Growing Up Art Show 2

Each month I meet and sketch with the other two artists involved in an art show at the University of Alberta Hospital (McMullen Gallery) as we discuss our experiences of growing up. Because being pregnant is such an important theme in my life right now it's the one thing I ended up sketching during our meeting. Because I can't get myself to paint any more on my last painting I'm going to move on to the next one and leave that one to "season" itself for awhile. Here's my next sketch for the show:

On a side note, I'm doing an interesting project with the Royal Alberta Museum again. Can't wait to show you some of the funky characters I'm designing...

Growing Up Art Show

I may have mentioned earlier that I'm busy creating art for an upcoming art show in 2009 with the theme being growing up. I don't think there's been a time in my entire life where I've felt like I've had to grow up more than since I found out the big news (see previous post) but it's been fun meeting with the other very talented ladies involved in the show: Amanda Woodward and Davey Thompson and discussing how we've grown up in our lives and that the process never seems to stop.

I've only nailed down one sketch which I've started painting. Here's the painting as it stands thus far (it's about me moving to the city when I was 17 - feeling so out of place and in wonder yet scared out of my mind) -

Expectations

I simply cannot contain the news any longer: I'm expecting a little on this May! This is certainly another reason why I have not been posting in the last month. In fact, it's been quite hard to do anything other than sleep, eat and feel sick during my first trimester (I'm three months today). I'm so glad I'm part of the blogging community and that I've been exposed to many of the illustrator parents out there that seem to be able to "do it all". While I adore where my career has been heading since I went freelance nearly two years ago, I'm also excited to let it slow down while my life shifts to new priorities. Thanks to everyone who's followed my blog these last two years!

The big update!

To start off this "big update", here is a collection of Christmas cards I did last year for the Royal Alberta Museum (their mascot is a mammoth and the museum is stationed on a long hill, pictured in the painting). They are up for sale in the museum gift shop as a set if any there are any local readers interested in purchasing the set.

- SCROLL DOWN FOR ALL OF THE NEW CRAZY IMAGES! -

It's been quite the summer! My big project with Alberta Learning is being wrapped up this week, giant files transferred and details checked over to make sure everything is just so. I've never been such a large part of the creative on a project of this scale - people helped turn my drawings into vector characters that are to be animated and turned into an interactive game for grade eight social studies students across Alberta.

I'm so happy to announce that I'll be back posting regularly on my blog - it's been over a month since my last post - something I have not skipped out on since creating my blog two years ago. I will not be able to post any images from it until the Alberta Learning team has published it to the web, which will not be for many months. I'll keep you posted! Until then here's a few reject drawings:







Things that happened over the summer -
1) I was commissioned to do a children's book for a publisher in the UK. A wonderfully complex pop-up about a garage and it's mechanic, cars and trucks. Unfortunately the project was put on hold 3/4 of the way to the end of the project which was a blessing as well as a disappointment (I had taken on too many projects and was quite exhausted). I have attached one of the character designs I created for the main character (Bumper), which later changed to a different model of car. After I get word from my agent about posting more images I'll let you know!

2) I did a marvelously complex vector illustration for a forestry company called Millar Western (a local Alberta company) and adored doing all of the little animals in the picture - here's a sample - I highly suggest you click on it to see the details:


3) Here's some images from a grade 3 math text book I worked on as well -






Thanks to those who are by blog "followers" now too!

Still Here

Just a small note to say that I have not forgotten about you little blog. It's just that I'm quite overbooked, creating work that I cannot publish online right now and I've no spare moment to create something just to keep this going.

I'm teaching again in the fall at MacEwan College and would love to include samples of illustrators around the world who use acrylic paint (especially a wash style) or mixed media for my presentation to the students. I will credit you with your name and website so please email me if you're interested! artist[@]crystaldriedger.com

Hope to have something to show soon!

