001: Beholders & Beginnings
Seven things to inspire you this week
FRIDAY! Hey Creatives, let’s get to it –
Art Conversations:
“Artists are people who are profoundly compelled to make their creative work and when they are distanced from their practice, their life quality suffers.”
– Beth Pickens.
This conversation between Austin Kleon and Beth Pickens, author of Make Your Art No Matter What and Your Art Will Save Your Life, is straight fire. Could not have come at better time in my own art journey. One of her ideas that sticks with me is the only two people you need to make your art for is “the 17yr old version of yourself and the oldest/wisest version of your future self.” Great listen on a rainy desert day like today in Albuquerque.Early Influences: Thinking back to my 14 year old self, Frank Frazetta’s work is one of the most influential for me getting into art. Luck of the draw I stumbled upon his work in a book store at the local mall as a kid. Bought three of his paperback cover collections. Each time I had my allowance saved up another volume would come home.
I recently found a used copy of Vol. 1 I had somehow lost over the years. Score! My teenage artist self needs that inspiration right about now. There are many newer collections out in the wild.
Art Parents: Why am I mentioning Frank? This video by Proko explains why Frank is one of my Art Parents. I love this idea of picking specific Art Parents. Pick a few artists that influenced you the most and dive into how they would make your style going forward mixed. Brilliant. His powerful and painterly tableaus of sword and sorcery taught me early on that powerful images have both loose brush strokes and areas of fine detail.
Brushstrokes: This video essay by Hardy Fowler sums it up nicely. Detail is great, when combined with loose brush strokes. Don’t get hung up on the brushes themselves, get hung up on the feel of the piece you are creating. I will be following his channel.
Creative Fuel in your tank: Best way to bust out of your rut and get those juices flowing again? Clean your space! So says Stephen Silver.
Cannot agree more! Do I just talk the talk? Nope. I walk the walk. Recently, during my morning coffee, I’ve been looking on Facebook Marketplace for a new work desk. And…
Boom! Got this banger of a work desk which is now my main watercolor/digital painting station.”For Queen and Hive” (pictured above) was the first thing I painted for its maiden voyage. A process article on this piece will be coming out shortly. Also check out the second piece painted on this desk: The Dragon Knot. Who knew just a small upgrade to your art space could be so inspiring? Shout out to Jesper Ejsing one of my favorite artists. His book Elsewhere, is sitting up on the desk. Jesper’s tome is hundreds of pages of pure inspiration. He is a brilliant painter of dragons, and fantastic creatures, and it’s all done with acrylics on watercolor paper. I bought his wizard painting tutorial on gumroad and have rewatched it many times. The Trailer. Going to attempt his techniques soon. When I do, I’ll document it as I go. Hopefully we can all learn a bit.
Sonic: Listening to Rob Zombie a lot lately, so it must mean that it’s the spooky season of the witch again. If you pay attention to the songs you have on constant rotation, they will reveal yourself to yourself and what you are feeling.
Sketchbooks: The bane or their savior of many Artists existence. Last year I was trying to form the habit of sketch booking. For some reason I crave to sketchbook all the time, but my frontal lobe will just not let it happen. Here is a great video on the subject by Sketchbook Skool.
Here is a page from my sketchbook from last year.
It’s slow going, I fell off the sketchbook horse. I’m going to get back on. If you just put down the first mark: a squiggle, cartoon, doodle, anything on a new page, you will be amazed at how the magic and fun starts to creep back in. Make the first mark. Just go nuts. Cut loose. Don’t make art… make fun.
Your turn: Do you sketchbook? What gets you back into those pages? Comment below please, I would love to hear your thoughts as I prepare more on sketcbooks and get inspired to fill mine. Thanks!
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