Super Siblings

Back on Reddit Gets Drawn, I decided to tackle another drawing.   My adaptation of a group of siblings. Technically there is just so much wrong with this 1 hour sketch, but I can't help but love the energy.  The original photo can be found here. The playfulness of the siblings, the expressions, etc, it was just begging to be made into comic heroes. I would love to see this done proper by someone better at figures.

Felt tip Pen and colour pencil 1 hour sketch

Stay safe, stay sane,

Popped My Reddit Cherry

Discovered this neat sub-reddit, Reddit Gets Drawn (RDG).  A neat place where people post pictures and yup you guessed it, other people draw them.  Great for practice drawing.  Saw this guy exclaiming to look like Spongebob and I couldn't resist this quick caricature!

Cheers,

Bloom True Boot Camp #7 Creative Manifesto

My Creative Manifesto c. 2000 Mixed Media

Week two of Flora Bowley's Bloom True Boot camp has begun with a serendipitous moment.  Last week, when clearing out my creative clutter and carving out my space I came across my Artistic Manifesto from almost 15 years ago!!!  A lot has changed in my world over the past fifteen years, but much of what I wrote as a graduating student then, still rings true today. What a magical moment where my past self met my present self, and said, "Look kid, we did good!"


Here it is in it's entirety:

I WILL create
for passion, love and hate,
for beauty, and dark ugliness,
for other, but MOST IMPORTANTLY
for MYSELF.

I WILL understand that
creativity is to be challenged, stifled,
and WILL sometimes be DEFUNCT,
.... but not ALWAYS.

I WILL challenge my imagination,
and,
S T R E T C H it to the limits.
I WILL change guidelines,
and funny things called procedure
but MOST IMPORTANTLY
I WILL challenge MYSELF.

I WILL strive
to find success in failure,
courage in FEAR,
and Confidence in OTHERS
but above all, in MYSELF.

I WILL find in clay
happiness,
enjoyment,
peace of mind,
creativity,
but, most importantly
I WILL find... MYSELF.

C. 2000



As with anything, however, I have learnt and grown along the way, and so I give you now, my revised wiser, more mature manifesto :P

I will create with emotion,
with passion, in love and in hate,
in times of beauty and dark ugliness,
for others but most importantly for myself... Always.

I will understand that I am only stifled by my own insecurities and fears. 
I will dig deeper if my well runs dry, but I will never quit.

I will challenge my imagination, and stretch it to the limits.
I will challenge guidelines and funny things called procedure,
but most importantly I will challenge myself.

I will strive to find success in failure,
courage in fear,
knowledge in the unknown
and confidence in myself above all else.

I will find in my artistic process
happiness
enjoyment
creativity,
peace of mind,
but, most importantly,
I WILL find MYSELF.

HK. September 2014



Until next time,
Stay safe and love yourself!

Bloom True Bootcamp Prompt 4 Get Quiet

Tangled up in Quiet

Today, it is just me, an empty house, a sleeping dog, and my songza "Daughters of Folk" playlist.  Finding the quiet today is easy.   Not everyday is so perfect for reflection with two kids who fight like cats 'n dogs, a husband who works long hours and a dog that's always underfoot, finding my inner peace can be like finding a needle in a haystack.  My inner peace or personal form of meditation if you will comes directly from my art.  When I am getting my art on, I am in my bubble, (my mini krazy's and I pronounce it BOO-ble, think Grue from Despicable Me).  My bubble is pretty serious stuff.  It was created in response to my loving and over-excitable son who would very innocently, and with much much vigor pounce on me for hugs, attention and to tattle on his sister while I was mid-draw.  Several ruined drawings later, the Boo-ble was formed.  My bubble surrounds me, it's about 5 feet wide.  There is no yelling for me if I am in my bubble, you must come to me.  There is no fighting within my bubble and if you need to enter my bubble, you must ask, you may not touch until I have "popped" the bubble which I will most assuredly do in response to almost all responses.   The bubble is always popped for hugs and the apocolypse, requests for snacks not so much.  Apples in fridge, crackers in the cupboard... GO. 

Often in my bubble I can be found practicing the art of Zentangle.  I love tangling as it allows for my to not think, to just follow the flow and go with what feels "Right".  There is no wrong way of doing things here, and is often a soothing balm for a frustrated and blocked artist such as moi. So today, in my quiet solitude, I tangled.  I thought of nothing, just went for it.   Heavenly.  And the best part... my bubble is still intact.

Stay safe and love yourself,

Blooming True Day 3

Well, I did it! 12 hours later I have my space 98% to my liking.  A couple things still to go.  I want to join the two tables together permanently and cover with an oilcloth or the like.  I'm pleased with the progress.  Sharing my studio space with my kids has been a challenge but as they get older the less the toys invade and the more the art supplies takeover.   I also teach from this space, so keeping things organized is a must.  Everything is gathered and sorted, I am indeed ready for the quiet of tomorrow!  

My Art table 

A place for printing and wet work. This spot pleases me greatly :)

You can see my inspiration board here.  It's actually a pair of wooden doors covering an electrical panel. Here is where I place things of importance to me, pictures, motivation, quotes, funny things that make me smile.  I'm excited to fill this up with great and wonderful things.    

Until next time,

Stay safe and love yourself,

HK

Blooming True

Ah September, new beginnings.  Schools in, fall approaches, winter quickly following.  A dear friend clued me into Flora Bowley's boot camp lovingly referred to as Bloom True.  A month long journey of creative prompts to inspire and motivate.  Exactly what I need this month, as I prepare to resume teaching and creating art in my studio.  Something that falls by the wayside in the summer.
So jumping into to day two's prompt of Prepare your Space!

It is quickly becoming the Great Purge of September 2014.   Like the black plaque and the Great Chicago fire when Miss O'Reilly's cow kicked the lantern over, the Great Purge is a wickedly decimating force leaving chaos and terror in it's wake.  I know not if I will survive this prompt... only time will tell.

The Calm before the Storm -pre purge studio

Stay tuned!

Head Krazy

Angry Bird Minions!!

Handbuilt Clay "Minions" 8-10 year old class

Finished Minions

Angry Bird Instructor Demos

 

Clay Pinch Pot Angry Birds -Age 8-10



Summer is here, and I am thrilled.  Typically summer is my busiest season.  Not much time for blogging, but loads of time for art.  I teach summer day camps at the local art gallery for 5 weeks.  I love art camp as it fills me with creative energy.  The above photos were from todays class of 8-10 year old students, and they NAILED it!   They made pinch pot sculptures of the ever popular Angry birds and Minions from the summer hit Despicible Me 2.  The creative vibe was flowing as the kids worked diligently for two and a half hours on this fantastic pieces.  So much fun.  After they are bisque fired we will paint them with acrylic paints. Hope to post more summer assignments as time goes by.  If not, I'll be back more frequently come fall!

 

 

 

Stay safe and Love Yourself,