Creative Path Studio: Trish Roque’s blog, studio, and musings on living a purpose-filled life.

So what do I do? I draw.

And even though I’m the least exciting person I know to model for me, I’m also the most accessible at ANY given moment. So, yes, I did another mirror image.

Besides, I really needed to update the image I had of me on the “About” page of this site. That drawing was done over a year ago, and my hair has grown quite a bit since then. Anyway, that’s the new drawing there, to the right.

It’s always an interesting exercise trying to get a likeness of a face that you think you know really well. I don’t know if I succeeded or not. Regardless, it’s what’s on my “About” page and my LinkedIn account.

The itchy fingers are still pretty itchy though. I’m hoping that attending the drawing groups at my local community college will soothe the fingers. They certainly can’t get all their satisfaction from these keyboards which seem to hog up most of their time. But I’ve already written about that in a previous post. I’ve signed up for portrait and figure drawing sessions. I will be posting those drawings on the site so, stay tuned.

In the meantime, I’m now just discovering the fascinating world of DeviantArt.com. Though I’ve known about this particular site for a couple of years now, my recent foray into Photoshop art led me here. I’ve spent too many countless hours this past week at that site, browsing the works of a number of Deviants.

Methinks I will be doing some art this year. (There’s a resolution if I’ve ever heard one!)

I’ve spent part of my break putting together a comprehensive online portfolio that includes images of recent artwork. The portfolio can be viewed here and can be accessed from the portfolio area of my website. Check it out when you get a chance!

A number of my entries in my media diary center on the theme of making art. (In fact, a number of my entries are the art pieces themselves.) Art and the process of making art (digitally or traditionally) are themes that consistently appear in my life, regardless of whether I’m forced to write in a media diary or not.

What sparked this theme this time have been the images I’ve made for my digital art class. They are images that I’ve worked hard to render the final results for. It has undoubtedly made me ask some questions about the process of making art with a computer and the difference I feel from making art in the traditional, non-digital methods.

These questions have led me to some predictable and some surprising thoughts that I’ve found to ring true for me: (your own experiences may be different…)

1. Making art with a computer is a results-driven process. It is about the final image. This contrasts with what originally drew me to make art initially. Drawing, printmaking, and sculpture are not necessarily about the results (though getting a good image is always a nice bonus) – but about the process itself. Drawing is more about seeing and observing than about getting an exact representation on paper. Sculpture is about playing with mud. And printmaking – well, I just love the smell of ink, the feel of good 100% rag paper, and turning that press.
2. What I see on the computer is NOT always what I get, as in: “Wow that looked sooo good on the monitor but what the heck happened to the mid-range???” It’s a frustrating struggle to reconcile what I see on the monitor with the final 2-dimensional tangible result on paper. I experienced that frustration with my final print project.
3. The marks made with a computer are usually a reflection of the results I am after and a good indication of how well I know the application. The marks made with drawing, painting, and sculpture are usually a reflection of my current state of mind. A confident line is markedly different from a hesitant one.
4. Making art with a computer is usually a solitary process. Contrary to popular stereotypes, there are a number of traditional media that lend themselves to working among peers. Printmaking is a wonderful example. Many printmakers who don’t own their own press will usually join a print studio, where working in a group is common. Camaraderie is what I miss the most. Drawing from life is another example. Most artists will draw with groups and though most of the time is spent concentrating on drawing, those breaks can lead to some pretty interesting conversations. When was the last time you made digital art in a group? (Lab time in class does not count!)
5. It’s much easier to carry a sketch book than a computer regardless of how light the laptop is. Because after all, what happens when the battery dies and there are no electric outlets in the middle of the campground?
6. Computers make me swear. A LOT!
7. I really miss making art the traditional way.

My final print project was to develop a concept based on text of our own choosing. Our goal was to illustrate the text but to make the print stand on its own merit. I chose lyrics by one of my favorite songwriters, Bruce Cockburn. The song is called Pacing the Cage and is one of my all-time favorites. It begins with these lines:

Sunset is an angel weeping
Holding out a bloody sword
No matter how I squint I cannot
Make out what it’s pointing toward
Sometimes you feel like you live too long
Days drip slowly on the page
You catch yourself
Pacing the cage

And here is my visual interpretation:

(Click on the image to see a LARGE version.)

And here is Bruce Cockburn’s song on YouTube with not so very good photography but it’s worth listening to the song!

My relationship with my computer has been quite exciting with my recent Photoshop projects. These most recent pieces have shown a merging of my “old media” and “new media” training.

Here are four versions of what I call: Diemos in the Sky with Catnip (or High)

(Yes, this cat is a real cat.)

Presenting art done with new media.

(Note: the original image was taken by Flickr member Chrisada Sookdhis, which I used with a Creative Commons license. Thanks Chrisada!)

I call it Tree Portrait:

I’m quite happy with the way this turned out mainly because of my love for texture. Here’s a couple of close ups:

And for posterity, I include scans of an etching I did in 1995:

And the close-up:

Yup. I LOVE TEXTURE.

And I find it quite fitting that the first artistic medium I fell in love with would involve a printing press. (It’s that Old Media vs New Media thing.)

A year ago I was taking a life-drawing class at my local community college. We met weekly and drew from a live model for several months. I loved it! It had been years since I did any drawings, and though I felt rusty, I really enjoyed the tactile quality of putting pencil/charcoal/pen to paper. I’ve written off and on in this blog about some of my artistic endeavors.

This past summer I also spent some time making sculpture, something I had not done for an even longer time than drawing. My transition from the “old media” / non-digital / traditional forms of art making happened drastically. It occurred when I moved from Santa Fe to the Bay Area in 2000.

