It's official! I'm now a graduate student on my way to a Masters of Fine Art! Having just returned to Dallas from my first two weeks at Hartford Art School's low-residency MFA in Illustration, I felt it an absolute necessity to share an entry with you! I still have a couple years to go, but in just two short weeks, I feel changed for the better.
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| how I missed group critique! |
The caliber of students, professors, and guest lecturers is staggering! Being inspired and supported by a crew like this is remarkable gift, and I can't speak highly enough. I can't wait until our next contact period this November in Pasadena, when I'll be reunited with my dear new friends and wonderful faculty.
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| blind (or drunk?) contours |
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| this is what a graphic novel looks like, barfed from the brain |
Under the guidance of children's book illustrators Ted & Betsy Lewin, I was able to lay down the ground work for a new 40-page graphic novel for all ages, and I can honestly say it's the best writing I've ever done... granted the book will be wordless. I've got a lot of refining to do before I can even lay down a spot of ink, but I'm pretty energized to see it through! I'm thinking of epublishing for iPad, and have some ideas for physical product as well.
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| Alice 'Bunny' Carter & Dennis Nolan working their magic |
Despite giving myself carpel tunnel syndrome in the process, I literally drew myself through a self-imposed creative wall that had been weighing me down for quite some time. Alice 'Bunny' Carter and Dennis Nolan's Dream Assignment class taught me to let my pencil do the thinking and explore so much deeper into an idea than I previous realized was possible. So many profound little lessons, my brain is still spinning. Bunny worked with George Lucas for 18 years, by the way, and knows a thing or two about drawing and storytelling!
I've also come away with a newfound appreciation and awareness for my own unique storytelling ability, draftsmanship, and a more focused direction for future work. I'm also feeling inspired to explore new side projects, even playing with sculpture, something which never interested me in the past but which I now find I want to dabble in just to keep the juices flowing.
We also visited the Norman Rockwell Museum, and I've come away with a remarkably expanded appreciation for his draftsmanship, color use, storytelling ability, and all around masterful approach to painting. He truly was a modern master, and any qualms with his sentimentality can be attributed more to the cultural times and the illustration market of the 40s and 50s. Seeing a magazine cover's original 3'x4' painting... there's no comparison. I truly had no idea!
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| the great Murray Tinkelman! |
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| Connecticut in July beats Texas all summer |
