Roz Wound Up

Focusing on Faces Continues

Left: Woman drawn from a 1920's photograph. Pentel Pocket Brush Pen with light washes of gouache. (Journal is 6.5 inches square.) Click on the image to view an enlargement.

Remember I mentioned collecting old photographs because the hairstyles interested me? Well the distortion in this drawing is in the woman's face (too wide) not her hairstyle. It was an amazing mass of curliness parted down the middle and twisted into self-supporting "cones." I love it. I wanted to talk to her about it. 

More about faces in the coming days. While I scurry to wrap up International Fake Journal Month short posts will reign.

Grab a friend and have a mini-portrait party. Sit still while your friend sketches you for 10 minutes and then switch. (Any longer than that becomes tedious. If the sketcher uses less time just switch early.)

Focusing on Faces: How My 2010 Fake Journal Is Influencing My Real Journal

Left: Pentel Pocket Brush Pen sketch in my last journal. Pages are about 6.5 inches square so the spread, tilted like this becomes 13 inches tall and 6.5 inches wide. Click on the image to view an enlargement.

This April my 2010 International Fake Journal Month journal is all about faces—albeit faces drawn with a Stabilo All, not a brush pen. 

This fascination with faces has spilled over into my regular journal and I find that late at night recently I've been sketching more faces, though this time using my beloved Pentel Pocket Brush Pen.

Dick usually goes to bed by the time I'm free to sketch, and that means I have to find another "person." Happily I have an old collection of 19th and early 20th century photographs. I pick these up when I go "antiquing" with friends. I was asked why I bought them once and it has got me thinking. Sometimes the person just speaks to me and I can't bear to leave them in the shop. Other times the hairstyles are too outrageous to pass over. Still other times there is something heart-breakingly poignant—like the photo-proofs from Germany, never picked up by the families. 

I've spent my whole life "reading" faces, and all of these photos tell me stories. And remind me of my own mortality.

And perhaps because of the odd hairstyles and different clothing styles I feel very free when drawing from these photos. I'm not concerned about getting an "exact" likeness. I'm just playing with the brush, experimenting with the line, and looking at spacial arrangements.

As for the latter, drawing across the gutter isn't always helpful for me. But distortion in the final image doesn't drain one bit of the fun.

Since I'm drawing faces every day in my fake journal it doesn't surprise me that faces are infiltrating my regular journal. In fact there are all sorts of changes taking place, that I'll write about in the next few weeks as time allows.

I know I would rather draw and paint birds, and I know I would rather be at the zoo or a farm somewhere sketching birds or animals, but I do find working on my face "vocabulary" of lines is a lot of fun. How little can I get away with to show dimension? Is shading necessary? Does shading improve things? How loose can a line be before it stops conveying a likeness? I love all these questions dancing around in my head as I make the brush fly. Oh, and then of course there is the lovely movement of the brush pen's tip across the paper, fat, thin, fat, thin, dry brush, and saturated.

The MCBA Visual Journal May 8 Sketch Out Is Coming!

Left: A llama sketch from my 2005 visual journal—made on a trip to the Shepherd's Festival. (That Daniel Smith Buff Titanium sure was useful on this day!) This is a journal I made with Gutenberg, 6 x 8 inch page size, approx. Click on the image to view and enlargement.

While there is no Monday night meeting for the MCBA Visual Journal Collective in May, there is a special Sketch Out at the Shepherd's Harvest Sheep and Wool Festival at the Washington County Fair Grounds in Lake Elmo, MN.

The Shepherd's Harvest Sheep and Wool Festival Sketch Out is on Saturday, May 8.

The festival is free (as is parking) and open on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mark your calendar and plan to come along and sketch.

Currently there are no firm plans for "meeting times," but I'm going to be there from 10:30 a.m. with a couple sketching friends. Look for us in the barns. (It's a small county fairgrounds so this isn't a daunting task!) If people show up and want to set up an "end time get together" we can arrange one on-site. (I'll probably be around until 3 p.m. or so.) Otherwise we can share our work as we bump into each other in the barns and buildings.

If you are intimidated by the thought of sketching in public, don't worry, come and join with those of us who do it all the time. It's great fun!

A bit of advice: whatever the weather is like when you get up in the morning dress in layers! It is always cold in the barns and most years it has been raining! Seeing the sheep, goats, llamas (the event runs at the same time and location as the Llama festival, with alpacas too), and of course bunny agility, makes it all worthwhile. This event is also great practice for the Minnesota State Fair.  

