Creative Changes

The Artdog is leaping into a new, combined blog.

For several years, now, I have been trying to maintain two personal blogs--this one, and also "Artdog Educator"--as well as write regular posts for a third, which I manage for the Kansas City Science Fiction and Fantasy Society (KaCSFFS).

And make artwork.

And pursue writing projects.

It's time to re-balance the load.  I will continue (for now) writing posts as needed for KaCSFFS, but because of a massive new project--a science fiction novel-in-progress--I have decided to consolidate my blogs.

For now, at least, "Artdog Observations" will cease to be a separate blog.  I plan to continue making art, looking at art, and commenting about art and art-related topics, but I'll be doing it on my "Jan S. Gephardt's Artdog Adventures" blog, as part of blogging about the creative life.

I know it's a short-term pain, and I may lose some readers.  If we are parting ways here, I wish you well.

But I hope it'll be a longer-term gain, when I'm able to post somewhat more frequently.

See you on the other side?

At Long Last! A Rosebush!

I suppose I could write "At long last! A blog post!" too. I apologize--it's been a REALLY BUSY last-two-months.

But I'm back, and I hope to begin posting regularly again.  It seems appropriate to celebrate my return to blogging with completion of a milestone--the titular rosebush.

"Rosebush #1" is actually just one part of a larger work.

There it is, in a closeup. I am kind of boggled, myself, at how long it has taken to achieve one finished rosebush. More than a year ago in the spring, I was taking pictures of neighbors' roses, with a plan to "plant" several rosebushes in my seemingly-eternal work in progress, Paradise Garden. (How "eternal"? Well, I started on the double colonnade more than two years ago.  Thank goodness that part's done, now).

From source photos I took, I developed three ink drawings of rosebushes (did you ever stop to think how many LEAVES are on a rosebush?). I scanned the drawings into my computer, and used Adobe Illustrator (more intuitive for me to use than PS.  I know: I'm weird) to add color to each leaf and blossom.  Every leaf has at least three greens on it.  Every rose has three or four different reds, plus yellow.

Took for freakin' ever, even with my Wacom tablet and stylus.  I am not above bribing myself with British detective shows on TV to incentivize sitting that long painting tiny, tiny leaves.

This is what I mean by "tiny, tiny leaves." Here it is with my hand for scale.

At long last this week, I was able to finish color work on the last of the three.  Then it was time to cut them out, sculpt, and assemble them.

Compared to painting seemingly-endless tiny, tiny leaves and flowers, cutting them out went comparatively quickly!  One episode of "DCI Banks," and I was almost done cutting the bottom layers for one and a half of the three different rosebush designs.

There are three--in one place, four--layers to the first rosebush. The top two layers on the finished one shown above are repositioned parts of the bush, not the whole thing.

The finished one is at lower left.  More are in the works, as you see.

Here are my essential tools for the cutting-and-sculpting phase. Fingernails also are invaluable.

People always ask, "do you use an X-Acto knife?" Well, yes--but those handy-dandy little scissors on the right are my primary tool.  X-Acto cuts are very straight, the puncturing risks tears, and the blades get dull really fast. I'm all about intuitive tools, so the scissors are my weapon of choice. 

The other items in the photo above are a small corkboard for cutting and sculpting against, lab-quality tweezers (worth their weight in gold), and a clay-modeling tool with different-sized balls on each end.

I hope you've enjoyed this glimpse of working on my Most Impractical Artwork of the Decade (so far, anyway--the decade is young), and the reanimation of "Artdog Observations." 

Great Evening With the InterUrban ArtHouse

As I described in last week's post, a good critique can be valuable and energizing thing for an artist. 

Here's my presentation at the InterUrban ArtHouse's ArtMatters Critique Night.  My audience includes, L-R: fellow artists Lori Sohl, Dora Agbas, Adam Finkelston, and Nicole Emanuel. Nicole founded the InterUrban ArtHouse.

I deeply value the insights of a weekly gathering of artist friends which we simply call Art Group.  I also had an opportunity recently to participate in the first-ever ArtMatters Critique Night, conducted May 1, 2013 by the InterUrban ArtHouse in Overland Park, KS.

