Finished work!

Holy moly, I have final pieces! Here they are, those I intend to put in the show (and I even titled them):

balance


spread


escalate


cascade


thrive


pulse


react


diverge

To describe my show using my 100 publicity statement:

I see nature as a network of details that together create one functioning, magnificent life force. This series of illustrations is an experiment that arose from a blooming curiosity about that life force and an attempt to comprehend its complexity. Each drawing is born from a brew of environmental observations, ideas, and aesthetic details, and each informs the next in a constant evolution of ink, paper, and artistic energy.

I think this is a pretty succinct definition of my work, at least for this show. Still need to work on that full artist statement though...

And oh my, the show is in a week! It's hard to believe. Now all that's left to do is install the work. Meirav and I went to Lowe's this week to purchase plexiglass and have it cut for the backing of our pieces. We have yet to drill into the plexi yet, but I plan on trying that out Monday. (Unfortunately, sickness kept me from heading the woodshop friday...such is life...). Hopefully, the drilling will be finished all on Monday, so that Tuesday can be strictly arranging and nailing. I'd like to have the installation done as soon as possible before the Thursday deadline. And then, show time! Can't wait!

Other than that, I've added all the photos to my website (http://trishaprevite.daportfolio.com/ ). I don't have my own domain name, but that is a career goal I am going to work towards. The site itself still needs some cleaning up, which I plan to do asap (like, now). And then some thesis writing...and then turning in all this good stuff...and then, wait, what? Graduation?! Real life? Art career! WHOA.

SO CLOSE

The title of this post pretty much says it all. In just a week, all work must be turned in! A year's worth of progress, unbelievable! That being said, I worked a lot on my drawings this week. I think I touched every one at least once, with some being worked on more than others. Here are those that showed the most progress:

I touched a drawing this week that I haven't worked on since first semester, and I have to say, it's taught me a lesson on how much these drawings style have evolved and grown in just a short amount of time. It was scary to go back into it, but I think it will be well worth it when it's done, because it has been one of my favorites this year (don't tell my other drawings, they might get jealous).

So after this week, with around 20 hours of drawing this week alone, I have 5 drawings that are without doubt finished, 4 that are so damn near finished that it's killing me, and 3 that are mostly finished but still can't pass as complete drawings yet. That's not including the pocket-sized sample drawings I carry around with me in my spare time. I'm pretty satisfied with that number, and I know if I put some serious hours in this week they will all get finished, no problem. That way I can pick and choose my very favorite when show time rolls around. It's crunch time now haha.

In addition, I went to Michael's to find some double-sided tape with which to hang my drawings on acrylic strips nailed to the gallery wall (thanks to grad student Amanda Lilleston for the tip!). Found some great acid-free, removable, clear tape that I tested on some scrap paper. It held all weekend, taped straight to a wall, and could be removed without much hastle. Thank the heavens for this development! With one step out of the way, I can get the plexiglass and finishing nails for the rest of the display this week. Wahoo!

Getting closer...

So this week was more drawing, in addition to thesis writing and thoughts about how I will display the drawings for the final show. In regards to display, I emailed Amanda Lilleston to ask about her techniques for hanging her prints in Slusser Galler for the MFA exhibition. I know I do not want to use frames at this point, and Amanda managed to beautifully display her prints without frames or pins in the corner. Currently, I am waiting to hear back from her, but Mark Nielson and I also discussed attaching panels of light wood or foam board to the back of each drawing with which they can be hung up on a wall. This could also provide some solid structure to the paper, and I'll probably gather some materials this coming week to do a bit of testing.

So, after thinking all that out, I was drawing a lot, at least 13.5 hours according to my tally, in addition to thesis writing, which was at least 5 hours or so. Below are the drawings I mainly worked on this week, in addition to working on past ones (which are not pictured);

This coming week will be a continuation of the marathon of drawing. I'd like to have most of them completed or near completion by the end of this week, so that the following week before the work is due to the gallery, I can make final touches/adjustments and finalize ideas for display. Hard to believe the show is less than a month away!

Development

At this point, I'm looking to push my drawings in depth, value, and spacial volume. So this past week, I spent over 15 hours working on that in the three drawings below:

The drawing above is the one I consider closest to completion. I want to take a break from it after this week though, to see what will need darkening and lightening after some time away.

Though I don't really consider any of these finished, I don't know if they ever will be. So in this coming week I intend to work on them to a point of completion I am satisfied with, and move on to finishing other drawings. I would like to have at least ten completely ready for the final show, so that when show time comes, I can an array to pick and choose from. I may or may not include all of them, but I do know I want a rather simple display, and I would like to work about the better details of that this coming week as well. The final show is right around the corner!