You might want to read my post "Minnesota State Fair Prep—#6: Dressing for Success" to get an idea of what might be appropriate—with the addition of warm layers and maybe some waterproof shoes (if it's raining) and some toe warmer inserts (if it's really cold—if it's damp and in the 50s outside the barns are going to be cold).

"Minnesota State Fair Prep—#7: Sketching Animals (or People) at the Fair" might also be useful if you haven't done this type of thing before—but keep in mind the crowds are much smaller and the people less intense. This is a great introductory event if you've never done this sort of thing before.

What you bring along for sketching will weigh you down by the end of the day, so you might also want to check out "Minnesota State Fair Prep—Part4: "Travel" Essentials for Sketchers."

If you are interested in coming and want to know if any meeting times have been set up at the last minute, send me an email on Friday, May 7, BEFORE 5 p.m., and I'll fill you in. Otherwise, just head out, sketch, and meet us by chance!

MCBA Visual Journal Collective: Report on April's Meeting—Drawing Botanicals

Above: Speaker Karen Engelbretson (far right near the white board) addresses the Collective. (Close up photos I took were too blurred, Sorry Karen!) Click on the image to view an enlargement.

Last Monday the MCBA Visual Journal Collective met to hear graphic designer and illustrator Karen Engelbretson speak about drawing botanicals. Twenty Collective members learned details of leaf and structure identification. There were many "ah ha" moments. Karen also showed samples of sketches from her sketchbook. She discussed her process of drawing in pencil, then making pen and ink renderings on mylar (based on the pencil sketches) and then scanning those ink illustrations so she could clean them up in Adobe Photoshop before they were printed.

Karen uses this process both for her design work for other clients and in her own letterpress printing buisness, Kiss Letterpress. For letterpress the digital files she cleans up in Adobe Photshop are output as negatives. Polymer plates are made from those negatives. She had on hand examples of her botanical illustrations in informational brochures about native plants and her letterpress hand-tinted prints and letterpress greeting cards.

Karen encouraged listeners to gather observational reference material at all times. This can be in the form of quick sketches and diagrams, notes about the plant and environment, and pressed plants. (Note: never take plants from private property, preserves, or state parks. Karen explained that you should also follow a simple rule of thumb when plant collecting—if you see 20 you may take one, if you see one you should leave it in place.)

Besides pressing picked plants Karen suggested that artists interested in capturing a plant's likeness take time to take a rubbing of a leaf to capture a record of the vein structure. Applying paint on the vein side of a leaf and pressing it into your journal will also accomplish this task if you don't have lightweight paper for rubbing.

Above: Collective members sketch from plants. From left Jean Shannon (back to us), Rachel Nusbaum, Beth Billstrom, Pam Burkley, and Karen Wallach. Click on the image to view an enlargement.

Armed with a new sense of looking for shapes and structure detail the group broke up into smaller groups after Karen's talk and did a series of short gesture drawings. Plants had been placed about the room on several tables. Then longer drawings of 5 to 10 minutes were accomplished by the group. Sadly after the gesture drawings were completed I was involved in group business. I did not have an opportunity to photography any of the drawings people did during the meeting. If you were present on April 19 and would like to share one of your plant drawings please send it to me so that I can post it.

All I can say is that people were full of excitement to get sketching. It's spring now in Minnesota and the trees are covered with blossoms. I find myself staring at tree branches all the time now—they tell you the architecture of a plant; the angles of branching are the same throughout the plant. Check it out. You might just end up drawing some botanical subjects!

Note: The MCBA Visual Journal Collective does not meet on the third Monday in May. We do have a special sketch out scheduled for May 8. Be sure to join us in June when we resume our regular third Monday of the month schedule!

Silkscreening Your Journal Sketches on Fabric at the July Meeting of the MCBA Visual Journal Collective

Ever feel a journal sketch calls out to you for life outside your journal? Do you have a hankering to put that image on fabric? On a T-shirt? On fabric you can turn into bookcloth for your next journal? Then join us on Monday, July 19 at a special meeting of the MCBA Visual Journal Collective to learn how.

Fabric artist Karen Wallach is an instructor at the Textile Center. She has volunteered to teach this adult workshop on how to use the Therma Fax for translating our journal sketches into screens we can use for printing on fabric (or paper).

