obssesive patterns

This past week has been mostly dedicated to commission work (and modeling).  I received a commission from a wonderful lady in New York to draw 3 portraits.  It has been a pleasure working with her and i'm very fortunate.

That said, I will now go into the process i currently go through.  First, I get the expectations, dates and numbers on the clear. I draw up thumbnails exploring various compositions, shapes/value relationships and I let the customer pick one/give feedback and then pay.  I then do a nearly finished drawing giving a better idea of what the final product will look like (pencil)... very time consuming but necessary, specially when you're working with pen and ink... there are very few revisions that can be done with this medium and none of them involve taking away or correcting.  So at this stage I take some final notes from the customer before i head into the final product.
After approval I start the final drawing.  I use a specific kind of paper which is  very delicate, so god forbid i get it dirty, bend it, rip it, put tape on it, etc.  Even the pen sometimes causes acts of violence on the surface.  It's rice paper, and it's textured, so i also have to know how the drawing is going to look on the paper so that a big chunk of texture doesn't fall in the middle of a portrait... better leave that stuff floating around the sides.  Obviously the surface the drawing paper itself lies on top of matters as well, whether its hard or slightly padded, smooth, etc will give the pen park a different flow.  The pen itself needs to have even pressure throughout lest it 'bleed'... which, if it's abad bleed  you'd have to start a new drawing.  Ill also mention that inevitably an error will occur, i've never had a 'perfect' drawing.  The trick to getting around those is making it look intentional.  Most of the time you can pull it off... sometimes you can't.  I once had a drawing i was working on for a show, it was fairly large and difficult... it was... what... 40"x15" or something... i was touching things up at the end and i think i heard someone calling me, or something attracted my attention and i left the pen on the paper for a second too long... there was a blot.  I spent alot of hours trying to correct the error, changing the compositon, value arrangement, markmaking (the blot was not the type of language i was using) and finally... the drawing got trashed.  So it happens.  Lastly i'll mention that not all references are created equal.  I've mostly received ok references, but sometimes they really tilt more on the direction of not... when even upon request the client cannot provide a better alternative i sometimes find myself combining two or three references to get the portrait i need.

 These drawings don't take hours, they take days/weeks to finish because it is a slow build of of very fine lines.  The repitition of the pattern alone takes hours of focus since i try to get it somewhat evenly spaced and pressured.  The correct drawing has to be there, and also the pen has to be in it's ideal state of ink.. meaning, new pens show up with stronger lines, older pens you can get away with finer ones and are more sensitive to pressure. They all bleed if you don't take care.

Anyhow... back on point. When the commission is finished (if its a couple at once i wait until they are all done, so i can feel free to touch up others as i finish some to make sure they feel like a unit and a sort of communication is going on between them) i send final pix, hopefully get an approval then ship it off to its new owner.  (i added this in a rush just now... i'll organize it properly later.)

  For what it's worth, the final product does look really nice and i'm super excited to see what i'll end up doing with this medium in terms of pattern, application, process etc.  I know i'm barely at the tip of the iceberg with these.

 I'm not posting the current drawings since they are commissions, when all is done i'll ask permission.

 Another word.... I do not have a big name and am starting in my career... if i charged hourly for the amount of work that is going into these i'd get less then a dollar an hr.   Whether that's right or wrong at this point is irrelevant, it's important that i'm at least getting my art moving and getting paid for it... people don't know how much work goes into these... they wouldn't be willing to pay for it. Specially if you're just starting out.

Thought number two... As i wait for my russian student visa and details.  I'm considering where else i may travel, and how to continue making ends meet in other countries for temporary stays.   I will always have to regroup in Cali and New York... but meanwhile, i can still linger, search and discover and make great art... whether it sells or not is another question.

My goal, as an artist, is to perfect my craft and always work as honestly as i can and to the best of my ability.  My direction in life is one of endless study and travel.

No photos today again, i'm using a friends computer.  Gotta go.

On again

So it's been a pretty long while since i've posted.  I really didn't think anyone would care but i've been receiving a surprising amount of requests to continue on with my posts.  So back up and running by random demand.  I don't have the internet at home so posting is actually a pain in the ass... or Starbucks heaven since they have wifi.

Anyhow, i'll admit to enjoying writing these since it gives me time to reflect on weeks which pass.   Long story short, these are good.

I'm not going to write a novel trying to catch up with lost time... But i will give a brief update as to what's happened in the past couple months, or something.

The roadtrip back to l.a. was fantastic, I think it lasted 2-3 weeks, I got gallery representation, i'm currently working with Abend gallery in Colorado.  I'm looking to go to school and get my masters at Repin Academy in Russia, I'm waiting for the invitation/visa to come in the mail so i can move forward with it (after much work i finally got to apply and got accepted, i'll go into the reasons and process some other time.. it's a long story and yes i'm learning the language).  I've made a short film (4mins) which i'm hesitating to release and i've been modeling alot  to pay bills. I've been in some incredible exhibitions with some incredible artists, namely, the CAC Gold Medal Show and the 'On location in Malibu' show.  I'm continuing to dance tango when time allows and still running,   I traded digital concept illustration work to have a programmer redesign my website and i've been approached by California Art Club to have a video documentary done on me (a series including other artists)... we'll see if that happens.  I've been also healing from a bad back injury with no health insurance.

