Fall 2010 pt. 4 - Caricatures!!

This is the last part to my Fall 2010 series!!

I'll have to find current things to write about now ;)

Since last summer, I've drawn at least 60 people in caricature form!!  I was just sitting in my floor one summer day doing not much of anything, probably sipping on a chunky mystery-ingredient smoothie while on a Shakira listening-binge, when I decided I wanted to try something a little different than realistic portraits - caricatures.  So I got my sketchbook and pencil and began looking through pictures of my unsuspecting friends.

(To see the earlier post of the caricatures I did last summer go here.)

 Fall rolled around and I remembered the annual Swappin' Meetin' festival in Cumberland was coming up. So I signed up and when the day came, set up my $12 easel and a board to draw on, complemented by a crayon-drawn sign advertising my service.  In two days I drew nearly 50 people!  The weather was beautiful and the only downside was some facial sunburn.. next time I'll have to choose a booth in the shade!

I don't mean to be anti-climatic and not have good pictures of completed work - but I do have some documenting the event!

Recently I was commissioned to do some more caricatures for Valentine's Day and that was very fun!



Thanks ladies :)

 I'm hoping to do more festivals/commissions this year as well.  Thanks for reading!




-Tasha

Fall 2010 pt. 3 - Pastel Explosion!

I posted in an earlier entry that in Fall 2010 I would be doing a lot of pastel work for my independent study.  And that I did! Here are some things I created:

 (approx 30x40")

 (19x25")

 

 (19x25")

 (19x25")

 (19x25")

 (19x25")

 The theme I chose to do was "Dealing with Apathy".  It's a pretty universal feeling, apathy.  (or lack of feeling, heh.) 

The first piece has little symbols throughout to represent this state of mind - blinding light coming through the window, a clock with no hands, wallpaper peeling off the walls, a dead hummingbird, pictures and a frame face down. Hummingbirds represent optimism, celebration of life, and wonder.  In this piece, time doesn't matter, beauty doesn't matter, people (who would be in the photographs) don't matter.  The figure is aware of the state she is in; she can see that her hummingbird has died.

The second, with an eye reflecting a dead plant, was intended to represent apathy through the excess of oranges and yellows. When I think of apathy, I think of heat.  Intense heat and bright light to the point of nausea.  This pastel also indicates that apathy is a festering wound.. hence the fly and maggots.

The third pastel is a take on "stop and smell the roses".  The figure, however, is covering her face and turned away from the roses, metaphorically saying that she would rather stay too busy than be forced to slow down and face her surroundings.  The face mask in the background reinforces this.

The empty picnic table in the fourth pastel mainly symbolizes loneliness, or just being alone.  This can also be metaphorical because sometimes you are surrounded by people, well-meaning people even, and you can still feel very lonely in your own mind, whether because of insecurities, poor communication/misunderstandings, or some other reason. 

The fifth piece shows a room on fire - again, I associate apathy with extreme heat. The thermostat is as high as it goes, and the girl is unresponsive to the situation, tuning it out with music.  I meant this piece to be both literal and metaphorical, as the dorm room I was living in was often too hot and seemed to drain my energy quickly.

With the sixth pastel, my intent was to show an exhausted, disconnected, unsatisfied emotion through just a facial expression and colors.  The telephone wires are floating freely, not connected to the other end.  Can no one connect with me because I don't care, or do I not care because no can connect?

My last piece:

 

(30x40")

 This one finishes up the "Dealing with Apathy" series.. and focuses heavily on the "dealing" part.  It's kind of about re-realizing things that you've already learned - the hummingbird was never gone, it only needed to be resuscitated - things like the idea that happiness comes from within and can be attained even if no one around you is happy or understands things about you.  It might take time to fully bloom... but the sun will come up and the snow will melt.

It might also require some attention on making sure that sneaky cat from the first pastel doesn't puncture a little hummingbird lung again.

Thanks for reading/looking!

-Tasha

Fall 2010 pt. 2 - First Place!

I like all this snowy weather. It could be a hindrance if driving far places was a desire, or sunbathing on the roof even.  This morning was not very sunny, but the stillness outside was pretty, and inclines me to wake up even earlier tomorrow because early morning is always the most peaceful.  Yesterday morning the sun was still low in the sky and made these sparkling icicles from my roof:

This is part two of my parts.  That is such an odd little word. Part.

In November, the Gateway Arts Center in Mount Sterling (KY) had a juried exhibit for Morehead students.  There was tons of good art submitted.. picking "the best" or "the most interesting" or whatever they judge by, would've been a challenge.  Once selected to be in the gallery, they pick winners (and 2nd place.. maybe 3rd? maybe not) for 5 categories - digital, drawing/printmaking, painting, sculpture, and photography.

I submitted two oil paintings that I had done for class, of which one got in, and it got first!  Pretty awesome! Yet unexpected at the same time, as they didn't even choose the painting that I thought they would.

