First few weeks

Hi friends,

So I've spent these first few weeks doing mostly art-related things that aren't actually making art. I've spent the bulk of class time in the wood shop knocking together some stretcher bars, a process that always takes at least twice as long as I think it will.

Good news, though! They are done! BAM

Before I even got to that, though, I was able to spend some time drawing. Below are some images that I showed in class already. They're all pencil and ink on paper. They're similar to drawings I've been doing in my sketchbook for a while, but now they're out in the real world. I find that drawing on loose paper is significantly scarier than drawing in a sketchbook. If I draw in a book, I can shut it and it disappears, and there's some safety in knowing that I can do that.

I also was able to go to the open figure drawing studio on Saturday and I made a few drawings that aren't too terrible. (Though the photographs of them are, sorry) I'm going to try to continue to go to the saturday sessions. I think it will be important for me to keep up with figure drawing . . . And maybe next time I will bring more materials so the drawings aren't so boring. These are in serious need of loosening up! But I do like the sort of dancing/ vibrating line that some of them have.

So! The next thing is to start painting! Which I can now do at any time since the canvases are stretched and primed and smell like moldy gesso. So hopefully by next week I can have some images posted. . . Oh, I need to get an easel. blaahh

Oh, ok, so um time keeping. So, I haven't really gotten into the habit of timing myself doing these things . . . And honestly it depresses me when I think about how much time I spend gessoing canvas . . . But here's a rough estimate of the time I spent doing these things.

Drawing in studio: 4-5 hours

Figure Drawing: 3 hours (this is easy because that's how long the session lasts . . .)

Making stretcher bars: 6 hours (also easy because I spent exactly 2 class periods doing this)

Stretching/ gessoing/ sanding canvas: 6 hours. (Does it really take me that long? Absurd, right? but I'm pretty sure it does, which is totally depressing)

Scanning/ photographing/ photoshopping the above images: 1 1/2 hours.

=

Not enough time making art!