Artistic Influnces Part 1

Artist contrary to popular opinion do not live in a vacuum of artistic consciousnesses in which the outside world and especially other artist have no barring on the aesthetic direction of that artist work. If fact we beg barrow and steal from almost every available recourse we can. In light of this statement I though I would show you some of the artist I have been looking at lately to led direction to my work.

Batting First is : Marcel DzamaNext Up is: Josh Keyes
On Deck: More to come

Confession

So something New has recently happened to me. It kind of came as a shock because I spent 5 years of art school avoiding the stuff like the plague I actually hated it. But I have a confession. I love Typography! Don't know how it that came about but I love had drawing letters. I only wish I knew more about how to use it in my art. So for the moment its use is in the very ruff experimental stage for me.

Currently I have been doing some drawings of 80's pop tv and movie icons. I thought I would use one of them(Magnum PI) as an example of how I move from one end of the drawing process to the other. First I make childish scribbles that are so small and inconclusive that only i really have any idea what they are. There more like reminders to me to find my way back to the image i have decided on in my head.

Next we graduate to the ruff pencil sketch but in reality this is more like a leap from the start of the k-12 system, to the end without passing Go or collecting my 200 dollars. Before this I do the all important research stage in which I spend hours on the internet looking for a bizzilion photos I will only use about a third of.
From this I Jump right in to possibly the most meticulous and terrifying part of the whole ordeal. I take the smallest micron produced to my knowledge the .20mm and make pretty much all the decisions permanent. When I freeze up on lets say how to ink the hand or the face I usually take that time to work on mindless things like drawing grass or gravel. Eventually it looks something like this.
Finally, if I haven't by this point decided the drawing is going to be complete crap. I then take a much lager micron (.25mm) and repeatedly draw over and over the frist pen lines untill I build up the line weight I want. And then this happens.

The End.

Projects I have been workin on.

I'm finally getting my self inline. This is the start of what should be a weekly update on the current progress of my work and my influences. To start out since I have been a major slacker I will cover some of the more recent projects I have done or am working on.

The World Vision Benefit show was a massive success for a first time endeavor. All the 40 pieces in the show sold. And we raised $1000 that will all go to World Vision. These are a couple of the drawings I had in the show.


Currently I am working on several projects. I have a zine in the works that is a catalog of styles of facial hair in the form of trading cards. I know that sounds ridiculous but bear with me. You'll want one when its finished I guarantee. Here is a small sample of one of the drawings for the zine, called the Reverse Goatee.
Finally I have been doing some prep work for I show I would like to do in the Late Spring early summer-ish, hopefully. I can tell you that it will involve more drawings and sock puppets. What show doesn't.

Next week I plan on giving people a little glimpse into the process of the way I work. I know none of you care. But I'm doing it anyway so deal.

Well its been a couple of months. Things have changed quite a bit. I recently started living communally with 6 other people. Sharing food, a lot of our possessions and are intentionally being conscientious of our finances as well as the way we interact with our neighborhood. The world vision art benefit show is now up in Calder. Stop by anytime before Thursday at 7 to bid on work. They will all be around $20. I will post the images of my work in the next few days.

Lately I have been working on a community art project for the Grand Rapids African Community Center. Myself and several Grand Valley Students are currently priming the out side of the building, preparing to paint a mural on one of the buildings walls. If you ever want to check out the progress stop by its on Wealthy street by Diamond in the back of the building that holds the soon to be Brick Road Pizza.

p.s. if you get the chance check out the band Noah and the Whale, I think they are pretty good.

Testing Testing

So I have been working in kind of a new driection as of late on my art. Testing the waters as it were. Here is an example of it in progress. You may have to look closely at it. Also the swirly peach colored lines didn't show up in the scan which is to bad.
A couple other things for you to look at. First my new favorite band Yeasayer has a beautiful music video you should check out. Second if you get a chance read an issue of Blanket Magazine its a well done free web mag.

New Drawing

This is a drawing I did today for a benefit art show I am helping my friend Chris Mrozik with. The proceeds from the show (which will be in early September) will go to World Vision, find out more at http://www.worldvision.org/

Music and other things

As any one who knows me well will acknowledge "Jason is kind of obsessed with music." Its true I listen and play attention to what is going on in music more than most. As an artist I like to support other artist and musicians, that influence me, in what ever way possible. So to start, I encourage you to take a look at this band I know of called Anathallo. They have a new album that will be coming out in the not to distant future.

First Post: so of course it will be about crows.

This Ted Talk by Joshua Klein is amazing and terrifying........... and of course sweet.



P.S. Website Update soon.