Elizabeth Berkshire's paintings are inspired by metal surfaces and rust textures. Her viewers, L-R, are sculptor Deron Dixon, JCCC's Larry Thomas, Lori, Dora, me, and Adam, as above.

This Critique Night was held at a quaint, small-group gathering place called the Vintage House, and artists went through a process of submitting samples of work and applying to be invited.

 

L-R: That's me (red sweater) lurking in the background, listening to Larry Thomas discussing Deron Dixon's sculptu.

Kelly Seward comments on Linda Jurkiewicz's artistic quilts.  Also visible L-R: Deron, Jerry Stogsdill, Larry, Alex Hamil, me, the quilter herself, and (far R) Nicole.

Linda Seiner discusses her torn-paper paintings, while Larry and Lori look on at R.

Alex Hamil answers a question about his work, while (L-R) Lori, Dora, and I look on. You can see some of Dora's work in the background at left and some of Elizabeth's in the background at right.

Ten of us were included in the first Critique Night, while two designated experts, Larry Thomas, chair of the Johnson County Community College Fine Arts Department, and Kelly Seward, Director of Business Programs for ArtsKC, took the lead in each discussion.  InterUrban ArtHouse founder Nicole Emanuel was originally planning to offer comments as well, but a scheduling difficulty kept her away until the latter part of the event.

I recognized the work of Alex and Linda, as having also been displayed at the Arti Gras show, which I blogged about in February.

IMAGE CREDITS: I owe a huge debt of gratitude to the InterUrban ArtHouse and its Facebook Page, and to the multi-talented Nick Carswell, for the photos used in this post.  THANK YOU!

The Value of a Good Critique

In your creative life, how often do you seek out an honest and knowledgeable critique? 

Most artists are vulnerable creatures.  We make up new things out of assorted sources, imbue them with our personal vision, and then place them out into the harsh glare of an uncaring and often hypercritical world. To think of seeking a critique is always somewhat fraught with pain and fear.

I present my work to the group at the InterUrban ArtHouse's ArtMatters Critique Night on May 1, 2013 at the Vintage House in Overland Park, KS.

We do the best we can, but many times we just can’t figure out (or don’t realize we haven’t figured out) the Ultimate Best Possible Solution to the creative problem we have decided to tackle.

We can’t “see the forest for the trees,” because we are too close to the subject.  In my dog-show circuit days, we called that being “kennel blind”: you can see the problems with other people’s dogs, but you are blind to the problems in your own dogs.

Recently I have participated in several, extremely helpful critique sessions, focused on either my artwork or a science fiction novel I am writing. Different fields, different media, and from different sources. The photo above is from a notable recent evening (more to come).

But in each case I not only discovered solutions to problems I’d been having with the work in question—I  also became highly energized to leap back into the work with even more focus than before.  If you noticed I hadn’t been posting here recently, that is why.

FINISHED (Part One, anyway)!

Last week, late in the day before a trip out of town, I thought I possibly had finished a project I've been working on for quite some time.  It took some living with it, but I think--yes--this part is finished.

This is Nine-Part Herbal Fantasy--Light Cycle. Stand by (but don't hold your breath) for Dark Cycle.

The project began with a series of line drawings, first sketched in pencil, then finalized in ink.  I scanned them, assembled them in an Adobe Illustrator file, and began applying color.

Here's an ink drawing for the "Flower Arch" section.

 

An early view of the original Adobe Illustrator color build of this piece made an appearance on Artdog Observations in January.  I showed pieces of it in the works in February. At the time, I actually thought the Dark Cycle would be finished first.

I shared this image in February.

Why two cycles?  It's actually not that complicated.  

As I was doing the color builds, I realized that some of the sections were coming out considerably lower in overall key than others.  I couldn't decide which version I liked better.  Yes, I confess: indecision actually was the inspiration.

A comparison of two sections, built on the same "base drawing" and adjusted one each for the two variations, may offer a glimpse.

Here are Light Cycle and Dark Cycle variations of the "Herbal Arch" section (mirrored, you may note).

One of the developments that came up very late in the process of putting the piece together was an idea that developed at my newly-resumed Monday night Art Group.

Corners and sides are tilted inward.

Toward the center, everything lies closer to the base level.

The bases of the sections do not lie flat, except for the "rootball" center.  The others are tilted: higher toward the outside, down to base-level farther in.