I can cite many reasons as to how and why this transition was so drastic. However, probably the biggest reason of all was that I poured all my energy and resources into learning a new art form. It was this thing called the world wide web.

However, my love for the old media / non-digital art form continues.

Let the Fun Begin at The Multimedia Graduate Program at CSU East Bay!

I’ve spent the entire weekend doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. Ok, that’s not exactly true; I’ve been sitting on the couch watching movies - and, yes, I did take the dogs out for their hikes. But the point is, I did very little work, as I am anticipating that life will become very busy with the start of graduate school this week. I am very excited!

The classes I am taking this quarter include Principles of Digital Multimedia, Business Basics in Multimedia (I can share a lesson or two in this class), Animation for the Web, and a weekly forum of guest lecturers and speakers from private industry. It all starts Tuesday! Woo hoo!

100 Santa Fe Etchers

I’ve also learned that I will be a part of a book that will feature the printmakers of the Santa Fe Etching Club of which I am a member (once a member, always a member!). I was very active in the club when I lived in Santa Fe; I wrote a bit about my experiences in a previous post. I am very excited and honored to be included in the book, which is due to come out in December.

The print that was chosen for the book is called Prayer. Here it is below:

Jon’s Track Days

Ok, this last paragraph is really all about Jon and the fun he’s been having at his track days. It’s an addictive hobby for him, and based on the photos, he sure looks like he’s having a great time!

If you haven’t already, check out the recent photos taken by gotbluemilk.com, of my honey riding really fast around Thunderhill Race Track in Willows, CA.

A visitor to my site recently emailed me to ask this question:

Is drawing and making a living doing it, dead..? Is it nothing more than a pipe dream..?

I want to share my response because the issues of self-doubt and discouragement that he brings up are so relevant to many individuals who are trying to heed their calling. Here was my response to him:

Thanks for writing and sharing your experiences with me. In many ways I understand where you are coming from though I have not had the misfortune of meeting people who have discouraged me so bluntly. The only thing I can say about people like the instructor and writer you met is to pass on a quote I read somewhere: “Those who don’t follow their dreams discourage others from following their dream.”

It’s easy to internalize what these people have to say especially when one’s own doubts already exist. I’m just as guilty of this but I try not to listen to people like them. I try to remember the quote above and continue on as though I have not been affected by their words.

The short answer to your question is yes, it is possible to make a living from doing what you love, from drawing. I know this because I have met and become friends with people who are already making a good living from drawing, and from being an artist in general. I sought these folks out intentionally because I knew I could learn from them. I think it is important to be surrounded by people who can be role models. Just as it is true that people who don’t follow their dreams discourage you from following yours, those who are following their calling, encourage everyone they meet to do the same. Take a look at the work of some of the artists who are making a good living from their art and who I was fortunate enough to meet: Sherrie McGraw, David Leffel, Michael Bergt, Star York, Donna Howell-Sickles and Jeff Brock. These are just some of the people I met when I lived in Santa Fe. It took having to move to a place where I was surrounded by artists to get that inspiration.

I think the biggest lesson that I have yet still to learn is that there is no one formula to becoming an artist. Each of these folks I met found their own paths. I think you have to do the same and you must be persistent. Just keep doing what you love and don’t let anyone’s words discourage you. Just keep drawing. Move to a place where you are surrounded by like-minded people who will encourage you. The one thing you need to have to follow your dreams is courage. Take risks and dare to defy the people who told you that you couldn’t make it as an artist.

In the meantime, here’s an online community that I think you will find inspiration from: http://www.dannygregory.com/. He runs a yahoo group called Everyday Matters where ordinary folks encourage each other to keep drawing and stay creative. I’ve also recently discovered the writings of Robert Fritz. He writes about creativity from a perspective that I find refreshing. It’s worth a read just to cleanse yourself from the words of those toxic people in your life. Here are some quotes from his book that I wrote in my blog: http://creativepathstudio.com/blog/2007/05/30/liberating-thoughts/

I hope my words helped. I certainly don’t have the answers and I still struggle at times to stay true to my own calling. But I think in the end you will find that your dream will continue to pester you until you’ve given it your full attention. It will not go away regardless of how many times you let yourself be talked out of it because of other people’s words. You have to at least try, even if it takes your whole life to make it a reality.

I’ve just finished reading The Language of Drawing by Sherrie McGraw, one of the artists I was fortunate enough to befriend when I lived in New Mexico.

This is a book that every art student should have in her library - I don’t write that just to boost Sherrie’s sales.

It is a book that you will pour over, in the same manner that you study the DaVinci sketches in that book you own. You will examine her drawings, hoping that by osmosis alone you will be able to understand how she captures the essence of her subjects in those one-minute poses or how her sensitivity to line can describe the “air around” the seated figure.

Fortunately for us, she wrote a book so we’re not left to guess what she’s thinking as she makes her beautiful marks.

Be warned though, because this is not a book on HOW to draw. (My bookshelf is cluttered with plenty of those books so I am thankful it is not a how-to book.)

Sherrie writes in her preface:

An explanation of pure drawing principles, if it exists, has not come to my attention. Though many have written wonderful books about anatomy, perspective and proportion — all-important disciplines to a respectable draughtsman — the ideas not often discussed are the basic qualities possessed by someone who draws well.

So, she guides us on what is needed to possess those basic qualities. Even more important than the how or the what, is the why, the intention behind drawing.

In reading her words, I immediately thought, “this is someone who meditates”. And point of fact is that she does - but her meditation, her “just being” or in Sherrie’s case, “just seeing”, is her practice. Show up. Be present. And just see.

Learning to draw is learning to see.

*Sigh* I have much to learn…