Here are some recent sketches I've done here in L.A. I've found that my sketchbook has two main purposes these days; compositional studies and ideas, or drawings that capture very current personal emotions or thoughts.
This is the sketch for my brother, Michael's CD release show's poster I designed. I have since done a color/final version using one of my all-time favorite mediums, marker, which I will be posting soon as well.
This is a small drawing I did of the trees that have recently made their way into my paintings. I like the idea of nature growing in unnatural ways...thus the trees sprouting cityscapes. I'm still figuring out the symbolism of them...
This drawing reminds me of a similar sketch I did while in Greece. This I drew after a night visit to the Griffith Observatory here in L.A.. The drawing in Greece I did which was similar was done after I saw the lights of Athens one night from a mountian. So both were inspired by different cities but the same stars. Now looking at this drawing, while the girl seems hopeful, the city below seems to creep up foreboadingly
This reminds me of many sketches filling my books of the past. I think I used to draw in a similar more simplistic and direct style in highschool. Sometimes I just have to draw soemthing quick to capture a fleeting idea or memory. I drew this after a day at Manhatten beach.
This is a quick sketch for a collaborative installation project I'm working on.
Some compositional sketches for recent and future paintings. This is how all my paintings start out- phase one of creation :)
Finally- I finished one of the recent paintings I've been working on :) Currently I have 5 works in progress! This one is 9" x 11", crayon and oil on canvas and called "Lost Connection". I actually started it a few months ago, and began working on it again recently. I want to go back to integrating more of my symbolic makeup designs and jewelry into my paintings, so this was a start to that idea. I was looking at this piece today, trying to think of a name and ended up figuring out what was going on symbolically in the piece. My art has always worked this way for me...I create entirely driven on instinct and feeling. Then once I live with the painting for a while, I figure out what it was really all about and why I made it the way I did. For this one, when I was painting it I sort of felt like her necklace was a tight collar/choker, then when looking at it today, I saw that it sort of extends and attaches her to the unknown. Then there is the city...very far in the distance. Thus "Lost Connection" is what I named my painting, but read into it what you like :)
This is a piece I started the other night working at a friend's studio and listening to the Smiths and Siouxsie :) So far, it's just the crayon sketch. I had to use a lighter-colored masonite board I got from the home depot in Hollywood. Apparently the state of California does not have dark masonite and it's also against the law for them to cut it for me too....very strange! So that has hindered my masonite works, while at RISD I was able to create life-size ( or any size) drawings on it. I admit I miss the RISD store! Anyways- I did this, looked at it, and I now see a theme in all my recent works; I think this is my "lost girls" period...heh.