Lastly i'll mention something funny about being in business and being a woman.  (similar situations may happen to men but not as often).  I'll get asked on business outings or coffee whatever and they'll be dates in disguise.  Opportunities will be offered,  real or faux, but after i put my little feminist foot down and mention something is unprofessional business conduct and no i will not go to the cinema with you the opportunities will vanish.  I can take a little flirting, but there is a line and clearly all lines are not created equal.

Before i keep going i'm going to stop.  That's enough writing.  Just wanted to put it out there that i'm alive and kicking.

Meanwhile, here are some great podcasts i've been listening to;
Russian rulers podcast (history)
Podcast-Suggested Donation (art)
The Partially Examined Life (philosophy)
Inquiring Minds (Science)
This American Life (people)
TED radio hour (people)

I had Americas Test Kitchen too but since i've stopped being all fancy with my culinary endeavors i've put that on hold.

No photos today, i'm using a friends computer and i have to go.  Check out my Facebook or Instagram.  Cheers.

The rebelious youth and the wear and tear of age

The 'Wanderess' show went well. I had a good time and i got my projects done.  Now it's time to get ready for the next sprint. 
Here are some paintings from the new collection, for more visit my website at kathiucia.com, and feel free to contact me for commission or purchase inquiries.

I'll also mention; isn't it funny how artists (not only painters, dancers, musicians, writers) can be some of the most passionate, dedicated, and disciplined, sacrificing virtually every luxury and pleasure to excel in their chosen field and are yet mostly poor?   Yet artwork remains a landmark for any historical period, for it's accomplishments and how it was relevant or due to circumstances of it's time. Something beautiful was created.  There is such significance there yet those who made it/collaborate in it, lived through it were rarely weatlhy, and now they are essential benchmarks in our history, driving forward culture, inspiration and context amongst it's few accomplishments.

I'll get off my soap box.  Back to creating stuff.
 

'Chatsworth', 20"x16"

 'Rochester', 20"x16"

 'Urbino', 20"x16"

 'Colorado', 20"x16"

 'Rome', 20"x16"

 'Tuscany', 66"x36"

'Malibu', 72"x32"

 Me before the show

 Working on a commission

 Show on

In great company

Comraderie, art and a chosen path

Chatsworth, 20"x16", oil on panel.  Part of 'Wanderess' show.

In my travels i've met many great people and had great experiences.  To me my day to day seems the same, but in reality it isn't.  I grow more disciplined, more content and more confident.  Also you can't help but grow a little because something is learned or accomplished.  Either way everyday offers the opportunity for improvement which is why we are no longer apes. That's gotta be a good sign.  The fact that we're killing them off probably isn't though.

Anyhow,

I wanted to bring attention to the matter of camaraderie.  I have not attended a formal fine art school so i have not been naturally thrown into a social dynamic.  My artistic friends are slim which is a shame because we benefit a great deal from interacting with others, particularly those who work in our field.  They can give us feedback, be an inspiration and who wouldn't benefit from exchanging survival techniques?  We learn from each other and it's fun sharing creations and creating together.  This sort of social integration seems to differ from place to place;  L.A. is the least welcoming of artistic communities, the northern regions seem more open and welcoming which is something i've been looking for.  We'll see what happens. I actually want to go to Russia to study... now that i'm finishing my baby steps of becoming a professional artist.  ::rolls eyes::  Yea... go back to school.  Hummmm.   I'm not gonna lie it sounds awesome.

The more i create the more i learn, yes, but i still feel that black hole of formal education missing.  I feel that i could push myself to accomplish so much more had i just the understanding and some basic training provided at an academy.  And a Russian one at that.  So this year i intend on applying.   How am i gonna finance it if i get in?  I'm going to seek funding.  Yea... and i'm still going to be a working fine artist and working with galleries in the U.S.

Anyhow, i gotta finish these large pieces before my show. So... logging off!

до свидания.

:)

 miniature; Tuscany

 miniature; Malibu

 Colorado, 20"x16", oil on panel.

 miniature; Colorado.

crunch time. in every way.

It's crunch time ladies and gents.

I have 10 days till the show and have to finish all my pieces and keep on the up and up with business as well.  Not to mention i'm a fit junkie so i'm still running and doing my thing everyday.

Blog will be short.

Here you have it. Merry Christmas.  Behind me stands 'Tuscany' on it's first color layer.

Snow day

Holy Cow.

I'm late on this thing again.  I had to run around alot yesterday to get my promotional cards and business cards reprinted and after some errand running painted en 'plein air' to try to figure out some of the problems i'm hitting with my paintings.  It helped alot, as it always does, and nothing gives me as much pleasure.