I titled it "Half-Conscious".  (18x24")  I wanted it to represent a feeling I had of knowing I should be conscious, but not wanting to be conscious.  To be conscious, in my definition, is to be aware of yourself and your surroundings, and accept whatever is going on at a given time and deal with it however is necessary.  I could tell that that is not what I was doing in many areas, and life began to get more overwhelming, resulting in a stressful semester.  I associate birds with freedom - you could see this as a bird trying to save herself and her freedom by trying to stay conscious.

(click picture to enlarge)

Thanks for reading!! =D

-Tasha

Fall 2010 pt. 1 - Mural in Morehead

This previous semester certainly had its highlights.  

Prior to the Fall classes starting, I was amped to have the opportunity to line up a mural project with my first mural client!  After completion of the beach mural that I did in my parents' house, I was feeling all mural-driven and wanted to paint walls, indoors or out!

This new mural posed many new obstacles - creating an original design (the main guideline being "patriotic"), transferring and scaling the design to fit the (approx. 60 ft wide, asymmetrical) wall, learning about exterior paint (and to be sure to specify exterior when purchasing, because they won't always ask!) and other things.

Awesome things that happened were that dozens of people walking or driving by gave the nicest compliments as they passed.  People took pictures.  I got to see what it was like to stand and climb on two-story-high scaffolding even though the getting down part took some fear-facing strategies.  The guy I was working for was very easy to work with.  And I got to be outdoors a lot on some of the prettiest days of the year.. fall is a pretty time.

Not so awesome things that happened includes spilling a nearly-full gallon of gray paint in my car trunk during the first week, and accidentally starting off the mural with interior paint (that's what happens when you think walmart employees will read your mind). 

The painting began in early October and was completed right before the end of November.

 (pictures of just-beginning-to-be-primed wall)

(me at work, naturally)

And here's what one might see if they were to drive by it (in the late afternoon with the windows across the street causing sun-reflections on it...)
All done!

 

Caricaturation

car·i·ca·ture

a picture, description, etc., ludicrously exaggerating the peculiarities or defects of persons or things: His caricature of the mayor in this morning's paper is the best he's ever drawn.

When looking for art jobs, sometimes I come across mentions of doing caricatures at a zoo or something. I've always thought they looked cool, but didn't really consider it my line of art. However, more recently I really had the urge to do some, but didn't know how.. even though maybe it's sort of self-explanatory. So I read a brief article about it and just decided to dive right in. Some people just look so normal, though; they're the hard ones to do. Haven't got around to maybe caricatures in color yet, but one day they will be.

animals with attitude

Shirts!!!

Busy Bee





Sheepish Grin





Happy as a Horse





Mister Mantis

I'm in the paper!

Firstly, there was an artist who happens to be me who was featured in a local newspaper!

http://harlandaily.com/bookmark/8951072


Now, another piece that was featured in the "Self-Examination" art exhibit:

In this graphite and prismacolor pencil drawing entitled Our Little Secret, I used my friend Emily as a model to make a statement about the food industry. This little apple represents your food, and the slime oozing off it is the toxic stuff that's put on or in it. That sly smile is whatever schemes they use to get you to buy and eat it.


24x36"

Pastels!

Although I don't mind if the summer goes on a little longer, I can't wait to do my pastels study in the fall! I'm fairly new to pastels, only first used them about a year ago, so I feel like there's still a lot to learn. Since then I've seen work from a lot of pastel artists that have made me want to get better. One artist's work - Marianna McDonald - I came across at a Lexington Gallery Hop, earlier this year, I think it was, and I just now found out she's actually from Lexington. I really like how a bunch of well-placed scribbles can turn into a beautiful landscape:






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Some people weren't able to be at my art show, so I might put up certain pieces on my blog from the art show, since they can't be seen very well in the pictures I posted of the gallery. And while I'm on the topic of pastels, I'll include this one which I did last fall/winter which I call Autumn Memories.



This is a self-portrait and has a lot of little things that have meaning to me. Some of the meanings I will leave ambiguous, but I would like to explain the symbols. The boots represent travel, which for me was going off to college. On the side is an ocarina for music which I felt was very significant to the time I am referencing. And the tin man is hiding in there behind me, because sometimes I don't have a heart, I am more insensitive than I should be, and that leads to my own demise. The bird I say is there for emotional support. He can fly (freedom) and is there to ensure me that soon I will be free from the emotional things holding me down. And he was right.


All of this is leading up to my newest pastel drawing that I finished today.





Meow.

my latest art piece... a mural!

Last week I finished a beachy mural I'd been working on for a room in my mom's house. Here are some pictures of it going up!




Primered the wall with all-purpose white paint first.







It is about 8' by 14', minus the door.






Done!!









And as always, I'm taking commissions!
tashasartspot@gmail.com

art show!

June 4th I had my first solo art show ever.




And there's pictures!

There are graphite & charcoal & pastel drawings, watercolors, acrylic paintings, oil paintings, ceramics, photography, digital art, and prints (as in printmaking), and it's all in the gallery until July 31st. (and most stuff is for sale, just ask) :)
















I made lemonade and hummus for the event, too.









Was a great time!