The Good, Bad and the Ugly

I feel like I have either written about this topic, or I have wanted to in the past, but never got around to it. But I believe there is a lot of value in creating bad art.  I feel I learn more from a piece that went wrong than one that turned out well. And part of us having the desire to create is usually in search of discovery... a new technique, a new style, enlightenment on problems we are trying to deal with, or discovering a new passion that engulfs us in the need to be creative.

Lately, it seems I have been having this conversation more and more with my students. Being a high school art teacher has it benefits.  It makes me reflect on my own personal beliefs in my own art and what I am teaching my students.  Sometimes they are not exactly the same thing.  I have noticed my teaching style and beliefs have changed since my journey has begun.  I believed that it was only about create great pieces of work, or building up to that.  Within the last few years, I have begun to transition on the importance of play, experimenting with materials, and just drawing no matter what it looks like. 

Today, one of my AP studio art students asked me about my education background and how did I end up teaching.  She began telling me that she doesn't think she is a good artist and that she can't see herself drawing her whole like.  I explained to her that her feelings are of a true artist.  I don't think any of us ever think we are good enough.  It really takes a lot of effort for us to stand back, look at our work, and notice what we have done right.  I told her that I feel as though she has found that medium, or technique, or subject matter that lights that fire of creativity within her and drives her to mass produce.  I don't think she'll never draw her whole life.  She has lots of talent.  This might not become a career for her, but I think she will continue with it as a hobby.  I shared with her how at one point in my life I felt unbelievably lost in life, where I didn't even recognize myself in the mirror.  I told her it didn't feel sad. It felt empty.  Art saved me from that feeling.  I began creating and creating more.  I explained to her that I have many pieces of work that are never finished, or turn out really bad.  I just keep producing work.  I have an openness to ideas and trying new techniques, which allows me to just play with my work.  If I stop creating for 2 weeks that empty feeling comes back and I begin to feel lost again.  But now that I've been creating more and more work, I have fewer pieces that turn out absolutely horrible. 

I know she doubts herself and as we get closer to the AP portfolio due date I continually try to get her motivated.  I told her that she needs to just keep producing work, collecting images of animals, or things she likes, and to just trust her and create.  And in that mass production of work, there will be art work that is horrible, ugly, okay, and absolutely beautiful!  But it takes making a lot of work before the beautiful begins to show up more than the ugly work. 

Here are a few unfinished or unhappy artwork that now occupy parts of my home until I decide to finish them or throw them out.

Happy Valentine's Day

Just a quick drawing for today!  Happy Valentine's Day from all of the Mizzle to you!!!!

Miniature March

The La Habra Art Gallery is going to have a Small and Miniature Art Show during the month of March.  I've been excited about the prospects of this show.  This was a just an idea in case one of our scheduled shows fell through.  It's been that kind of experience working with the La Habra Art Association.  I think things are starting to come together though.  Each time we meet, there is a bit of energy and excitement with small new ideas.  I have had this set of blank nesting dolls for a few years.  I have always wanted to paint on them, but I never have. I think part of it was fear of messing them up and having to coat the entire surface.  I really love seeing the grain of the wood.

Outer most nesting doll

So I took the leap of faith and began drawing on them with pencil.  I ran into the problem of smudging the pencil as I drew around the form.  I decided to ink the lines with my rapidograph, which some areas bled a little.  I should have prepped each surface with a thinned layer of gel medium.  That would have solved all of my problems.  Regardless of the small obstacles, I am happy with how they are turning out.  At some point, I have to decide whether to color or not to color. 

2nd nesting doll, next level down

A Bunch of Malarky

Next month, the OC illustrators will have a group exhibit at the La Habra Art Gallery.  We have chosen the theme "A bunch of malarky."  It should be a fun and exciting show.  There is so much talent in the group. I have been working on a few pieces.  I'm still creating more pieces, but I've been playing with my Mermizzle theme.  Elsie has created a lot of inspiration and motivation in me. 