IMAGES: All artwork and photos are copyright (c) 2013 by Jan S. Gephardt. You may re-post them without alterations and with attribution and a link back to this blog post; otherwise, all rights are reserved.

The Clematis Variations

My walking buddies, L-R: Jake and Brenna

It all started on a dog walk in April 2012.

A neighbor of mine planted clematis vines, and since she's a fine gardener, her vines grew and bloomed. 

I've always liked clematis flowers and I'm fascinated by vines and the way they grow, so I took pictures of my neighbor's flowers, brought my pictures home, and started sketching.

This is Purple Clematis.

Part of the process of figuring out how to develop a new piece of artwork is exploring variations.  With the clematis images, I thought the variations all turned out in interesting ways. 

White Clematis I became an edition.

Because I print the pieces from Adobe Illustrator files, after adding a color build to my scanned line art, I can create small limited editions of multiple originals. Each piece in the edition is individually cut, sculpted, assembled, signed and numbered.

The computer images also allow size variations, and repetition of design motifs.

The White Clematis Panel series further explores the possibilities of repeating a design, combined with paper sculpture.

IMAGES: all photos and artwork in this post are the intellectual property of Jan S. Gephardt.  You may post them without alterations, and with attribution and a link back to this post.  Otherwise, all rights are reserved.

Mixing It Up

I like to have several works in progress at the same time. 

Some of the "Art Parts" on my desk

Some of the current W-I-P ("works in progress") that you can see in the photo above are the Clematis variations, both Dark and Light Cycles of the Nine-Part Herbal Fantasy, and a leftover border rose from Rose Dance. Oh, yes, and some tall lilies from the background of Coming Through! as well.

Coming Through! is an edition of 25.

Technically, Coming Through! has been debuted to the world and is "finished," but the edition is numbered at 25.  I still have a lot of cutting, sculpting and assembling to do (not to mention matting).

The Clematis variations actually have been causing me to do a lot of thinking.  I started out with a base drawing that I really liked, pulled it up into 3-D, and tested out both a Purple Clematis and a White Clematis variation.  Then, for grins, I cropped the design to a square, and played with that, too.

I like them all, but now I'm having trouble arranging them in a way that I think will work well.  Keep watching this blog and you'll undoubtedly see more developments with these.

This mashup of all the Clematis variations just didn't work for me.

I have discovered that it's very stimulating to work on several things at once.

Solving a problem in one project can open a way to solve problems in others. 

An idea generated while working on a current piece often provides an idea for a new piece.

My problem is mostly that I have too many ideas, and not enough time to explore them all.

All things considered, though, it's a pretty good problem to have.

PHOTOS: All photos and all artwork shown in this post is the work of Jan S. Gephardt. You may re-post the photos if you include an attribution and a link back to this post, and if you don't alter to the images.

Dancing Flakes and Tree Lace

The Kansas City area has been hit with a LOT of snow in the last couple of weeks.  It has messed up traffic, and disrupted people's plans . . . but it's brought with it some beautiful visuals.

The most recent storm came in around midnight.  It was heavy enough to show under streetlights.

Different streetlight, heavy snow.

I zoomed in for a better view of the snowflake swirls in the erratic wind currents.

The snow was heavy and wet, so it piled up on branches, power lines, and other irregular surfaces.

This is a sycamore "under the influence" of the snow.

This is a pink honeysuckle in my front yard. At other times of the year it provides nectar, berries, and shelter for birds.

One more.  I love the arching of the branches, from the weight of the snow.  It was not so great to have the weight on power lines. 

PHOTOS: All photos were taken 2/26/2013 by Jan S. Gephardt.  Please do not use without attribution and a link back to this post.  Thanks.

Arti Gras is On

Pascal and I went to the Leawood Foundation's "Arti Gras" Gala tonight, a fundraiser to open their Annual Juried Art Show.  For the second year in a row, I am in the show!  This year's accepted entry is Rose Dance.

Jan with Rose Dance at Arti Gras (with painting by Summers).

As last year, the show featured a wide variety of work--different media, different subjects, different approaches.

The photo my husband Pascal took of me with Rose Dance and the artwork just above it, In the Garden of Glen, by R. Gregory Summers illustrates some of the show's range.

For a view of all the artwork in the show, go to the 2013 Arti Gras Gallery and scroll down.

