Damn. I so didn't get to the second art post yesterday. But, that's life. By the time I'd gotten home, finished playing D&D with my friends online, written a five minute free write, and taken a bit of a break, I was ready to get right into the art. Well, I was actually quite enthusiastic about going to bed and not doing any creating at all, but I knew that was just the hesitation I usually feel before starting a project.
It's a healthy feeling, it lets you know that what you're about to do means something to you. Of course, just being straight up excited means it means something to you as well, but....what do they say about love and hate being close to the same thing? lol. Either way, today I'm making up lost ground to cover what happened Sunday and yesterday.
Sunday I went a little nuts.
I think I alluded to that in yesterdays post. It was an interesting day, at least once I got all the work I had to get done, done. It wasn't much, so by 2pm I was ready and raring to go to...ummm, relax? Yes, I'd consider doing art relaxing, as stressful as it is. Getting lost in what I'm doing and forgetting about the past, the future and living in just the now...I think that's one of the most glorious feelings to experience.
Another glorious experience was a crazy combo of edibles, dabbing, and joints that I ended up taking part in. One thing about my life and my attitudes that I really love is my openness to just running with a situation. I'd started my afternoon with a 20mg breath strip, which was followed by a friendly invite to dab at a buddies place, then to a joint, and finishing with the obligatory bowl at home. Yes, that sounds like a lot...but, it isn't as much as you think, and I really don't care either way, hehe. As long as I get done what needs to get done and am happy.
Oh, for people not familiar with marijuana usage
...dabbing is when you smoke a concentrated form of THC, which can be amazing if you don't do too much of it and screw up your tolerance...edibles are taking a concentrated form and putting them into edible things like brownies, cookies, candy, etc....and joints should be pretty obvious because of popular culture, and a bowl is just filling a glass pipe with green and smoking it like you would tobacco...but way better.
Eep, I seem to have gotten sidetracked on life again which means I must have slept well. So, let me refocus on to what you helpfully came here to see, the art :)
First, just wanted to post this picture of the 'before.'
I think it's probably one of the scariest views an artist faces in their lives. The blank page, hehe. The tension builds and builds and builds as you stare it attempting to plumb the depths of your psyche to figure out what to mar that oh-so-clean surface with.
Eventually stuff comes out, some good, some bad, some in-between. I will say it was quite an experience trying to paint as high as I was, but I think in those moments you're provided with a different kind of insight. It's a feeling that's kind of hard to describe...some, likely many, get to it without the use of drugs, and power to them. I can do it to, without drugs, but, drugs usually make life a lot more fun. (Used responsibly of course and avoiding the ones that seriously fuck up your life, like nicotine or meth)
The 'oh the horror of knowledge,' no idea where that came from.
But I notice that on occasion these random characters and feelings make their way from my brain to my hand and out into reality. Some people think they're cool and get a chuckle out of them, others think they're just stupid. I think they're just a product of what I do and who I am. Do I get mad when they show up? Nope. Do I wish something else had come out? Nope. Art is what it is.
The skulls are just a continuation of the previous series, my attempt to produce a number of smaller pieces that I can work into a commercial environment. I gotta figure out how to pay the bills with what I love to do, and this is likely the quickest way to get a start. I already have a couple people I know from work asking about shirts, which is dope. And, during the course of conversations with friends, I've figured an interesting path to go from here. More to come in the following weeks. Evolutions will hopefully be coming soon now that I'm starting to get a handle on this technique. And by handle, I mean shit doesn't look horrible anymore, hehe.
When they talk about a zone...let me tell you about the one I hit once I got back home.
It's a bit of a hassle to set all my gear up for doing live's/videos, but once I sat down wow did the ink flow. I think I may have watched Predator 2 during this session...I'm not sure. The only thing I remember clearly is going through card after card. I was really having fun with the technique and nailing down lines that used to piss me off. Well, lots of them still piss me off, but less so now.
Another strange thing happened as I was doing these. I finally began to understand how musicians memorize music, or how dancers remember their choreography....by doing it over and over and over until the grooves of how it's done is etched in the brain. Seems pretty self-explanatory and obvious, but the deep visceral understanding of that concept I don't think is really clear to people who haven't done something similar. Which leads me to the exciting conclusion that as I add more ideas to my drawing 'encyclopedia' I'll be able to start to mix things together...once again an obvious conclusion that only gains real meaning once you go through the process, hehe.
