The Challenge Ahead

It’s the beginning of the fourth month of the new year and my last post was the last month of last year.  Lots of thoughts went through my head in the past 3 months but nothing worth noting.  Just a lot of self reflection and trying to turn self doubt into self confidence.  I want this blog to be about a journey of a single artist trying to make it in the art world, but I think it is much more than that.

This past weekend I showcased in the artist alley at AwesomeCon, a comic and pop culture convention in Washington D.C.  I had a great show and sold 4 originals, 3 of which I did not think would sell. Most of the art that sold, including many prints, were all the ones I created with emotional thoughts in mind.  The whirlwind of birds, clouds and waves, are all the thoughts and emotion that go through me each day.  In creating these works of art, I find my center, my balance.  I hope my images bring the same for the viewer. Each time I talk to a convention goer about the piece, it ended up in a sale of that piece, to include a second framed Limited Edition print.  

I realized that my art has a purpose.  It already has a purpose for me, but I realize the potential purpose it could have for others. The purpose is to share this emotion I feel with each piece with my viewers and fans.  My art is not mostly about storytelling.  It is more about a single thought, a single feeling, a single moment in time that you want to hold on to forever.  I hope to create art where the viewer wants to keep staring and returning to that single moment, like I feel when I create the piece, or in other artists’ artwork I’ve collected.  Is this too ambitious?  This is my Challenge Ahead.  What’s your challenge ahead?

My YouTube Channel

I created a YouTube channel with my Instagram handle name, Chaotic Abstraction.  On the channel will be videos of me working on various artwork and sketching in my sketchbook.  Check it out:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVs2oI3zo7ntUu-8tr5x9yA

Solid Grounds

I recently attended The Fantastic Workshop, hosts by the weekly One Fantastic Week podcast hosts Pete Mohrbacher and Sam Flegal.  While there, I met the illustrious Allen Williams, known on the internet world and the art world as “I Just Draw”, and indeed he does.  I watched this incredible artist/illustrator/creator draw on a blank page just from nothing.  I participated in his demo, where we got down and dirty and played with applying wet graphite powder onto Ampersand Claybord.  Then using various art tools of the trade (sponges, Mr Clean Magic Eraser, paper towels, fingers) to subtract portions of the graphite powder, and using pencils or more graphite powder to add to the image.  The process of adding and subtracting from the image continued until you get what you wanted.  The final image is sprayed with a sealant and the finished product can stand alone or framed without glass.  

The process itself is simple and can be learned easily.  The creative part of the process is the key to the uniqueness that is Allen Williams.  I watched as he “wiped the board clean” several times before settling on an image he liked.  This is akin to “thumb nailing” or “sketches” before the final image.  I usually don’t do well with thumb nails and sketches but I know there has to be a certain amount of planning that goes into a great artwork.  I can see this method working for me in that respect.

I have not played with the technique at home after the workshop as I gathered my supplies, but I do have a renewed energy for my pencil art, which I dearly love.  This renewed energy is translating into newer pencil pieces I am attempting for an upcoming project, Operation Gaia.  More to come on that project in a month.  For now, here is my piece from the workshop.

Illuxcon 10

I’m so excited I was able to get a Showcase table at Illuxcon (IX) 10 this year.  If you don’t know about Illuxcon, you can learn all about it here:

http://www.illuxcon.com

Illuxcon is a fantastic art convention to attend and to showcase your artwork.  There are so many talented artists for both the main show and the weekend showcase.  I’m so honored to be able to showcase my work alongside many great artists.  IX 10’s Main Show will be at Goggleworks Center in Reading, PA, from 18 to 22 October.  I will be in the Showcase which will be in the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel on the evenings of Friday, 20 October from 8pm to midnight, and Saturday, 21 October from 6pm to 10pm.  The Showcase is free and open to the public.

If you are in the area, come by and visit.  I will have several originals on display.