The current state of affairs;
I have about 9 pieces to finish, 2 very large ones i'm done stretching and am going to put the drawing down on today and tomorrow and 7 smaller ones i'm trying to put the final touches on.
The layers are as follows, wash, drawing(wash), first color layer (thin), texture layer 1, texture layer two, then reeling it all in and detailing/finessing is the last one.

I've been looking for jobs once i get back in L.A.  Mostly modeling for now which has been unpromising.  I'm not the best model, but you know, i work hard, the problem is i'm not conscientious of my body so not all my poses are great.  I believe the solution to this is traveling around with a full length mirror and constantly looking at myself. That just might take too much effort away from making art though.  I'll reconsider.  Perhaps experience will kick in once in awhile.  I'll be seeking illustration and teaching jobs as well, but that's on the books for next week. 

Here's some food for the eyeballs and meanwhile, it's back to work for me.  It's crunch time.

 Plein air study in upstate NY.  5"x3"

 Plein air study in upstate NY. 5"x3"

 Drawing in sketchbook from open studio at Steve Carpenter Studio.

This last photo is of a home made 'Pastel', it's a Brazillian snack which is absolutely delicious.

I'll let you in on a little personal detail as well, my aunt is visiting from Brazil, but I turn down plans so often (they go shopping; not my favorite activity) that I now am no longer invited.  I'd simply rather work.  I do spend some time with them, but it's difficult to distinguish where a reasonable line can be drawn between work and other aspects of life.  My waking hours differ a great deal from others around me, i wake at 5, eat, am running by 7/7:30 and am working in the studio by 9/9:30. Lunch is my main meal of the day and ideally go to sleep by 22:00, if i sleep at 21:30 i wake at 4:30, if i go to sleep at 23:00 i wake at 6 (i figure if you're a stalker you already know this, it's not hard to figure out).  My mother and aunt are night people.  Also when you love you're job you don't exactly look forward to taking time off.  To feel guilty or not to feel guilty i can't decide.  I do feel as though i make the most of the time i do spend with my family and i'm quite content personally, but i wonder if it's selfish.  This pattern actually happens in my social life overall, which i've been making more of an effort to change considering how lonely the world can get when your life becomes your work.  I don't know how others do it, the whole balance thing. I keep walking off the damn scale so often i don't even know where it is anymore.
  Anyhow,  the great thing about my family is that we're all like this, and they seem to understand and don't make me feel bad about being dedicated. What we share when we're together is great, loving and welcoming, as rare as those times may be, i know now i'll always have them there.  But the consequences of not spending quality time with the ones you love will speak louder when those shared moments grow so rare you find yourself being a stranger in a strange land.  I've been there before and have been trying to rectify it with limited success.  In the end, i want to accumulate many happy memories shared amongst those i care about.  Consider it a resolution of sorts.

cool breeze.

Yup, todays blogpost has been delayed by a day.  Yesterday there was some snow storm leftovers so i didn't get to mingle with my computer much,  i had a family doctor thing, and shoveling snow for hours kinda took up the whole day.

Yesterday started with me shoveling my car out of a snow trench, which was fine.  I've mentioned before i don't mind and actually enjoy shoveling snow but it's a whole other issue when it starts to eat up the entire day.  The clearing of the streets isn't the best and my car actaully got stuck in snow banks four times within a 1/2 mile diameter, there was a gentleman walking his dog around the  neighborhood who kept continuestly pushing my car out of these checks so i could move another couple feet only to be rescued by 'Marc' again.  He had an awesome dog too.  Anyhow, that guy was a huge help.  It was kinda funny how everytime i got out of his eyesight I only got stuck again.  I swear i wasn't doing anything dumb like running into the biggest pile of snow i could find thinking it would be a fun way to make friends.  I used moms car to get to and fro the hospital which is a slightly more snow friendly car but which i still required shoveling to get parked. I also had to reshovel my car out of it's parking spot and shovel a new parking spot (you have to change the side of the street you park on everyday, lest you have the financial deathwish of a parking ticket).

That aside i'm still not super keen on currently displaying all my work in progress.  I can say i'm still struggling through building the canvas for my larger pieces... You know, i got a staple gun and the requested staples, and now the staples won't go in the staple gun.  WTF? So far though, i've had some help in figuring the building of the frames by a local construction worker/handyman.  He's teaching me alot of pretty cool stuff, I'm really enjoying the more carpentry side of this business. Maybe i'll be able to build some of my own easels too (seeing as though i now officially only have my tiny portable one that will come in handy).  Thus far what i've used is pine wood, wood glue, nails, hammer, hammer thing which you use to push nails further into the wood (looks like a pick), measuring tape, wood putty, sand paper and some other thing i don't know of which makes the edges square, a brush like device to spread the glue and a drill.

This week I've had the priviledge of meeting up with a great local artist, Rick Harrington, and the lunch just lasted hours on end.  It was great chatting with someone who is so candid and friendly who answered some of my questions regarding the business and life. Check out his work, buy some art. :)
http://www.rcharrington.com/


So, back to work i go.  It's going to be a busy week.  Let's get some deadlines checked off.

For the sake of posting something; here's a little gouache study; my snow boots.