This is a special meeting of the Collective and we will be meeting at the Textile Center. This meeting will start promptly at 6:45 p.m. Because we are renting space at the Textile Center to use their equipment there is a FEE FOR THIS MEETING. The fee breaks down depending on your level of involvement as described below.

For organizational purposes it would be helpful if you would RSVP with your selected level of participation to roz@tcinternet.net; make “Fabric Printing Session” the subject line of your email.

Full Participation: $15.00
This includes your portion of the studio rental, fabric to test print on, inks, and $8.50 for your screen (which is reusable). You will need to bring Duct Tape. You will also need waste paper to stop ink from seeping through the fabric—newsprint (unprinted), brown craft paper, or paper grocery bags are all viable options. You may wish to bring additional fabric of your choice to print on, as well as T-shirts, tote bags, fabric that you’ll turn into book cloth for future journals, even papers that you want to print on. 

A Case for Ergonomics and Some Paper Fun

Above: Three journals I made a week ago. The book on the left is made with Gutenberg for text paper. The scraps from making that book were used to make the narrow book on the far right. The center book uses Stonehenge from a new batch I'm testing. Click on the image to view an enlargement.

The other day I received a note from a reader asking why I wrote in a post "when I no longer make my own books." I wrote back explaining that bookbinding can take a toll on your body, especially your back and your hands. Today I wanted to urge all of you to consider the following when setting out on the adventure of binding your own books.

1. Set up your workspace so that your table is the right height (no excessive bending).

2. Set up your workspace so that you are not reaching wide distances to pick up heavy things (a sure way to tear your rotator cuff.)

3. Pace yourself. I have trouble with this one folks. I start a batch of books and then just get carried away and want to finish them all as soon as possible. I'm getting better. Please trust me on this. Break up your work flow into different activities such as tearing or cutting paper, then folding, then sewing, then casing in. Do all of these activities for short periods, taking breaks to rest your back and hands. Repetitive stress is lurking out there waiting to happen.

Upcoming Twin Cities Art Shows

Some cards have landed on my desk announcing exciting events you might want to add to your calendar.

This weekend (April 23-26) artist Terry Garrett is going to be selling his wonderful collage works at Masterframers in St. Paul's Lowertown as part of the art crawl there. He'll be there Friday from 6 to 10, Saturday noon to 8, and Sunday noon to 5. (Blog readers will also remember Terry Garrett's list of favorite books on Collage.)

Wilber H. "Chip" Schilling, who is the 2010 Minnesota Book Artist of the Year, is having an open studio at Traffic Zone on May 1 from 5 to 9 p.m. Twenty one other artists in Traffic Zone are joining in this open studio event so there will be a lot of variety for you to browse.

Over at Susan Hensel Gallery a new show by artist Leslie Sobel goes up on May 1. "Earth & Air" runs from May 1 through May 30, 2010. There is a May Day Potluck and Opening Reception (please bring a dish to share) from 6:30 to 9 p.m. and a meet the artist date on May 21 from 7 to 9 p.m.

Hand•Book Journal Company's Watercolor Sketchbook

Above: The brand-new and warped Hand•Book Journal Co. watercolor journal. Click on the image to view an enlargement.

A linen-weave type of bookcloth is my favorite. They tend to be hardy and long-wearing. They are always attractive. So when I was browsing at Wet Paint and saw the new Hand•Book Journal Company's WATERCOLOR sketchbook I was immediately enthralled—it has just such a bookcloth covering its boards.

I had to buy one and bring it home to test it. I think it was just under $30, but the price tag is long-lost (as I've had this book for over a month and haven't had a chance to write about it).

The book is 10.5 x 8.25 inches and is called the "watercolor grand portrait." (There are two landscape versions available—5.25 x 8.25 and 3.5 x 8.25 inches.) This book contains 60 pages. The signatures are sewn (though the stitching is loose). The pages are flush with the cover boards. Both the pages and covers have rounded corners. Still in its wrapper it was a delight to hold and anticipate.

Immediately upon unwrapping the cellophane which enveloped it, however, the boards started to warp horribly. I left it out overnight on my table and in the morning it was a deformed mess (and I live in a fairly balanced environment—neither humid nor dry).