Can't stop starting new drawings...

Alright, so last week I said I would finish drawings this week. I may have lied. Instead I started two new ones. Oops. To be fair, I've been having a lot of new ideas for new compositions and new possibilities, and it seems a little silly to let those slip away. However, I did continue to work on past drawings as well. Total hours drawing this week: around 11.

Here is a new one I began this week...

In addition to spending time on past drawings, I made some spring break preparations. This is totally relevant, I swear. Because as it happens, I am taking a train to San Francisco, and that means two days of nothing to do but watch the beautiful scenery, and draw. Hours and hours of drawing, that is if the train isn't too horribly shaky (although that could make for some interesting effects...) and then, once we arrive in San Francisco, I'll gain some more drawing inspiration while visiting Golden Gate Park and hopefully making a day trip to see the Redwoods. I made a few travel-size base paintings just for the occasion:

Traveling and drawing: not too shabby of a spring break. Especially since after break, it's going to be crunch time. But let's not think about that now...happy break everyone!

Surpise! It's more drawing.

I feel like I have posted the same basic post for the past few weeks, but as with last week, it was filled with drawing, over 10 hours, and while I mostly continued work on past/recent drawings, I also started yet another new one:

(this isn't the new one)

(detailed shot of old one)

(new one)

(detailed shot of new one)

It is hard to see at this point, as I have only blocked in the main shapes and added just a bit of detail, but in this newest drawing, I'm experimenting a bit more with composition, as I would like to continue to do in any upcoming drawings. This coming week, however, I am determined to finish those I have started, in an effort to have at least some completed pieces by the time spring break begins. After break, it's going to be crunch time, and that is also when I'd like to really start considering the details of my final presentation. There is also a lot more thinking I would like to get down in my drawings, and I'm looking forward to really throwing myself into that process for the next couple months.

Onward Drawing!

So the blog entries are getting shorter because the work is getting more consuming! But in a good way. I am in drawing overdrive. I did at least a good 10 hours worth of drawing this week, plus a few hours spent on the second draft of my thesis (to be completed this weekend). Here are the two drawings I worked on the most (though they certainly weren't the only ones):

I like where these are going, but I also have a lot of ideas for other compositions that I am itching to start. I am just going to continue trucking on this weekend and next week, so that by the time spring break rolls around, I can take a good step back, look at a number of new drawings, and assess where I am at. Onward drawing!

Forward Motion

So I am pretty happy with the way this week went. I managed to create background dyes on at least seven different sheets, start three drawings, and work on previous drawings. If I were to tally it, I'd estimate I spent over 10 hours on the work. The best part was it hardly felt that long. I was able to get into such a great state of mind each time I sat to work, and I think the productivity speaks to this. I hope it continues into next week.

Above are just a few of the background I painted with tea, lemon juice, and red wine. I decided to try a number of varying compositions. I plan to grow my drawings out from these background seedlings, which I begin to do in the drawings below.

I am not sure yet how I feel about the pink and purple red wine stains, I tend to work in monochrome, but in the following week I plan to work on the drawings more and see the final effects. There is still a lot to do and a lot I would like to experiment with, but I planning to keep this momentum going in the week to come.

Sifting

This week, was a sifting week. Well, first it was a drawing/painting/working week, then after critique it became a sifting week. Below is the drawing I've been working on most (there's been a bit more work done on it since critique, but there's still a lot more to do):

It is very hectic and chaotic, so next I'm going to push some of the lighter and darker areas, create some larger dark and light shapes for the eye to settle on and create more depth. From now on I'm considering this piece my grand experiment, and seeing what comes of all this chaos of stuff coming together in one place. The funny thing is, that's kinda what's going on in my head every day.

Besides working on that drawing for a good many hours this week, probably a good 5 to 7 at least, I also started work dying new paper for new drawings. I want to see if I can grow some of these drawings out of the dye and see how they evolve. Below is one of my starting points:

Lastly, I continued working on my small study drawings, which I really enjoy and whose portability allows me to work on them whenever I have a spare second. Here is the progress on one, which I probably spent a couple hours on this week if you add together all the small random moments I was able to catch:

This coming week, I hope to start several new drawings and see what resonates with me. Critique fed me a lot of ideas and thoughts, and I'd like to test those out and see what might come of it. I know I have some techniques and trials to sift through, and I'm hoping in the next couple weeks to really hone in on what works best for me and for these drawings. As for today, I bought several sheets of brand new paper, and they are teasing me with there blankness. Can't have that, off I go!