Paper Quilt Project needs more artists

Remember the Paper Quilt project that I worked on last year? It's creator is looking for a hand full of artists to complete the quilt. A few artists backed out on their promise to create a piece and it would be so nice to see it completed. Looking to create something for a charity that would be oodles of fun?... Here's the scoop:

The Paper Quilt Project was a year long project that allowed artists from 32 different countries to come together and share their lives, their culture and their art with one another. Each artist was invited to participate because of their individual artistic style, but most importantly because of their strong desire to help make a difference.

Each month 12 new artists created a collage interpreting the project's theme, "A Day in my Life," and gave us a glimpse into their world. Every collage from each month will soon be sewn together to create 12 amazing and unique individual paper quilts. And later each paper quilt will be auctioned off or donated to charity in order to raise money for a cause that matters most to the artists.

Auction dates and charity information will be provided in the near future. Please check the blog for updates.

ABOUT THE ORGANIZER:

My name is Dawbis and I am an artist / environmentalist with a lot of paper scraps lying around the house. I am not a non-profit, but just one girl running the Paper Quilt Project in hopes of making a difference in the world, now matter how small or big. My initial thought for this project was to help raise funds for an environmental organization, however I am leaving it up to the artists to decide in the end which charity to support.

Looking for Replacements

The Paper Quilt Project is now looking for 21 new artists to replace those artists who unfortunately could not complete their collages for the project.

If you are interested in being a participant of the project, please email Dawbis at paperquiltproject@gmail.com for more information.

Please include the following in your email:

1. Name
2. Location
3. Website
4. Short Bio / Personal Statement

Thank you for your interest!

Oh do Grow Up!

To start my post here's my flickr favorites.

In Alberta, Canada, where I am currently living and blogging, the world has become chilly. Frost has killed the cucumber plants and has changed the lush green of my mom's tomato leaves into brown and curled crisps. While I may have to bundle up for morning walks I am finding that my new confinement gives me more of a willingness to start new projects and embark on some new creative adventures, one of which I know is participating in a group art show that about growing up with friends (and local artists) Amanda, Davey and Carla. The best part about this show thus far has been chatting about our growing up and looking in depth at my own experiences to see how they've shaped who I am. The show isn't until late 2009 but I'll keep you updated as I start painting this month.

Does anyone have any good growing up stories? One week from today I'll draw a name from those who respond to this question and will mail the best story a secret prize (this may include a print... card package...). Make sure I have a way of contacting you.

Here's some pictures taken on or near my parents farm this weekend, where I grew up.

New addition to the studio...

So I haven't been much of a blogger lately and I'm quite ok with this decision. I feel that summer time should be dedicated to long walks and gardening (or whatever may be your pleasure)... besides... I got a dog. My husband and I rescued Leppard from SCARS (second chance animal rescue society) last Saturday.

She's been so good and patient with my cat, Monte, and is learning when I need to work in high gear (no playing with her ball while I'm working, etc) and when it's time to go hog wild in the back yard. It's been wonderful to have an excuse to go for long walks - I feel that she's my new gym pass and I've never had more motivation to keep up with my running and to enjoy the outdoors, something I haven't been able to convince my cat to do yet.

Oh! And I almost forgot - I was awarded an "I love your blog" award by Chrissy Fanslau. Thanks Chrissy. It's so nice to know that people read and love my blog, even when it gets neglected.

Here's the 7 people I shall pass the award to:
Gina, Elizabeth, Heather, Abigail, Rachelle, Paige, Jannie

While I have a list of dozens of illustrators blogs that I visit on at least a weekly basis, these blogs are beautiful, honest and addictive (be warned!)

Vector Trials

I told you a couple months ago about a big project I'm working on. I had to do a vector test to give the client an idea of the level of realism/stylization that they could expect. The first is from a photo of myself and the second from a drawing I did of one of the characters. Because the project has evolved so much I feel safe showing you some of the preliminary work. I'll show you lots more once the project has been published but until then... here's a teaser.

click on images to see in detail

No time like a deadline

This may be a dreadfully silly post but I'm swamped. I'm right at this moment only a few hours away from a flood of tears due to exhaustion and stress and thought there would be no better place to admit it than this. Honestly I debated if I should post about this for many days now because I fear the bad karma of venting about having too much illustration work (it does sound quite like a terrible complaint, doesn't it?) but have decided that I need to. I've received many emails from illustrators just starting out and it's not fair to them to leave out pieces about the business that can be frustrating and hard (it's just like me to hand out rose coloured glasses).