In the above photo you can see the warping at the book's tail end, arching in a curve up from the spine and back down at the fore edge. Additionally, the covers bent outward along the fore edge at the head and tail. It was a MESS folks. (In the above photo the top pages are also warping—with no painting on them yet. Look down to the last page in the book and see a rippling wave—that's what happens when you paint on the paper.)

Lee Love and Jean Shannon: From Mashiko to Minnesota, Two

Left: Artwork by Lee Love and Jean Shannon (images copyright of the artists).

Lee Love and Jean Shannon have a joint show, From Mashiko to Minnesota, Two, which displays Lee's lovely and graceful pottery and Jean's whimsical and colorful woodblock prints. You will find additional examples of work from both these artists at Mashiko Potter in Minnesota.

Their show goes up at Raymond Avenue Gallery from April 23 to May 21, 2010.

The gallery is located at 761 Raymond Avenue at University Ave. in St. Paul. (651.644.9200)

Gallery hours: Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Special gallery hours on May 8 and 9: 12 to 5 p.m.

Artists' reception Friday, April 23 from 6 to 8 p.m.

About the show:

Lee and Jean lived in Japan for 10 and 8 years, respectively.  Lee studied pottery with a Japanese Living Treasure, Tatsuzo Shimaoka, and then built his own wood kiln in Mashiko, Japan.  He returned to Minnesota after receiving a Northern Clay Center residency grant and had his first solo show at Raymond Avenue Gallery in November, 2008.  Jean studied creative woodblock printmaking while teaching English and returned to the USA last spring.  This is their first show together since her return.

You can read additional information about Jean in my post on MCBA Visual Journal Collective: Jean Shannon and Japanese Folk Art Toys.

My Cunning Plan: Infiltrating the Journals and Sketchbooks of Others

Left: I make an appearance in Ken Avidor's journal, ©Ken Avidor.

The other day I was cleaning the studio—putting finished projects away, tidying up—and my mind was wandering. "What will be my next project?"

Then it came to me. I love it—it's something I've already started, and it will be on-going. I want to see how many journals of OTHER artists I can make an appearance in.

It helps of course if you have lots of friends who sketch. And then it helps if you hang out with them while you are all in sketching mode (e.g., sketch outs, coffee shops where you are chatting and sketching, road trips, and so on).

I typically draw my friends—if there are no birds handy, demanding my attention. Here's a sketch of my friend, landscape artist Diane Wesman. At the February 2010 meeting of the MCBA Visual Journal Collective Ken Avidor and I paired up and drew each other simultaneously. I think that marks my fifth appearance in one of Ken's journals. It's the first time I've sketched him; I'd better get busy.

Other friends often catch me unawares. Karen Engelbretson caught me sketching giant plants in the sunlight. (I'm actually 5' 3-1/2"—I grew after this sketch/post was made—it's odd yes, but a science fact: I have maintained my new height.) Danny Gregory sat behind me on a bench at the Bell Museum (I thought he was napping!) and sketched me sketching the sheep diorama. (You can see it on page 181 of his book, "Creative License.") We're artists, we're sketching out, we're sneaky. 

So I'm going to get more sneaky. I'm going to start standing in the view, in the line of vision. It will take a while, but slowly, page by page, I hope to infiltrate more and more journals—it helps to have a goal.

Previously I've often made friends who join me for a meal, sketch in my journal (this is actually a wonderful way to capture moments of your time together and have a sketch by that friend in your journal). Now I'm going to extend my push in the other direction, into their journals. I smile when I think of the confusion, years from now, when someone looks through seemingly unrelated journals and notices a large-nosed woman with braids who keeps popping up everywhere.

The thing is, I don't often let people take my photo—"I'm in the witness relocation program," I always say, just before I duck and dash away (another reason to wear comfortable shoes). And it's not like I don't have lots of friends who take great photographs, I do. (Remember, one of my mottoes is, "Always have a professional photographer on hand.") But since most of the photographers I know don't keep journals, and the goal is to get into as many journals a possible—well you get the idea.

Start drawing your friends more and start infiltrating their journals by positioning yourself somewhere close by. Sit very, very still (that tends to encourage artists) and say odd things every few minutes so they'll have something to jot down! 

No friends who sketch? Well then here's another reason to venture out and connect with folks who do sketch out. Your own world will be made richer by seeing it (and yourself) through their eyes.

I'll keep you posted on my new goal. A new life-list as it were.