Monday, December 24, 2012

Minotaur Drawing Final


This is the final version of the Minotaur drawing, poem and all.  I recommend clicking on the image to view a larger version.

This drawing is a good example of how I can tweak little things for weeks, but in the end I have to just give it up look forward to the next piece.

Speaking of the next piece-- I don't really have anything in mind right now.  Its been a while since I have made an actual sculpture, and I would like to start something new.  For now though, I am going to work on finishing the Artist Statement and getting in the reference letters.

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Minotaur Drawing 2


Newer version of the Minotaur drawing.

Monday, December 17, 2012

Minotaur Poem

Here is the poem that goes along with the Minotaur drawing.  Its supposed to be a little silly, but also have a serious side at the same time.

The Minotaur paced round and round
his high-walled hallway home.  
Endless walls to wander past,
and endless halls to roam.  

Now anger is not the natural state
of any living creature,
And so his eyes, once red with blood,
had earned a gentle feature.  

And so his footfalls, though once they fell
with murderous intent,
so now a much more pleasant purpose
to the self-same stones present.

As caretaker and as guardian,
he wanders all alone,
trimming moss from countless crags
and cleaning blood from bone.  

And so in endless tedium
his hours turned to years
longing for a human voice
to warm his lonely ears.

But then, what’s this?
A single, solitary, solid string, strung taut!
“Another creature wanders here,”
The colossal fauna thought.

“But why the string?
And who, and what, and how?”
So on his bestial countenance,
a furrowed bestial brow.

“The string leads to the exit,
The creature seeks to leave.
Such a pleasant lifting of my smothering ennui.
Such a pleasant lifting, but such a short reprieve.”

Just then, clear strand, soft grace
a spider stalked it prey.
And so the beast-man understood,
that he would die that day.

And yet, to see another face,
even one of hate,
would be enough to cause this beast
to calmly meet his fate.

So cold and still these years had been.
So heavy was his chest.
The Minotaur stood up at last
and ran to meet his guest.

Friday, December 14, 2012

Minotaur Drawing 1


Here is the minotaur drawing in an early stage.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Artist Statement

My major art project right now is a drawing of a minotaur.  I even wrote a poem to go along with it. Before I post anything about it, though, I want to do a post about my Artist Statement.

I've put a lot of work into the Artist Statement so far, but there is still more to do.  As it turns out, the Fireside Manifesto thing was a helpful exercise in getting my thoughts together.  I still had to do a few preliminary writing sessions to find a theme that I liked, though. 

I went to Starbucks a few weeks ago and wrote out the first real draft.  After revising it myself I sent it to my good friend Jenevieve, who did a great job of giving me suggestions.  I want to have a another good draft done this week to send to anyone who will look at it. 

The goal is to be artful, but not overblown; conceptual, but logical and deliberate. I also tried to be original by bringing Literature into the discussion. I'm hoping that the statement will be interesting for the evaluators to read, after looking at so many essays from undergraduate art majors. I'm still deliberating on whether to post the whole statement on this blog or not.

I just started reading a book called "Art and Fear" by David Bayles and Ted Orland.  Its about what goes into the artistic process.  Its really interesting, and I think that I may have to finish it before finishing the Artist Statement.  It was recommended to me from a few sources. From what I have read so far, I would recommend it myself.

*Edit: added author's names.

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Apple Turkeys, 2012



Its apple turkey time again!  The first one is mine-- I thought I would try to make a turkey without using any candy this year.  Pushing the boundaries.  The second one is Noah's-- it is a tank-turkey.  The gummy-bear is driving it, and he is shooting something out of one of the cannons. The third one is a crab-turkey by Jeremy.  its got gummy-bear eyes-stalks, and it is holding a worms in its claws.