Open (Guide)

As this may be my last work of the semester, it gained that additional weight of significance in my mind. I questioned what medium I would use, what I would choose to show, and how I might weave in motifs from my previous works. However, I got to a point where I had to throw that out the window and just do something. I realize that with many of my pieces, I start working tentatively - thinking that I might switch to something else. Then I hit a point of commitment when I realize "ok, this is what I'm doing, no matter how bad it gets." That point usually hits earlier than I expect, and after it I can have fun with what I'm doing. This piece was fun to work on. It is loosely based on a real place and experience in a waterfall in Big Sur, but exaggerated and altered. Actually, in some ways the real waterfall was more grand than I have depicted. There was a great deal of exploration in the dynamics of watercolor paint, of which I am still a novice. 

I feel this is a good note to end the semester with. Considering my experience with this class as a whole, I am very happy that I have rekindled my artistic thinking. Not that the fire ever died - but it needed some air. Another benefit is that I now have some art supplies and know where to get more, so I can continue to work on art whenever I want to have that mental escape or for whatever other reason. I want to thank Tony and everyone in the class for being a part of this experience for me.  

"Bridge (trust)"

When I used to draw as a young child, I liked to fill the entire page with doodles that were all related to some central idea happening. For example, I'd draw a large monster attacking a city and detail all of the little responses to this tragedy. That idea was in my head as I moved into the creation of my work for this week. 

I spent the long weekend out in Anza-Borrego Desert (east of San Diego) with my Ecosystems of California class. I was utterly baffled by the landscape there. It is unlike anything else I have seen in person. The land is flat all around, but interrupted by grand, rocky mountains on three sides. The scraggles of vegetation are widely dispersed - they simply can't grow closer together due to the lack of water and nutrients. The air is dry and hot, yet free. With everything else going on in the world, this was the perfect place for me to be this weekend. 

This drawing was meant to display a sort of whimsicalness that I remember from my childhood drawings. I also could not help but to depict this grandeur of the desert ecosystem. Sunrises and sunsets are particularly stunning. I am not sure which I am trying to show exactly. The building and the car are not at all necessary. They came from the desire to make a whimsical compilation, and they give a sense of "grounding" to reality. I had thought of drawing a human figure, but decided this would be catastrophic and likely make the piece too cheesy. I like the effects of the colored pencil I was able to create. It would be fun to explore this further in future works. 

Now it's time to get back to reality. 

Love (change)

I can not write much now, but I will note that the work at the top addresses my concerns about climate change on this planet that I love. I find this particularly appropriate because we are meeting on Election Day, and climate change is the most important issue to me which will be affected by the results. 

I took the picture at the bottom at Ano Nuevo last Friday and found it caught my eye and may be somehow related.