Music Monday - Spectrum Live

I know it is no longer Monday, nor exactly music (although there is some appropriate accompaniment in the Gurney one), but I thought some overviews of the weekend would be a good thing to post while I'm processing all the pictures and promo material and information I acquired whilst in Kansas City last week...

Here is James Gurney's mini-film of his adventures (in typical humorous, smart, Gurney-form):

Here is a really good article which includes many a fabulous photo: Rockville Music Magazine. 

 And here is a photo from Irene Gallo (one of the few I know I'm actually in. Mostly I just took them): 

(It's me, and Greg Manchess and Arkady Roytman fairly drooling over some Eric Fortune originals. Yum!)

So MUCH yummy, arty goodness!  Much more to come.

IMC Report - Part II

One of the highlights of our week was the number of fabulous lectures we got to listen to -

 -2 or more a day! from both guests and full-time faculty alike that we all eagerly piled into the lecture hall  to hear...

Guest lecture - Peter de Seve - one of the funniest people I have ever heard (seen) speak!

Mo Willems - who taught us to draw his pigeon, complete with sound effects.

The always engaging and all-knowledgeable James Gurney gave us *2* mind-blowingly informative lectures.

Scott Allie (working under the watchful eye of Greg Manchess' Conan) gave a most informative comic lecture.

The incredibly prolific Jeff Mack spent the week with us -

(He posted a number of his paintings for us to oogle....)

(Me, Jeff and John Deininger - us kid-book illustrators gotta hang together....)

Our other week-long children's illustrator guest, the drolly hilarious Mr. Adam Rex (whose books I adore).

We got to take a gander at his deliciously awesome sketchbook. Man! that guy can draw adorably appealing characters. I was totally drooling. (Mr. Rex informs me that that is probably because I have cancer of the salivary gland. Just like that Beastie Boys guy has..)

We got to see a bunch of process for this piece (here in sketch stage..)

(and here painting on it!)

(initial color laid in. SUCH cute characters! Can I be him when I grow up?)

There are more lectures that I shall cover - but the final one was given by the lovely and omnipresent, all-influencial Irene Gallo (in her 'office' on the studio floor...)(and who is currently in Iceland. I am feeling jealous).

More reports, anon.

WIP Wednesday - homework -

Our latest composition assignment is to compose some abstract vignettes around some figure drawing...

I got more geometrical than I meant to, but it kind of just evolved... going to have to try and be more seriously abstract the next go around..

If you are interested, here are some awesome entries on vignetting via the Gurney Journey blog: see here, here and here...

Sunday Sketching -

I think I may never draw adults at church again. Not when there are such cute little bodies playing in the pew next to us, or looking back at us from a few rows up ahead...

I want to get better at remembering the micro-poses they assume (since they don't stay still for more than 2 seconds at a time). James Gurney (who still has the best art blog on the planet - even when he's out of the country, like now) had a thoroughly thought-provoking post on what he calls 'The Flash-Glance Method' - where you look at your subject and then quickly close your eyes. The last pose they were in should 'hover' on the insides of your eyelids for a couple of seconds. Hopefully long enough to get some more short-term memory sketching captured. JG's sketches using this technique are fabulous. My memory muscles need more working-out!

Another Fan Girl Night -

I got to spend a very wonderful hour or two tonight at a book event -

- featuring the charming, witty, incredibly talented and personable James Gurney. (If you haven't discovered it yet, he authors the best artblog out there! Somehow he finds time to make an entry daily - alternating between reports of his current book tour and pretty amazing art-related entries. Inspiring AND informative. Always worth a read).

He is on a book tour promoting his latest addition to the Dinotopia universe: "Journey to Chandara" - which I think is the most impressive and beautifully executed of his Dinotopia books. I am excited to own a now-signed copy! :-)

The talented Mr. Gurney not only gave a delightful talk about his new book and process, but allowed a Q & A and topped his presentation with 'live drawing'. Most were clever pen-play.

I took 'notes' - after a fashion. (the woman behind me mused if we were going to have a test when she saw me with my sketch book).

People who make books really are some of the nicest folks out there. And in this case - one of the most talented that I've had the honor to meet.

In search of those elusive features...

This past year I've been drawing and painting many, many, tiny, mostly-female faces. It can be frustrating trying to place tiny features in *just the right place* on bumpy, cold-press paper. So, I've been looking at how other artists have distilled features down to their minimal essence on small scale heads...

One of my childhood favorites being John R. Neill and all of his lovely pen-and-ink drawings of the denizens of Oz. From tiny, dotty shapes indicating eyes and nostrils to much more detailed features on larger faces.

In fact, his inking and characterizations are so beautiful I couldn't help but continue to draw them to get a feel for his shapes and strokes...

Next, is Carl Larrson and Jessie Wilcox Smith. (Who else would you suggest?)

An amazing blog I've just discovered is Gurney Journey, by James Gurney of the gorgeous Dinotopia. He has incredibly informative posts about the whole business of art and illustration. It is fascinating to see 'behind the scenes' of his process. He has an impressive post of penciled faces here. I'm debating whether to be motivated or daunted.

Back to it...