January Ensues - Monday - Research, Inspiration, Activities and Future Plans

The lovely open plan fire place at my parents house during Christmas - my first official drawing on my very own iPad. With the annoying and way too sticky 'muvit' stylus that doesn't exactly 'muvit' very well. :) But we'll make friends never the less.

(The above is a wee bit of fun/birthday message for the artist who 'inspired' me to buy Inspire Pro, complete with a wee quick sketch of an owl from Legend of the Guardians, another animation that I really fancy seeing. Saw 'How To Train Your Dragon' the other night - excellent :)

So, moving on.

Today was very much a research day. As well as a drawing day. 2011 is most definitely the year of drawing drawing drawing in SO many different ways.

Discovered some new art and artists, including the very intriguing Gordon Robin Brown, the folk behind the massive multicoloured sculptures in the CCA that I saw recently who I found to be Joanne Tatham and Tom O'Sullivan - the sculptures will apparently be unfolded on some unused land that could otherwise be used for the great good/surrounding communities, though this I need to check up on. Then there was the great international video/multimedia artist Nam June Paik who's retrospective show is on at the Tate Liverpool until March. I so very very much need to see this show. I can't believe I've only just learned about him - he apparently heralded the arrival of the internet way before it was a reality. For any artist interested in multimedia and/or interactive art this is a MUST.

Then there was Interpretive Touch Drawing - Which appears to be intuitive reflections of the 'soul' in response to live events, poetry readings, lectures, live music. The music on the video isn't my sort of thing, but I like the process and I'm sure it can be very therapeutic. Might give it a try for some automatic drawing responses, a path I'm leaning to follow this year instead of drawing what I see with my eyes, but more the images I see with my mind in response. Try to tap into that ol' subconscious of mine to music that irritates, moves and motivates me to respond emotionally and dynamically.

Regards checking out art collaborations for the benefit of society - I found this image from the front cover of Scotland's free arts magazine Variant - the last panel discussing collaborating with a Police College particularly interests me. I've had lots of experience with primary aged children, and not so much with Secondary aged which I feel a real desire to do as it's the one part of society I know least about.

So today I did some normal paper & pencil sketching of Basil the dog as I took him for a walk in the park, a quick sketch of myself feeling a tad more determined and forward looking about this year than I felt last night. I also bought a couple of new apps for my iPad and tried one of them out via recommendations from a couple of artists who lives across the Atlantic. Thanks L and F - I'm much looking forward trying them out. As many art apps as possible. I was inspired to get Inspire Pro as it was on sale - if you're lucky and read this quick you might get it also, as well as ASKetch for super cheap. I played around with Inspire Pro and managed to start to enjoy some drawing. Not too keen on my current 'muvit' stylus from playline that I'm trying as there is too much friction. Thinking of regularly daubing it in talcum so it glides better. I'll give ASKetch a try tomorrow.

So then there's a multi-arts party in Stockholm very conveniently while I'm there for a week which sounds absolutely excellent -

'In three venues there will be experimental sound art, performance art, noise, electronica, techno, video art, art-pop, art-rock and DJs.'

Right up my street :)

Finally, for a bit of woman power to make sense in the world, seeing as how the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day is happening on the 8th of March this year, I looked up two links - the first from a fellow artist/musician Kim who shared this link (if you can knit - go for it, or even better, learn!). Then finally this empowering video of first Halla Tomasdottir, a female financial advisor from Iceland discussing the past, present and necessary future for a sustainable economy in Iceland and the global community, with an extra beautiful video afterwards about four African women with very different dire needs being given the help and support to then share it with others.