Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days
Another attempt at “painting” in Photoshop. My yesterday’s claim that “I’ve enjoyed it” is being edited to -“Oh my gosh this was so tedious it just about killed me.”
I must remind myself that a challenge is good for me. I’m certain of it…
This is bound to get easier with practice though, right?
Original 8.5″ x 11″ Ink on paper
Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days
Lately I’ve been uploading my original drawings and messing around with them in Photoshop. I don’t typically plant myself in front of a computer when making art. As a matter of fact, it is the farthest thing from how I prefer to create. So I’m not sure why I thought this sounded like a good idea – perhaps it was my subconscious telling me I better figure out an art that can be done in our tiny new RV space. At any rate, this has been a new adventure for me and I’m shocked to admit I’ve enjoyed it.
The process does take MUCH longer as I am not yet a whiz when it comes to drawing with a stylus and tablet (I’ve got a little Wacom). It takes some getting used to – drawing onto something whose marks are only seen on the computer screen. But because the new skill has yet to come easy for me, it pushes my brain a bit – which is always good. The other super thing about creating this way is that Photoshop allows me to create layers. This means that once I have finished up the painting – putting each color on a separate layer, I am basically magic in my ability to easily change those colors as I like.
This is probably as close to embracing technology when making art as I get.
3 x 5″ Original Drawing
Scanned original “painted” in Photoshop
Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days
Eyes framed by dark fur
Prompting thoughts of Zoro
Until they are exposed
Mischievous nature
Bandit identity
Original 3 x 5″, Ink on paper
13 x 23.25″ Beet pigment and ink on paper
I have heard many a folk proclaim that beets taste like dirt. Nonsense, I say. I love the beet – pickled, raw, roasted – doesn’t matter to me, it’s all delicious. So after using the slices of beets in day 163’s project, I decided I’d boil them along with the whole beets we had, to make something delicious. As the water turned a lovely shade of purple, I realized I could use it for another beet project.
Using a turkey baster, I sucked up the juice and squirted it onto a 13 x 23.25″ sheet of paper. Sadly, the results were hardly noticeable. In the pot, the liquid appeared rich in color, but upon squirting I realized it was really watered down and made a pathetic stain that you had to strain your eyes to see. Now though, I was fixated on creating a beet piece and my excitement for eating the veggies disappeared. I grabbed one of the newly cooked beets and began drawing with it on the paper as though it were sidewalk chalk. As I did so, I realized the pigment was pulling out the original squirted on design. I rubbed more of the deep purple vegetable over where I had originally squirted the water, pulling out the underlying lines and shapes that now appeared almost raised (see below).
From here, I grabbed my trusty pens and started drawing. I outlined the shapes and some of the bits of vegetable that had stuck to the paper. I then began incorporating patterns of lines. As I was building the design up, it really looked like human innards. Intestines here, a heart there – but as I continued to add flowing lines, the innards became less apparent (although I still see them) and the flowing paths became stronger.
I am quite fond of the piece. It has depth and movement and I am fascinated with the process of creating in this manner – where one step directs the next.
As a side note, I had few beets left over that I did get to enjoy in a yummy salad.
You can buy this fun piece if you’d like!
Color “painted” in Photoshop using nifty tablet and stylus. Original drawing below.
270 degrees
Of flexibility
14 bony steps
Connecting body to head
Twitches of movement
Magically seeing in every direction
Original 3 x 5″ Ink on paper
11 x 14″ Beet juice, ink, and cut paper
Using natural pigments to create work is something I’ve experimented with in the past. Pomegranates, blueberries, raspberries – they all have a lovely color that stains paper really nicely. So yesterday, after a friend had left some beets for us, I was excited to create a piece using beet pigment.
Inspired by day 163’s piece in which I created drawings by finding pattern in the paint, I hoped to explore a similar path for yesterday’s work. I started the process by pushing beets onto paper in order to create the initial design. From there, the stains would act as the base on which my ink drawing would build from – working around the stains on the paper. Once the drawing was created, I cut the paper, working within and around the ink drawing. One step in the process therefore directed the next step.
The result is a delicate 11 x 14″ piece whose sequential steps were integral to it’s development as a finished work. On top of that I really like the combination of soft color, hard edged cuts and organic lines.
13.5 x 7.5 (including frame) Bottle caps, ink and paint
Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days
We had been collecting bottle caps for some friends of ours to use. They had planned to decorate costumes with them for an event that takes place here in September, but as the date of the event rolled around, they ended up not needing them. Upon realizing I had a collection of bottle caps to use to my liking, I brainstormed ways to incorporate them into one of my daily works. This piece is what I came up with.
I started with the caps and a bad framed art print that I had picked up from a box labeled “free” in the hood one day. After gluing each cap onto the glass, I painted a layer of white over each. Initially I created whatever design I felt like, but as I looked more closely, I noticed that my paint application had created interesting patterns. I immediately switched gears and began to create designs based on the natural patterns in the paint.
While I think I would leave more of the bottle caps showing next round, I do really enjoy this piece. The repetition of the caps draws me in and because each design is unique I want to continue to look at it. I think the misshaped bottle caps packed tightly together within a frame that is a bit gaudy and 80s looking is odd and humorous. I definitely want to create another one of these, which means I will have to drink more beer. Oh the sacrifices I make for the sake of art.
If you like this piece, you can buy it!
~3 x 5″ Ink on paper
Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days
This weekend was one filled with quite a few art firsts. As some of you may recall I showed my work at a local farm’s harvest festival (first #1) on Saturday and Sunday. The boyfriend and I got to the festival around 8 am Saturday morning and begun hanging my work in a small, dilapidated old barn that had a ton of character (first #2). The barn’s roof had blown off in areas exposing the sky above, and the doors were long gone. Thick straw covered most of the floor creating a soft cushiony blanket below. It really was a pretty neat space.
The barn. The side you see here had all sorts of kid’s art stuff set up.
After hanging a few paintings and setting up a small display table on the squishy straw, the boyfriend headed back into town to do some work and I proceeded to try to stay warm in the 30 degree weather. As a few flakes of snow fell through the open roof, I realized I had never before shown my work in such cold temperatures (first #3). All day temps hovered around 35 and the wind blew. The few folks who were at the event huddled around metal fire filled trash cans, turning their bodies rotisserie style in order to stay warm. Needless to say, Saturday was not the best or busiest day for me or any of the other vendors, for that matter. They shut down the event early and I spent the rest of the night at home trying to warm up.
My space
Luckily though, Sunday was gorgeous! The day was sunny and crisp and folks were out and about. I met a lot of great people, had some friends come out to visit and really enjoyed myself. After wrapping up, one of my friends came back and stayed with us, making us dinner and then she and I did some drawing. Long Neck Lady was one of the pieces I worked on. All and all – a lovely day!
Loved the crazy crown of feathers on the heads of these chickens!
5 x 7″ Ink and envelope on paper
Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days
It started on an envelope flap, a small little drawing
And quickly built and grew
Organic leaves and pieces
Hanging like racks of clothes
Dry cleaning that moves with a push of a button
8 x 10″ ink on paper
Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days
A few days ago I sat down and did a drawing of my shoe. It was nothing spectacular, but I like to think studies of live and in person items are always good for the eye and mind. Yesterday I pulled out the pencil drawing and decided it might be fun to use some of the lines to start a new, abstracted piece.
As I began working on it, a strange, robotic, headless woman with wings began to appear. This was not the final product I hoped for, so I continued adding lines and turning the paper in order to create this abstracted landscape. It’s funny though, I can still see the woman so clearly. Once your brain has decided something is there, that seems to be all it can see.
Micah Richardson 