 This was the first piece I began working on immediately after creating Elsie the Mermizzle.  I thought it would be fun for my Mizzles to discover an entirely different world from theirs up in the tree. I used Prismacolor Watercolor Pencils, Inktense pencils, and a 3x0 rapidograph pen.



Whoa!

This second piece was inspired by my need to play with paper collage.  I like the paper collage pieces I create because I go in with no plan and never know what it will look like when I'm done.  The characters and sandcastle are cut out of watercolor paper and collaged on, but I used watercolor pencils to color them in.

Day at the Beach

Lastly, I wanted to create a simple image with very little background.  Here I used mostly Prismacolor watercolor pencils and a 3x0 rapidograph pen on watercolor paper.

Hello Friend

Which one is your favorite?

Influences- Remedios Varo

Tomorrow, I will be introducing the final drawing for my beginning students.  It is a surrealistic city in one or two-point perspective.  I've spent a good amount of the morning thumbing through my favorite surrealism books, scanning, and printing photos for inspiration.  Of course, it led me to one of my absolute favorite female surreal artists, Remedios Varo.  I found her by accident when I was in college working on my single subject credential.  There is something magical about her work.  I look at it waiting for the hauntingly sad characters to move and interact with me.  I am captured by the textures, colors, and the transparency of the figures that seem to move with such ghostly grace. 

Here are some of my favorites:

 

I've come to realize that I'm attracted to her work that is about creation or building.  Perhaps it is because I have a desire to create or build? 

 

Brown Little Bird, Where Did You Come From?

This morning was a surprise I did not expect. I went into my classroom and found a piece of paper on the floor with bird poop on it.  With a very confused look on my face, I picked up the paper and threw it away.  I proceeded to my routine: turn on computer, put lunch away, and put my rolling cart away.  Then I went to the office.  When I came back, I opened my storage room and found a tiny brown bird flying around.  I stood there in absolute shock.  First thought: How on earth did it get in there?  I couldn't figure it out.  Second thought: How do I get it out of the small room inside my classroom?  Then, how do I get it out of my classroom?  I remembered I had an Audubon toy bird that makes an actual bird noise.  I squatted in front of the room and made bird noises with the toy trying my best to entice the bird out of my storage closet.  After a few minutes, I gave up.  I walked to the office to find someone who might help.  As I walked back to my room, I found my friend and made him come with me to my room, where we found the little brown bird sitting on a stool.  I rushed to my storage room and shut the door, while my friend tried to sweep the bird out.  It didn't work.  The bird flew somewhere and we couldn't figure out where.  So, I went in search of more help.  One of my fellow art teachers came in my room in search of the bird.  We saw "A" bird outside of my room.  We think that might have been him or her.  As we searched my room, we found tiny little spots of bird poop on desks throughout my room.  I think the little guy had been locked in my classroom all weekend! The poor thing!  It was a little disgusting, but I laughed so hard this morning! I felt a little bad as I discovered the bird had pooped on a few student drawings.  The good thing is that my students were able to laugh with me about the whole scenario.

I still have no idea how it got into my classroom.  I wonder what I'll find next in my classroom.  I'm a little scared to discover what that might be.

Works in progress

I have to say that I have been having a lot of fun drawing my new Mermizzle!  It is nice to regain my drawing mojo.  It has been feeling a bit forced... until now.

I'm having a great time introducing Elise Mermizzle to my regular cast of characters. There seems to be a natural flow in drawing her.  It feels as though I have been drawing her for years.

I have been slowly making more Mermizzles.  I'm finding they are a lot easier and faster to make than a regular Mizzle. Here are a few that are in progress:

 In addition, I have been working on some new pieces as possibilities for our OC Illustrator group show next month.

I'm falling in love with Larry in the bubble created by the Mermizzle.  It isn't finished, but I am pleasantly surprised by it.

This second one is a paper collage that I began yesterday.  The Mizzles will be making an appearance in this soon. Stay tuned to see how these projects turn out!