Drawing inspiration for this semester.

I feel like I've been pursuing my BFA forever, but in truth, I've been back at UTEP for about 8 years.  Okay, I know that is double the time it should take to complete a bachelor's degree, but I did take a year off in there somewhere, changed majors a few times, and switched between full-time and part-time schedules often.  This will be my second-to-the-last semester of Drawing class.  I've been working in several different mediums, trying to figure out what I like to do best...for a grade.  I definitely work differently when I know the outcome will be critiqued and graded.

A new series or two is in my brain somewhere, I feel it.  (I am trying harder to have more faith in myself.)  I could also continue my wood panel series.  I'm going to start photographing my work professionally, now that I know how to do it correctly.  I was required to take a $675 class on it, after all.  It's time to use those skills.

I'll be documenting progress on my drawings here.  I am lucky to have a professor who has a contemporary and progressive idea of what defines a drawing.  We are allowed to do pretty much anything we want to do.  Drawing has come a long way since the days of graphite, conte, charcoal, or pastel on paper.  Artists are currently working with a wide array of non-traditional materials, including fabric, thread, paper mache, collage, and other ephemera.  A drawing can also lean towards 3-D, with sculptural elements being used in ways which can be compared to the work of the legendary Robert Raschenburg.

My favorite book on contemporary drawing is Vitamin D: New Perspectives on Drawing, by Emma Dexter.  It's an absolutely gorgeous hardcover book, a book any artist or art appreciator would love to own.

With a new semester at hand, and a few other personal projects in-progress (like quilting and dressmaking), I know I will have to keep up an anti-stress regimen consisting of yoga, eating right, and getting enough sleep.  I have a trove of ways to beat creative burn-out, too.  Taking a drive with my cameras is one of my favorite ways to clear my mind while keeping creative vibes in my soul.  If I am stuck at home, (it happens often, being a single mother) I tend to either browse around the net, or have a look through my growing collection of art books.

I believe most artists shop around for inspiration, especially when deadlines are approaching and we're feeling burnt-out or need extra motivation.  I am still feeling the aftershock of last semester's workload.  I was actually able to complete 31.5 (should've been 32, I'm not perfect) drawings.  I thought I might go out-of-my-mind for awhile there, to be honest.  Nevertheless, here I am, still alive, and ready-ish to begin all over again with a clean slate.

My aesthetic has developed into something best described as feminine, melancholic, and ethereal, with a psychological derivative.  A few artists I've been interested in include Marlene Dumas, Chloe Piene, Peregrine Honig, Seonna Hong, and Holly Farrell.  What a dream-to be as successful as these amazingly talented women someday.  If I tell myself it could happen, it just might.  You never know...

The Cover Up, Marlene Dumas

Cleo, Chloe Piene

Induced Birth, Peregrine Honig

Unlisteners, Seonna Hong

Tammy 2010, Holly Ferrell