I really love doing these live.
Why? Because of the people I get to chat with, because it gives people a chance to watch someone doing something, because, well, it's fun to be 'in front' of the camera. After 8 years behind the lens, I'm sick of it. Being the person everything is focused on is much more fun. More stressful, but worth it.
So, that was my Sunday...oh, wait, can't forget the process video ;) Got one of those up my sleeve for Sunday. Not for Monday, because I thought doing yet another of a similar kind of video might get a little tedious...for both you and me.
Music: Marrach / Bad Poet / Chtin Mara
Continuing into Monday....after a day at work my mind was a bit less energetic. I think I went over that in the intro. Normally I'd keep the days separated for more exposure (and hopefully more votes), but I've realized that if I wait too long the thoughts that accompany the work fade away...and getting them out is more important than the couple bucks I might get. Priorities, need to have them when you make art...when you're a content creator...and, I guess, a blogger. But, to yesterday's work :)
Only three pieces, but I think they're pretty damn good. The first two are the 4x6 media I've been using for the last week but the last one is much larger, despite looking the same size because of the pic, hehe. That one is over double, at 9x12. I wanted to push myself, albeit in a minor way. I've gotten comfortable with not only skulls, but the format, and that's not something I should be at this early stage of my learning lest I decide to stop growing.
In a way I feel these have a bit less of life in them, less me, but I'm all good with that.
The technicals are tightening up, and inside my head things are coming together with how the skull works. As always, I know that sounds weird, but that's the way my head works. That whole philosophy of imitate, imitate, until you just start creating. And, I've had that feeling a couple times now, and it sounds strange, but it's a crazy , crazy feeling. It's like sediment shifting, a joint I didn't know I had cracking, a door to a whole new world opening...humans are capable of so much if they'd just give themselves a chance...sigh
Anyways, not too much other than that to say about all this. I fucking love what I do, all the lessons, the stress, the fear, the joy of looking at a finished piece, watching people react -love-hate-indifference-, everything. Good and the bad. I mean, we only got one chance at this ride, why not enjoy everything about it? A strange turn from where this blog started out...but life a journey, hehe. Stay in one place too long...well, I can't, won't, and don't want to.
Thanks for dropping by! I love y'all for taking some of your valuable time to spend it with me and my work. I hope you do it again sometime soon. Feel free to ask any questions you might have about what I do. There are few stupid questions and even if you ask one, I'll be nice about it. I promise :) Be well!
Wessel
Previous posts:
My Creative Journey 35 + Watch me Paint! Ep. 15
My Creative Journey 33 + Watch me Paint! Ep. 14
My Creative Journey 32 + Watch me Paint! Ep. 13
My Creative Journey 31 + Watch me Draw! Ep. 7
My Creative Journey 30 + Watch me Paint! Ep. 12
My Creative Journey 29 + Watch me Draw! Ep. 06
My Creative Journey 28
My Creative Journey 27
My Creative Journey 26 + Watch me Paint! Ep. 11
My Creative Journey 25 + Watch me Draw! Ep. 05
My Creative Journey 24 + Watch me Draw! Ep. 04
My Creative Journey 23 + Watch me Paint! Ep. 010
My Creative Journey 22
My Creative Journey 21 + Watch me Paint! Ep. 09
My Creative Journey 20 + Watch me Draw! Ep. 03
My Creative Journey 19 + Watch me Draw! Ep. 02
My Creative Journey 18 + Watch me Draw! Ep. 01
My Creative Journey 17
My Creative Journey 16
My Creative Journey 15 PT 2 + Watch Me Paint! Ep. 08
My Creative Journey 14 + Watch Me Paint! Ep. 07
My Creative Journey 13 + Watch Me Paint! Ep. 06
My Creative Journey 12 + Watch Me Paint! Ep. 05
My Creative Journey 11 + Watch Me Paint! Ep. 04
My Creative Journey 10 + Watch Me Paint! Ep. 03
My creative journey 9
My creative journey 8
My creative journey 7
My creative journey 6
My creative journey 5
My creative journey 4
My creative journey 3
My creative journey 2
My creative journey 1
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