not a actual solution in sight! Maybe, just maybe, if they stopped sitting around coming up with new insults and accusations to hurl, they might get together, cooperate and come up with an actual solutions to the problems they blame each other for!

My other thought was that many who are silent, repressed, without a voice, without resources and most importantly, a big mouth and the big money to go with it,  are invisible. Voiceless. Your silent and silenced. And that is wrong.

This drawing is about silence. This figure can not speak or voice an opinion, walk, frown, smile. She’s sexual, yet not. She just exists as an object or something that blends into the background…

Happy Wednesday.

The end of my month-long project is almost upon us. I may extend it a day or two if I’m feeling ambitious. I’m starting to think ambition isn’t all its cracked up to be. I’m very ambitious to get off unemployment and be self-sufficient. However, it seems the more I try to help myself the more complicated and stressful things suddenly become. I don’t wish to be unemployed or have to deal with unemployment another day — I would die a happy woman to never have to deal with them ever again . However, it’s all so complicated! There are just so many hoop and hoopla.. its tiring. I just wish things could be simpler. I wish there were a simple, uncomplicated solution to my problems and then everything is wonderful.

Isn’t that the key to all things happy and mindful? Simplicity? Simplicity and the ability to follow one’s heart. Wouldn’t it be nice if we really could do whatever we wanted? And it wasn’t just a nice sentiment reserved for the lucky, elite few who have the means and opportunities?

yesterday and today’s..

Yesterday’s drawing was the last of the beautiful handmade paper… now its back to boring old white paper.

I was feeling very low energy when I did this.

Speaking of white paper… I had to buy this overly priced, hardcover sketch book for one of my classes last semester. And like many art classes, they give you a list of crap to buy that you use once or never. Why do professors do that?! If I had a professor’s salary maybe I wouldn’t give it a second thought. I was (and still am) on partial unemployment when I had to buy this. Hardcover sketch books are so not cheap, this one was a “steal” at $9 at Utrecht. However, the paper inside is smooth — it sucks with graphite, crayon and possibly every other material. Its like drawing on copy paper.

Yes that is a flower on her face in case you were wondering… and yes the figure in the second drawing has pins in her thigh. I get muscle spasms in my lower back which causes my back and hip to hurt — I imagine sticking pins in my legs would nicer than muscle spasms.

Big mouth.

I think a possible title for this could be “big mouth strikes again.” We all know “big mouths,” just shooting off and their opinions and such. Its as if the only impression you have of them is their mouth and voice, you forget the other details. They’re people who are like a caricature of themselves. Then again, sometimes we’re all “big mouths” in the right situation…