This afternoon I am meeting my friend and painter, Richard Kurtz for lunch. He asked what I have been up to and I said, “I’ll e-mail you a bunch of images.” And I thought why not post them here just the way I would send them to Richard?
To sharpen what? my brain, my creativity or loosen them… don’t know which, but I have recently taken several workshops at the Georgia O’Keeffe museum annex in downtown Santa Fe, New Mexico abotu 15 miles from my home. The first set of 3 classes was with Leland Chapin a bright, talented and imaginative young man who is also an illustrator and Visual Arts instructor.
Leland teaches story book illustration , but I wanted to tell a story in one illustration and was interested in symbolism. He offered ‘the worm’ because it was simple and can represent people. That got me rolling: working with colored pencils I drew hills and sky- what I see each day at 7,000 feet above sea level, crosses-do they represent religion or shields?, worms-people all seen from above and straight forward at the same time.
Group Think - Illustration created in Leland Chapin's workshop - Santa Fe NM 2009
That’s everything even the notes I was taking in class are there behind the crosses. This was a three part process. I drew, I scanned then I enhanced some with PhotoShop.
Since I took a snapshot of the illustration with my scanner–it was now a digital image and crossed the invisible line into photography, creatively speaking.
This is art – we get to make up the rules.
The next session with Leland resulted in…
Life and Death or Leave No Baggage Behind - illustration created in Leland Chapin workshop - Santa Fe, NM 2009
Over to the upper left is where I began working out my idea, but didn’ t know I would incorporate it later. If I wanted to tell the whole story then what was the point of erasing the beginning?
I loved being able to concentrate then let my mind loose on drawing. I think this drawing spanned 3 pieces of paper and it took about six scans spliced together in photoshop.
Later on I might fill in about the symbolism – maybe not.
Fast forward….to last week. Bob Hogge asked me so, what are doing – got anything new to show me? Bob is big on getting outside the comfort zone to grow as an artist which makes me think of the fractured fairy tales (now there’s a name for an illustration) which were aired along side Rocky and Bullwinkle. My favorite tale was What it takes to be an Artist–the fairy warned, you had to travel, then you had to do something ridiculous then you had to SUFFER! It always cracked me up. It’s probably on Youtube I’ll look it up. But I digress. Bob, like the fractured fairy, pushes people to their limits so they’ll expand and break through their limitations for which I am totally grateful.
“Do something that makes you feel uncomfortable, Ruth” which reminds me of what my parents used to say to me – if someone tells you to jump off a cliff you would do it?
Hmm, it depends – if it would show me more of the world and myself in relation to it I would definitely look into it and ask for a mattress at the bottom. And the conversation in my head keeps going.
But lunch is quickly approaching and posting this last image was tricky.
All Terrain Female - What you see and who you be.
Have a great memorial day.
I’m remembering my Dad and how he sold Buddy Poppies to raise money for veterans.
On a good day I think my dad with eyes wide open would take my hand and jump with me.
~Ruth
Lunch at Harry's Roadhouse
Under the bug-zapper we think–discussing methods
to create larger works and where to find a bigger studio in Santa Fe