I’ve been on a major drawing kick with these animal totems.I first drew “Alleg
I’ve been on a major drawing kick with these animal totems. I first drew “Allegheny Totem” back in 2010 when my high school requested a piece for their alumni art show. I was game, but what I created had to be very me. I’m fiercely proud to hail from the Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania, so I needed to compose something with that environment in mind. In a sense it is my way of showing ultimate respect for that place and the animals I grew up around. The drawing was challenging, taking multiple hours and getting the ballpoint to cooperate. I was later told the students asked how the hell it was done, which makes me really happy… makes me feel like I succeeded. I followed that drawing with “Spirits,” a very special piece that I created while spending a month with my Dad a few summers ago. My parents split up when I was 12, so spending time with my Dad has always been hard to achieve due to distance and time. I wanted to make him proud with that drawing, and to show him I’ve honed my craft. He’s a retired architect who drew everything by hand, so I feel we connect over our technical abilities. I submitted the final piece to the county fair (which I hadn’t entered since 4th grade). I won first place in drawing. My Dad has this drawing framed with my little first place sticker attached. My last big ballpoint, “Great North Totem” was completed in 2013. I worked on that drawing all summer, a little bit at a time. My goal was to gain a spot in an artist-in-residence program in a national park, with the intent that this key drawing would highlight my skills. I nearly cried when I finished it because it was such an undertaking for me, both in detail and size. I submitted it in September and waited three long months to hear whether or not I was accepted into the program. I received an email thanking me for my submission, but unfortunately no offer. I definitely cried over that, but It’s a learning process. You can’t win them all. Now I’m starting a new piece. This one isn’t meant to impress anyone but myself, and to get back to appreciating the process and working at whatever pace feels natural. I find that I get excited to make art when it’s for me. It’s not a chore, and doesn’t have the pressure of a client’s taste or preferences. I’m also working on a much bigger scale than I usually do, and this piece is in COLOR! I’m using oil paints for their blendable nature, and because they’re one of my favorite mediums to date. I’ve chosen animals I’m drawn to, and that represent something about myself or my life. I sketched it out and laid the groundwork today, so we’ll see how this one turns out. I’m excited as anything to work on it more, and can’t wait to work on the fine detail and shading. Very happy to get going. -- source link