Persistence...yes, I wish I had it

 
The truth is I intended to have posted my third portrait drawing to share some time within the last three weeks. Yet, I'm here, with nothing of the sort. Persistence...yes, I wish I had it.

Not only do I have a half finished drawing stashed away in my desk draw, I have a novel that's barely just begun sitting as an ornament on my beside. Elizabeth Kostova's first novel and international best seller, The Historian. I was very much excited to "sink my teeth into it" when I ordered it about four months ago, but, my abstinence from reading novels, for-my-own-good and substitution for long winded textbooks dampened my love for reading entirely. What a pity, when I thought I had found a lasting hobby. I think I can say the same for my drawing...but, I hope this boredom is only a passing trend.

Cherry gloss, glass gaze

  
When you draw there's a lot of silent minutes - even hours - to think, reflect. When I draw, most of the time my mind is blank. All I'm registering is what I'm seeing; music helps set the mood but my mind can't hear the lyrics.

Cherry Gloss, Glass Gaze, Lead Collection, 2010.

This person, believe it all not is the same as the last. Very different, aye? But the two photos were strikingly different too; one was airbrushed and photo-shopped more.

There's a few things I've learned.

First of all scanning an image allows you to view the picture flat and face on. It makes the image look different as to when viewing an original - always slightly at an angle from the left, right, high, low. Even a photo would incorporate an angle of altitude.

A reproduction never quite matches the original; it's just missing something.

Drawings look good in bad lighting. Aids the illusion of making it look more real, more alive.

First comes form then comes tone. Rendering cannot save the wrong of an initial deformity.

And, practice helps.

Oh! I forgot...and drawing hair is such a bitch! Hair is such an important feature to a face (second to the eyes I believe); it frames the face; accentuates femininity or masculinity, but, boy is it such a tedious task.

 

Who am I?

Maybe it's just me but she looks way better on the original.

...but then again she's no where close her to living counter part.

 It's All in the Eyes, Lead Collection, 2010.

Drawing from a photo is definitely not as exciting as life sketching but my models would have to endure the torture of five hours plus of immobility! All the while with my levels of interest fluctuating from high levels of engagement to down right procrastination.

The drawing looks nothing like the actual so I would be surprised if anyone could actually recognise who this is. I elongated the nose so her face is a bit stretched. But you never know.

I titled it, It's All in the Eyes simply because this person has the most gorgeous eyes in a pretty shade of green. A lot of the beauty that's in a persons face comes from the eyes. It's the feature that holds the viewers' gaze and gives their owner a sense of life. As it is said:

"A person's eyes are the windows to their soul."

  

The thing about art...

You know the thing about art... is it has become too conceptualised. Artists have become to obsessed with the idea behind their work that they have forgotten about their audience; the guy standing there in front of the painting of splatter on the wall with just ??? in his mind. Literally, if you could see that guys' thoughts there would be a thought bubble drawn next to his head with three question marks in it.

Visual arts. "Visual" arts. Art is about expression. Visual art is visual expression. The idea that we have to read paragraphs of texts; have someone explain to us what's happening, what does it mean; doesn't that defeat the purpose or definition of "visual" art? My twelfth grade art teacher raised that question once, and I totally agreed. The class was watching the work of artist TV Moore, his video installation Magick Without Tears produced in 2007, his latest work at the time. Here's a good link if you're interested.

Don't get me wrong, his concept from what I gather in his artist statement that accompanies the work is interesting; it adds value, insight and meaning to the artwork. Without the statement though... The clip was excruciating to watch, painful even torturous to have to endure! We were only over a minute in. Without the title of the work I would have no clue what the meaning was; with it, is just contradictory. 'Magic' as in the clown, magician...yes. 'Without tears,' I don't think so. That was the longest seven minutes of my life and it was hell; sitting in a dark room, large flat screen, continuous slow, broken, treacherous drumming... just watch it and you'll get what I mean.

If it wasn't for some reference texts and some discussion after the viewing I would not have walked out of that room with a sense of appreciation for the artwork. Yes! I did appreciate it; like it even - but only conceptually, if I had to watch it again I think I would throw a violent fit. The thing about contemporary art today is, that 'visual' is dead and 'concept' is it's crowning successor.

   

Ink it! - Rubin's Vase

Rubin's Vase, developed by Edgar Rubin (that's the second person I've heard of with that name; the other being Edgar Degas) some Danish psychologist, in like 1915.

So I decided to give it ago myself. Not too bad for an amateur I think. 
 

 

Ink it! - Rubin's Vase

I only drew one side 'cause I was lazy but that's what Photoshop is here for - to make life easier.

  

Below is an example of Rubin's Vase from Wiki just for comparison purposes.

 

Money is the source of all evil

Money makes the world go round, but money is evil. Life is unfair. Life is miserable from the day you start earning money. You are driven to work your butt off for, these days this "invisible money" that floats from one account to another via a swipe of that shiny, plastic card you own. Money, you don't even get to touch it, see it...smell it; no wonder people have such big debt issues. Out of sight, out of mind, right?

Going home from work is the time of day you get to reflect most about the level of satisfaction associated with your stage in life. The trip is particularly miserable if your taking public transport, you're alone, and it's been a long day. Judging by the many frowns visible on the trains these days many jobs suck! but, we have to do them.

Money doesn't make us happy. It is what we can trade it in for that is the joy that is sort after. But the best things in life are free..."like you're neighbours' Wi-Fi."

Optical charm

It is useless to rack a brain that is completely blank. So since "a picture's worth a thousand words," thereby a little visual inspiration won't go astray.

Café Wall Illusion

I always liked this one. There's just something about it. So many more interesting, interacting optical illusions but this seems to...stand out, for me. Its title is rather innocently concocted too. It is a blatantly obvious description of it's origin - the tiles of a café wall! It also formed the conceptual foundation for a piece of architecture in Melbourne in 2006. Rather boxy looking building in my opinion.

Scintillating Grid Illusion, E. Lingelbach, 1994.

This one is just cool. No need to move your head. Or stare for a few seconds - unless you want it to stop. The illusion is instantaneous. And it's not static, to the eye that is.

There are other optical illusions that are awesome but this will do.