A New Direction

I’ve been struggling since I started this journey.  Struggling to figure out what I want to do, what I want to work on.  I like so many things: drawing with my pencils, painting with acrylic, drawing with pen and ink.  I like drawing people and surreal elements.  I feel like my art is all over the place and I jump from one thing to another trying to find the right corner to be in.  I think my main problem is I don't think anyone will be very interested in owning the kind of artwork I want to create.  Every time I think about doing the art that appease to others, the piece never turns out the way I like it.  I kept hearing the voices of great artists saying just be yourself, and then saying, “… but do it this way” or “… but don’t do that, that won’t get you anywhere.”  How do I follow these do’s and do-not’s but still be myself, still represent who I am in my work? 

Then I did something that I used to do a long time ago but stopped because it was too time consuming and, again, I didn't think anyone would be interested: stippling.  One day, in a tiny sketchbook, I just started putting dots on paper, and added more dots.  I stopped, start another image and kept going.  Pretty soon I have several images with nothing but tiny little dots.  I continued with them and remembered my passion.  

I added a layer of Indian Ink wash or splatter and stippled on top of the ink.  The results are surreal images.  Most of the images are not planned.  They just happened.  They just evolved.  They became.  I don’t know where this journey will take me but I’m going to head down this path for a while and see what happens.

Baltimore Comic-con

Made my first appearance at a comic-books pop-culture convention, Baltimore Comic-Con.  I was in the Artist Alley.  Baltimore Comic-Con has a nice Artist Alley. It appears to me that there were an equal number of non fan artists versus fan artists.  The aisles were nice and wide, leaving plenty of room to stop and browse as well as room to maneuver around those who stopped to browse.  I did not sell any originals but sold more prints there than at any other venues I attended so far.  I also had one of limited edition print, print #1, matted and framed and that was sold.  I am pretty stoked about it.  I think I may follow my tradition and get the first limited edition print matted and framed for future artwork I will create.

Overcoming A Fear

Beautiful Zion landscape

This year, along with training myself in art through various experimental techniques, I also am dedicating a portion of the year to formal training.  The first training course is Legendeer.  I thought I was going to learn ideation skills and techniques and do a little hiking.  What I got was even more valuable.  Legendeer was a full week of hiking expedition and workshops.  Participants flew into Las Vegas and were shuttled out to Zion National Park to participate in this 7 days creative adventure.  

The views at the top of Watchman Trail

Zion National Park offers a spectacular backdrop to the Legendeer experience.  I went hiking on the Watchman trail, draw at the Emerald Pools and overcame a fear of heights in the canyons.  Yes, I went canyoneering at Zion, something I would never do on my own or even thought about doing before I participated in Legendeer.  We hiked to the top of the canyon and rappelled 100ft down into the canyon, followed by canyon exploration and 2 more smaller rappels.

The views on the way to Emerald Pools

At first I was convinced I was not going canyoneering.  There is no way I was strapping on some ropes and “walk” down a vertical rock wall.  That just sounded pure crazy to me.  Then I heard about the experience from others who were just as scared of heights as I was.  I don’t think most people realized it is actually completely normal to have a fear of heights.  This got me thinking about  the other fear I have with my art.  I’ve always known I have certain fear about moving forward with my art, from being afraid of fully experimenting with a piece to not finishing because I thought it was not going well.  This was always a wall I reached with most of my work and has prevented me from completing more than 3 pieces per year.

Magnificent canyons

I don’t want these fears to be a part of my life and I especially don’t want it to hamper my creativity.  I decided that if I can face one fear and push past it, I can face anything else.  That first step off the rock was nerve wracking, but I would not let the fear grip me.  The first moment I leaned back and the rope held me, I felt a small comfort.  It actually felt more secure than I imagined.  The next few steps down the incline were not too bad.  I took a peek to either side because my curiosity got the better of me.  The view was both spectacular and scary at the same time, something akin to creating artwork at least for me.  To be fair, as I’m going down the straight vertical wall, I never looked down.  All I know is that I did it.  I didn't think about it.  I just did it.  Hopefully I can do the same with my art, pushing past all my uncertainties and create beautiful meaningful artwork for all to enjoy.

During Legendeer I also came up with my project.  More to come on that in the future …

This is the canyon we all ended up in after the first rappel

Inside the canyons after the second and the third rappels