Mistborn and a Gargoyle

The other day, I finished Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn,and just had to create some fan art. Behold Kelsier, the Survivor of Hathsin, looking a bit younger than he should, but also looking epic with his mistcloak and glass daggers. 

And here, for the first time ever, my brother's art is on the internet. One of my summer projects was to purify some of the clay in the backyard so I could fire it in a kiln my brother built himself. After spending hours washing and straining it, I had a satisfactory orange lump. Unfortunately, however, I had not cleaned it well enough, and it breaks apart much too easily. When my brother discovered my unsuccessful attempts at creating something, he decided to carve what began as a smiley face into a lovely gargoyle head.

And So, She Flees

Her bare feat slap the cold pavement, and her heel skids on a pebble.
Her hair whips behind her, and wind rushes past her ears.
Her heart pounds, and she gasps for breath as the chill air fills her lungs.
She can't stop.
All she knows is that she must release this frantic pain, this anger, this confusion.
And so, she flees.

And thus begins my quest to describe humans with a graphite pencil. =)

Paris Is Always a Good Idea

Just a drawing I did over Spring break, and just now remembered to post. 

Why Do Artists Create?

A painter paints to unload himself of feelings and visions. ~Pablo Picasso

When I first encountered that quote, I focused on feelings. A painter paints to unload himself of feelings. I began to wonder why the art I had created with the heavy hand of frustration or the slow strokes of melancholy was hidden away in a small sketchbook on my shelf. Only one of those drawings has been seen by anyone else. Maybe I should not hide that. Maybe I should create more work to express my feelings.

Lifted by the soaring notes of the Prince Caspian soundtrack, I picked up my pencil and began this sketch. I found myself in another world--the world I used to enter every time I drew when I was younger, and it was magical. That brought me to my conclusion. Unlike Pablo Picasso, I do not usually create work to express my feelings. Art is an escape. It's a way to make another world as I allow my thoughts to drift away from the stresses of life. It's meant to be relaxing, not a way of venting.

Adventures with Markers

I received an incredibly exciting set of Prismacolor markers and immediately began a picture of our tree. Markers are seriously one of the most fun mediums ever. I created four pictures in one day. The fourth is not shown because I messed it up this morning by trying to draw a background. That's what I get for not leaving well enough alone. 

I have no idea what this picture means. Maybe it symbolizes how much I love rain, but you can make of it what you will.

Last night, my dad read "Ragman" by Walter Wangerin Jr. Although I generally don't like allegory, the imagery this created was particularly striking. You can find the story here: https://www.csh.rit.edu/~ding/ragman_by_walter_wangerin_jr1.htm

Because Trees and Seasons...

Our final assignment in Beginning Hand Building involved creating sets of dishes. I made everything with slabs and had some great adventures with glazes. Who knew that clear glaze on top of streaks of blue could turn into grey and burgundy? So, I'm not thrilled with the outcome of the mugs, but everything else turned out satisfactorily. Now to figure out how to transport everything.

Finished Clocktower

I walked into the art studio today and found my clocktower dwarfing an assortment of bowls and miscellaneous pottery. It has been fired!