The Arti Gras Show continues, with FREE admission, 11-4 on Saturday and Sunday.  If you're in town and have time, it's well worth the trip to see the art.

My favorites:
Norma Herring probably takes "first place" with me in this show.  I've been an admirer of her detailed mixed-media paintings since last year.  They are large but very intricate.  She had two in the show: my personal favorite, The Secret Byway, and Guest Juror James Martin's #1 "Best of Show" choice, Shades of Autumn.

It was a lively, crowded scene at the Arti Gras Gala Friday night 2/22/13.

I also loved Loreta Feeback's pastel, Dried Flowers Still Life; Jean Cook's oil painting, First Sign of Spring; Marla Craven's photograph, Zhouzhaung-A Watertown; Ric Cummings's photograph, Red Curtain; Dona Corben's photographs, A Walk in the Fog and Patterns in Nature; Karen Dreyer's oil, Heavy Load; Craig McCord's photograph, Klepzig Mill; and Patrick Schlotterback's oil, Taylor.  I also found the technique and imagery of Melinda Heaton's digital collage, Majestic Joshua Tree quite intriguing.  And I think I must acknowledge the quirky humor and unexpected compositions of Laura Carricker's oils, Shelf Life #1 and Shelf Life #4.

I believe I recall correctly that both Schlotterback and Heaton are art teachers in nearby school districts.  Knowing how much work a public school teacher must do each day, I am all the more impressed with their fine art accomplishments!

Here's another view of the crowd enjoying the hors d'oeuvres and art at the Arti Gras Gala, 2/22/13 in Leawood, KS.

 Pascal's Favorites:
 Pascal was drawn to Corben's work also, as well as Johne Richardson's acrylic, Blue Skies Overhead ("what an expressive face!"), which also received an Honorable Mention recognition from Guest Juror James Martin, and Sally Sullivan's mosaic, Meli.

I'm a sucker for painterly passages and intricate detail, but he takes a different approach. He says that once he's satisfied of the artist's overall competence, he primarily looks at the composition.  "A lot of artists almost get it right, and nobody does it every time, but when they do it just feels right.  That's what I like."

Official Winners:
Guest Juror James Martin chose this year's prize winners: as noted above, Norma Herring's Shades of Autumn received Best in Show.  Penny Pate Dillon's The Katz Clock took 2nd, and Parker Nicholson's Maple Vessel got the nod for 3rd.  Honorable Mention recognitions went to Sylvia Rose Augustus for Custer State Park, Lake Fog; Peter Crane for On Edge; Denny Dowdy for Mom's Backyard; and Pascal's choice, the Richardson painting, Blue Skies Overhead.

As Martin noted, it was a strong show. And you can still see it if you're in town! 11-4 Saturday and Sunday.  FREE admission.  Such a deal!

PHOTOS: The photo of Jan with Rose Dance is by Pascal Gephardt; the other two photos are by Jan S. Gephardt.  We allow re-posting with attribution and link-back, and no alteration of images.  Otherwise, all rights reserved.

Pieces of Art

Nine-Part Herbal Fantasy

Sometimes paper sculpture takes a long time.  Lots of layers, lots of pieces, not very many finished things to show in between times.

So I thought I'd offer a glimpse of a work-in-progress.  This is part of the "Dark Cycle" of my new piece Nine-Part Herbal Fantasy.

Here's the original color build for the design.

Assorted pieces in a box, some cut, some not.

This is the center part, which I call the "root ball."

Not much more to say.  Hope you enjoyed the glimpse!

IMAGES all are copyright 2012-2013 by Jan S. Gephardt.  All rights are reserved. 

Location Correction! Feb 15 Show!

The signing/art show is at Prospero's Uptown Books!

I just found out the address I had for the Feb. 15 Book Signing/Art Show is WRONG.

Please make note of the CORRECT address, if you were planning to come!

We will be a Prospero's Uptown Books, at 3600 Broadway #107, Kansas City, MO--not the location on 39th Street previously publicized.

If you're on Facebook, learn more at the Prospero's Uptown Books page and on the Event notice.

It'll still be my artwork, Grace Townley's artwork, and Robin W. Bailey, signing his many books.  I also am told there will be zombies!

Come if you can.