As a freelancer I always feel like I'm on a roller coaster. One day I'll be chugging along uphill rather slowly, enjoying my climb but wondering if I'll ever get somewhere and then before I know it I'll be speeding along in a loop ready to puke my guts out and crying for the ride to stop.

I am thankful everyday for having work even when I'm ready to cry and I am thankful also because I can see that this push has helped improve my skills and has allowed me to live my dream that much more. Still, when weeks on end my days stretch on through the hours of 8am - 2am (ahem... or later the last couple days) I have these horrid thoughts of giving it all up and becoming a monk.

What I'd LOVE to know is if any of my readers have gone through what I have. Is anyone else out there taking a wee break out of their busy day to read my blog? Have I officially scared off several potential young illustrators? Or did the inevitable happen - someone wants to digitally slap me in the face for complaining about having too much work? Let's hear your comments.

Death and Bodies

Last weekend I visited the exhibit Body Worlds (the original exhibition of real human bodies). My expectations going into the show were hesitant and rather a bit nervous but chalked full of curiosity.

The line-ups were incredible. Tickets were sold to people for 15 minute intervals and we had to buy our tickets for late into the day as the earlier ones were sold out. At $26 a pop I figured there had better be something darn good in there for all the hype!

Well, there was.

I was not expected to be so moved. To contemplate death so fully and to admire the human body so. To revel in the fact that we are all mortal, as much as we walk the streets imagining that the routines and tasks we set about ourselves each day will allow us to live a long life, that possibly we may never have to face our own death. There grew a feeling inside me of something far different and less sad than the likes of a funeral where you must see death on someone you love. It was rather something settling, like a truth that has unveiled itself to be not good or evil but something that has been there all along, waiting for me to look it in the eye. I've never felt so bonded to life and the living things around me and although I've studied art and the human body I've never seen truly how beautiful we are. How the human head, stripped of bones and flesh; left only with veins, becomes an intricate plant, a rich red coral under the sea, so delicate and beautiful I wanted to reach out and touch. I felt honored for the first time in my life that I was made a woman (vs a man) when I saw the body of a pregnant woman with beautiful poor sweet baby in womb, tucked into her belly so perfectly.

Also to learn so much about dissection in art (and my favorite fact of the show: that our beloved Leonardo DiVinci was a grave robber!) and to learn about our bodies processes in laid out so plainly. To see for one's own eyes diseases, including a grossly blackened smokers lung and a non-smoker with the dotted stains of second hand smoke like a speckled egg. To see an obese man with fat surrounding every intestine and inner muscle (besides the obvious outer fat) and for once imagining how restrictive that must feel and how very trapped he must have been by his own body.

Beautiful bodies posed in athletic postures to small samples of different organs the Body Worlds is not just something to behold. It's an experience that I dare anyone to undertake, even if that means flying across the world to view it. In a world where death is muffled and is hardly whispered about I am so grateful I got over my fear and went to the exhibit. I promise to go again before it leaves this October with a sketchbook so I may pass along some of my interpretation of the show.

For those of you in the Edmonton Area, the Telus World of Science is hosting the exhibit until this October.

And for those not in Edmonton, here is a weird sketch I did this morning in order to give me an excuse to blog (I sometimes feel I can't blog until I have an image to show)

Illo Friday - Enough!

Ned had had quite enough of his silly companions who positively fawned over him. They were loud and their constant sighs of love made him uncomfortable (the other zombies were looking at him with blank stares).

Oh, and here's a dragon too. He doesn't care about the word "enough" (in fact he can't even talk). He just wants to eat his food and be by himself, thank you very much.

Bloggy Award...

