I needed to do something creative but fun today so I made a Scribble Sheet! Apparently, only a few minor details have changed since childhood, such as the ability to listen to explicit music legally. Have you checked out Lisa Currie (aka OPPY's) The Scribble Project? Do it! You should totally make one of these too!
While you do that, I'm going to write Maria a letter and we both can wait for Jonathan Taylor Thomas' comeback!
One of the greatest challenges of being an artist is never being satisfied. Does this sound familiar to you: once I make something the next thing I want to do is create something new. OR, and even worse, start judging and editing the piece I just finished. Can a girl get some satisfaction up in here?
I edited this post because I didn't know what I wanted to achieve with it. Such a fantastic example of how blogging about art even leaves room for expectation. Ok, I feel satisfied now.
I had some hand surgery two weeks ago on my money maker. My other hand, the right hand, is completely unavailable for any type art making whatsoever so I've been itching to make something. I'm pleased to report that I can draw again, and that my left hand hasn't felt this great since...well, along time.
The first thing I made was a Tao Te Ching quote.
I know you're probably wondering "what happened?" Honestly, I'm thinking about making 'zines where I get real and talk about the stuff I don't share on my blog because I don't like and/or want to. I'm sorry, I just can't get that personal online, but I find drawings and writings in small booklet form a completely acceptable mode. This blog just can't do what I want it to in order to tell a story.
I'm not going to try to fight this, forcing some personal blog entries here. This is just the way I feel. Time to flow around it and make some 'zines.
I used to drown myself in tea so this image came out naturally. I only have one cup of the caffeinated stuff a day, my heart is not sad anymore. My favorite is Earl Grey with a few Jasmine pearls, in a little white teacup.
Meet Pudding, a hairy ghost like creature I started drawing for my little sister to cheer her up because middle school sucks. I have been asked a lot if Pudding is a boy or girl. I say semi gender neutral because I call Pudding a boy but is he really, and does it matter?
Anyway, I've been working on a children's book promotional booklet. I don't have a solid story yet for Pudding, but one in development in my brain. I've been debating back and forth whether to include him in the promotional...as a potential character. I probably will. Look at that face!
You can check out some more Pudding here.
There's two sides to my art personality. There is the encouraging artist (positive towards my own work) and encouraging art director (positive towards other artists work). "Wow Rach, see, you DO have skills," I remind myself. "Yea! Do it! Make art! What you are doing is wonderful," I remind others. I mean what I say when it comes from the heart.
Then every once in awhile when I'm feeling rotten, the passive aggressive art bitch shows up. "Really Racheal? You can't draw a hand without reference? LAME." I criticize. I use my full name when I'm disappointed in myself. When it comes to others: "AWESOME!" Two seconds later in my thoughts: "that is the fugliest thing I've EVER seen." It's not the truth when I speak from my mind, especially if I'm exhausted or hungry.
It seems easier to judge whats in front some times than to understand how it became what it is. I guess that's artistic evilness. I am taking off my hata blockers so I can see what's for real.
Do you judge art? Should art be judged? What's a beautiful piece of work and what's ugly? Do we know ugly because we know what beautiful is?
“LET ME SAY, AT THE RISK OF SEEMING RIDICULOUS, THAT THE TRUE REVOLUTIONARY IS GUIDED BY GREAT FEELINGS OF LOVE" - Ernesto 'Ché' Guevara
I've been reading Ché's autobiography and frankly, I feel completely indifferent about the icon of the man. Probably because I only fight for peaceful revolutions while weaponless. If you lived in a country where social injustices were so incredibly outrageous, would you not accept and fight, accept it and flee, or accept it and remain where you are?
I started off going to school for one thing that was related to art, but simultaneously is valued to society as a reputable job: teaching. After 2 semesters in art history I quickly realized I wanted to make art, not teach about art. Education was my choice. I wanted to make art for myself. I transferred to the Hartford Art School in Connecticut my second year of college. At the university level I learned various process' of making art until I narrowed it down to one field-illustration. When I graduated I knew the field of interest in the business world of art I wanted to pursue. But the exact process of how I make artwork and the technique used to create was still a mystery to me. To illustration, this is defined as knowing your style. The problem was that as a student, I was ignorant and under the assumption that a university education would mean I would understand this process by the time I graduated and that that process would land me jobs. Art does not work that way. Art is a constant self exploration of process. If you are not making you are not learning about yourself and you are not an artist [in my opinion]. I had the basic tools of creating an illustration taught to me from my professors. I was annoyed and upset that I spent all this money and time and only understood the basics of art making in regards to illustration-let alone how to apply that to business. It took me a year to let go of the fact of where I was in my art making and that now I needed to teach myself some things. I realized I couldn't blame the professors for what I believed was my lack of education. Education is my choice. In order to create artwork I have to start drawing, I have to show up in the studio everyday, I have to explore.
The need for art education is not a matter of are you inadequate in the field-it's a matter of do you want to learn? Are you willing to put in the work and at times, teach yourself? Why do you think you feel under educated? How much education do you need before you consider yourself an artist?
Recently, I've been thinking a lot about going back to school for an MFA. Even professionals feel inadequate about skills. The reason why I feel inadequate is because my focus has been on what others think of my work and how they compare and judge it. The truth is-what do I want learn out of interest/passion? Even though I'm in an applied field, with clients and an audience to attend too, it's about creating for them, and myself simultaneously. I make this artwork for myself. I agree to the jobs I want to work on, I continue to make because I want to. As of now, I want to see what I can learn myself and down the road, maybe I'll be willing to learn more from another.
Oh hello! I'm excited to announce that I am now a weekly contributor to Pikaland! I will be blogging about what I know best: hand drawn typography and art/illustration that involves tea and coffee! I will also attempt to start some dialogue about living the illustrated life, so please, share with us your surroundings! Amy has a few other adorably sweet contributors lined up who will be debuting their posts in the upcoming weeks. Come stop by and say hello. I'll put a pot of tea on.
"I know you're having an affair with words but boo, I'm married to it"
1. Clarify my message. I'm a visual communicator. What am I saying, why does it need to be said, how will I say it, who is listening?
2. What is the intention of the project? Take the I, Me, Mine needs/wants out of it for one minute. Now really, what is the intention?
3. How committed am I to the project (what is the level of loyalty)? Why/why not?
4. Follow through to the end.
That last part is tough. Fear is a dangerous liason, there's something attractive about bad boys. Although it's easy to forget how status quo Fear is...everyone is doing it. After that realization, it's not so badass anymore.
I'm Racheal Anilyse! Art is how I communicate. It's my language. I'm an illustrator, graphic designer + indie publisher.
I am the creator of Underground Art School, I am a contributor on the art + illustration blog Pikaland and I am currently working on a career in children's books.
Hey!
