"Focus!" Dr. Hunter replied exuberantly. He expounded more on his process. I would have to admit I was initially thinking to myself that his works were done on black paper. His mixed media was stumping me as I can usually guess or identify the mediums involved. I guessed white prismacolor and charcoal to some degree on black paper. Boy was I wrong! He started with a white base (a rag paper) and built his rich black tones up across the surfaces using printmaking techniques, collaging, prismacolor pencils (got that one), charcoal (got that too), mylar (say what?) and airbrushing (didn't see that one coming). Naturally how he arrives at the final artwork is his "trade secret" that he has spent many years (since 1980) perfecting. I absolutely love his integration of text and images...his works have a very graphic feel to them. My children even got into the art. My son (he is popular with the artists) told him what his favorite piece was, a work called "Wrap" which was a play on the evolution of rap music. The child got a kick out of spotting the Energizer Bunny and Snoopy among the images. As we were leaving my son called out to him and said, "Wow, you're a really good artist!" We couldn't help but to laugh.
I got to see my professors which always warms my heart. I found out that Ms. Gilkerson is also going for the same fellowship I was through the arts commission. Now THIS ought to be interesting lol. I told Mr. Nevitt I was seriously considering going for my MFA at USC and asked him if he would mind reviewing my portfolio. Naturally he didn't mind at all. I think he was relieved to no end that I didn't abandon my artistic endeavors as soon as I got my degree. No...it's too much a part of me for all of that.
When we were leaving my husband wanted to know why I didn't touch on more social subjects or add more images to my pieces. Personally I like to subtly offend rather than outrightly offend. I get a kick out of white folks trying to interpret my work because it really has nothing to do with them other than the effects of what the enslavement and colonization process has done to minorities in America and across the world. That's mostly indirectly but if they really want to get deep with it...He made some suggestions that bout near had me crying from laughter. He had commentary on every group in America even homosexuals and I would have to admit it would be pretty hilarious to observe a crowd viewing some of those pieces. I told him for his sake I'll do a series I'll call tentatively "The Melting Pot" until I come up with something more fitting. His whole commentary revolved around food. Simply hilarious. I'll probably get started this weekend.
Dr. Hunter's work did remind me of work I did when I was younger. There was so much I wanted to say that all related so I would use one piece and incorporate all of my ideas into it. I did a piece in high school, a linocut, called "The Spirit of Africa" that was one of those pieces. I still have that linocut too. It is a black woman in a headwrap, her dress is flowing behind her. Between the folds of her dresses are the words "The Spirit of Africa" in block capitals and there are bambara antelope headdresses in the background along with some African masks. I won the Savannah River Site Black History Month Art contest when I was in the tenth grade using a similar method. I did four panels each with multiple images from the Africans sojourn in America. As I got older, less is more became my mantra as I got really caught up in the technical aspect of art more than the deeper meaning. I could manipulate the viewer more when I limited the amount of information they were perceiving. While I still utilize less is more, I say more with my art...people do not like to think. Sure I can tell them what to think with my imagery but I'd rather make them work for it. What I enjoyed about Dr. Hunter's work was the fact that despite all of the imagery and the words, you develop a different perspective each time you viewed his pieces. Everytime I went back to look at a piece I found something new I didn't see before and I would get a little laugh out of it. He said that he was inspired by satire and by Mad Magazine growing up. He liked the fact that you had to read it multiple times and catch the subtle hints of satire that would be spread out through each page. His pieces are EXACTLY that way and the best part? All of the imagery in each of his pieces just belonged. He has the perfect balance of imagery and message. I will definitely seek out his work in the future. He is the executive director of a program called FACETS, the Fine Arts Cultural Enrichment Teaching Studios that works in conjunction with Clemson University to serve the underserved young artists in the upstate area. He invited us to a show that he would be having with some of his students. We will certainly try to make it. I'll ask my professors to keep me abreast of his events.
One day, I intend to teach. I have been able to not only improve the artwork of children I have worked with as a volunteer art instructor in the schools, I have given them skills they could utilize across different curriculum and use at home and in their communities. The mere imparting of information is not education...true education should stimulate the mind and result in making a person think and do for him/herself. I desire to work primarily with black children. Our black children get such a bad reputation for not "performing to standards." Whose standards? I am of the personal opinion that the educational system of America is insufficient and incapable of properly educating the young black mind. The system is antiquated...immobility and rigidity are the products of modern socialization and are really unrealistic when it comes to teaching (in my opinion).
The mind is fluid as should the method of molding said mind. I don't know how many times I have sat through classes and observed children sitting with a blank stare, looking off into space or dozing while the teacher is trying to teach them any number of subjects. What's worse is the children are punished for not being able to focus despite the mundane methodology that is being employed to enrich their mobile minds. Now most of the art instructors don't take too kindly to my methods so I have to find a balance. I changed my approach in a way that the children would constantly ask questions. I make them challenge me. The first class I taught was one of animal portraiture and I was drawing a bulldog. I began with shapes. The children immediately got argumentative. "That's too easy" and "how is THAT going to be a bulldog?" and my personal favorite, "are you REALLY an artist?" *sigh* Eleven year olds. Anyway, I began from there and within minutes had an exact drawing of the bulldog. Now I really had their attention. I was answering questions for the better part of an hour...thankfully it was a two hour seminar. The methods I taught them for drawing their pet portraits could be used to draw ANYTHING. I play on their expectation that something should come out perfectly as soon as you put it down...children for whatever reason think that way. I turned their expectations upside down and kept their attention. I tell them to quiet down and guess what? They actually do it! They don't want to miss a thing. They were surprised when it was time to go as was I (I was having a blast). The teacher called me back again for a portrait drawing class. I draw pretty fast which works pretty well with young people. They think I'm some kind of superhero or something.
My husband says I just have a way with children and so does he just more so. Every time we go to the park he ends up with a pretty good following of children wanting to play. It's funny to watch. I'm glad that my son has him as a constant positive role model.
What art have I been doing? I completed these some weeks ago. I'm in the process of doing some smaller studies now.
Thanks to the talented folks at wetcanvas I have made improvements to the last painting and I am very pleased with it.
I do not intend to work on it any more...these are studies after all.
While painting on these studies I was having a bit of difficulty doing something that is very important to an artist...seeing. The images were blurry and I was really having some difficulty so I went to the eye doctor. Yep. New glasses were overdue.
This piece is 8 x 10.
I completed this study of a Sudanese woman. While painting isn't my forte I do enjoy doing it sometimes. It remains unfinished as I do not desire to mess around with it any more. These are studies afterall.
This piece is 11 x 14. I will work on larger paintings later...there is so much I want to do. Slow and steady wins the race as they say. With a four day weekend coming up I intend to get a jump start in that race. I want to go to the About Face drawing group tonight but have decided not to. My husband is training for a Power Lifters meet and needs his gym time. He offered to be my model as my chief complaint was the lack of a model and the lack of the ability to stay focused what with four kids running around. Staying focus will still be an issue which is why I wanted a more structured setting. Well I'm not doing so badly though...I get more done than most. I still teach crochet classes at A.C. Moore and intend to get back into volunteering at the schools I guess when everything gets on the up and up.
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