I want to thank Jannie Ho of chickengirl design for awarding my blog this week! For those of you who don't know who she is I'd highly advise taking a look at her work!

The rules for accepting the award are as follows:

1. Add the logo of the award to my site

2. Add a link to the person who awarded you

3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs

4. Add links to those blogs on your site

5. Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs

Now I'm AWARDING (drum roll please!)
Red Dog and Jude, Sweet Pea, Woodyart, Mike Boldt, Rachelle Anne Miller, Kristen Elder, and Mark Meyers

The surprise from my garden

Thinking my cat had finally caught himself a fledgling bird on it's first flight from our homemade bird house I ran outside to capture then return the chickadee. How astonished was I to discover that it was instead a young mouse, thick with cat drool and positively beside himself with fright. Now what was I to do? I couldn't let my cat down him in one gulp (as he was probably full of worms or other such fowl crawlies) so I scooped him into my water glass where he calmly peered out and over the rim with sweet disposition and a doe-eyed blinkless stare as any mouse should give it's captor when being rescued.

Depositing him in our woodpile, sure to infest our garage in the days to come with other cute faced, (probably disease ridden) wee little ones I gave myself over to laughter. My cat, not having seen me take his prize, spent the next couple of hours amusing himself by the garden - waiting for the elusive mouse's return!

Studio Musings

I'm terribly obsessed with mermaids and doodle them on a constant basis. I even completed a plywood painting of one for the art walk last year. Perhaps I'll do one each year until I have 12 and publish a calendar? I know this is quite a horrible photograph but this particular mermaid is on a canvas I'd never dream of scanning... it's just too big! I'll update you on this as I have time to work on it (which these days is less and less).

And alas... here is my favorite studio lamp - bought at a thrift store for $8!

* A side note for those who have been inquiring about this year's artwalk: I decided not to do it this year opting for a holiday with my family.

Illustration Friday - Sour

Melodie looked on while Carl inspected his ragged and raw tongue up close. His addiction to Mr. Bobblepop's Extra Sour Licks was finally roaring it's ugly head.

* Done exclusively for illustration friday. My husband actually has a bit of a sour candy addiction so I'll dedicate this one to him!

Don't draw everyday

Happy Canada Day especially to those readers from Canada today!

This weekend I took a break from all things related to my career. For 3.5 days a few of my friends and I hiked through and up the Canadian Rockies (Jasper national park) and while I brought my sketchbook I did not crack it. I instead focused on not falling down steep mountain cliffs, feeling "the burn" and swimming in a glacially fed lake.

Take it from me - if there's one thing we should focus on during Canada day it shouldn't be our career.

Illustration Friday - Hoard

Elliot had tendencies to hoard the best creatures he could find in his own bedroom, the safest place on earth. He would keep them happy with alarmingly intense stories about the elusive "Mr. Dunisky" who was known to steal bad students for mad scientific experiments in an underground lab across from the school.

* I plan to paint this sketch later this year, pending a break from my other illustration interests.

Extraordinary Project

Want to be inspired?...

Photographer Jamie Livingston, took a polariod photograph every day for 18 years up until the day that he died. You can see the photographs (numbering over 6,000) on this website or learn more by listening to a taped version of the radio interview (where I found out about this person). I admire people who are able to do something creative everyday. I'd like to say I sketch each day but this is clearly not so. A heart wrenching and fascinating website that any creative or curious individual should see...

Here is a rather small sample of my favorite photographs:

Back in the 70's...
Ahem... the day I was born!



You can see the author of the project to the left near his collection of photo's (still in the 70's)


I love the silly pictures. Don't you just wonder what is going on here?

In the hospital due to cancer.


His wedding, mere weeks before his death.

Creatures All

If any of you recall the Paws & Claws Gala painting that I completed of Barnes, the shelter cat, you may notice that he's featured on the front cover of Creatures All, a magazine about animals. I'm rather happy that they've chosen to do such a bright border for the painting. I'll be running a series of advertisements in the magazine this year as an experiment to market my work locally. I'll let you know how this goes.