Tag Archives: sketchbook exchange program

We freed the first butterfly yesterday in a break between storms and said a goodbye prayer that it would find it’s way safely to some nectar filled flowers. There was a tornado watch here– which might not have been optimal. But there was no twister, so not to worry right?

It was a really nice art-filled weekend. We started a “sketchbook challenge” month as a family. Jim just did one last month with another group and it was so much fun. Join the FLICKR group if you’d like to participate. “MONTHLY SKETCHBOOK CHALLENGE”

We are all scribbling away. Have to fill it by month’s end. Marigold has no worries, and I think she’s right– she filled a BUNCH of pages today! It’s nice that she has the fire going… she even took it on a playdate today and drew until her pencil point broke. Since there was no sharpener, that was it. Wait ’til she learns to gnaw a point back on that pencil.

Here is one of the sketches I posted. I found this oddish piece of wood soon after we moved into this house. I suppose it is a sliced off knot-wound from one of the trees. I have always thought it really sort of magical looking.  I don’t think I am the only one.It has been an architectural element of various sorts in the big fairy house for the past 2 years. Sometimes, I’ll see it hanging on a tree or twig-fence. Seems to have many uses in the hidey-hole yard.

So, I came across it today just lying in the grass. Someday, when Jim and I renew our gnomic nuptials, I’ll put our picture in it as a frame.

( I think I hear him bellowing out in the barn….)

What else??

My dear Peggaloo ( who just finished her own familyesque sketchbook challenge) sent a link yesterday that I LOVED

Yeondoo Jung Born 1969, Jinju, Korea.
Lives and works in Seoul, Korea.

http://www.yeondoojung.com/artworks_view_wonderland.php?no=88

Go check it out, I’ll wait.

Zzzzzzzzzz…….

I thought it was absolutely brilliant.

Don’t you LOVE how the costumes and body proportions are straight from the drawings. Don’t you want one of those princess dresses? Or the BIG pink bed?

I only looked at that collection– none of the artist info, etc… until later. My FANTASY-story was that it was a PARENT-ARTIST ( ok, a MOM in my fantasy) who was so inspired by her child’s art that she interpreted and celebrated them in her own art. Can’t you totally see that?? Aren’t we all SO totally inspired by kids art?? Can’t you see wanting to bring them to life like that? I thought “WOW! We should start a group of folks who would like to experiment with something like that for fun! ” ( After all, isn’t it all about the communal art group now?? I LOVE that!) I have seen things like when artists incorporate kids art into a drawing or assemblage piece, or like when soulemama embroiders her kids art on quilts and hangings just as 2 quick examples. So many different ways you could work with it.

This just blew me away though. Completely.

Imagine my surprise when I did a little reading later and my fantasy was smashed to bloody bits. I still L.O.V.E. the work. But sigh… here’s the real story.

First, a man, not a mom.

“South Korean photographer Yeondoo Jung’s series Wonderland attempts to recreate the fantastic euphoria of young children’s crayon artwork. The gallery that showed the series a few years back explains how Jung executed his vision:
[The series] presents costumed adolescents posing in sets based as closely as possible on children’s drawings. He collaborates with many people to bring to life the boundless imagination in the drawings. For four months, Jung oversaw art classes in four kindergartens in Seoul and collected 1,200 drawings by children between the ages of five and seven. After pouring through them, he carefully selected 17 drawings and interpreted their meanings. Then he recruited 60 high school students by passing out handbills at their schools in which he invited them to act out the scenarios in the children’s drawings. In order to recreate faithfully drawing details such as dresses with uneven sleeves or buttons of different sizes, he convinced five fashion designers to custom make the clothing for the photo shoot. He also made props unlike any scale found in reality but similar to those in the drawings. ”

A little more realistic, yes? Budget. Gallery. 1200 drawings. Access to things like fashion designers. Just a bit more clinical than my fantasy though. I am sticking with my dream, and still so thankful to Peggaloo and Mr. Jung for the morning fit of inspiration. If such a group exists– please invite me!!!

tired. late. still stuff to do.

I’ll tell you a story about a spinning-knitting-math-word-problem tomorrow. It can be like the PUZZLER on Car Talk! Get ‘yer thinking caps on.