52 Fridays - This Week in Living Color

 

Welcome to week fourteen of my "52 Fridays" art project. I'm changing this from a "drawing project" to the more general term art because I want latitude to play with different mediums. Sculpture, painting,  interpretive dance? Stay tuned and see what happens.

This week is a drawing of a wood carved figure of the Gurunsi tribe from West Africa (learn more at Africa 101 Lost Tribes). I found the photo on "Zachary Feere—African Art" Instagram's feed, which has been a treasure trove of amazing stuff and this is not my first time pulling something from there. I was drawn to this piece because of the strong cuts across the face that suggest ritual scarification or maybe, healed wounds. The epic nose and sensual lips and overall shape of the head also attracted me. I decided to add color to this piece and used color pencils to overlay my ballpoint drawing. My girlfriend, Ieva, commented that "He looks bloody.", which I didn't notice, but see that now. I think he looks like a warrior who has been through hell and out the other side and wears has scars proud.

Happy Friday and see you next week!

OK HW

52 Fridays - Fast and Loose

 

"I'm better when I move..." A favorite line from "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid". This week's drawing is of the fast and loose variety. I seem to have two speeds, either "fast and loose" or "slow and tight". It is some insight into my psyche. The F & L drawings drop from a place of confidence and have more life. The S & T drawings rise from an opposite place of careful, too careful, consideration and a desire to disappear into the details. Somehow the F & L drawings manage to capture more of my soul, maybe because I am thinking less and just making marks, which feels good. 

This was drawn from an image found in the book, "African Art" by Frank Willet. This mask is from the Congo basin area of Africa and is called "Ngbangba Ikoro" and was carved by the Ibo tribe. I always include this information so you can research this if it inspires you like it does me. It's a holy act to speak those tribal names and draw their image with my own hand attaching some of my spirit to their's to keep that energy flowing. I'm not trying to appropriate the culture, rather, I hope that it will appropriate me.

Happy Friday amigo,

OK HW

The New Logo - Keep it Simple

 

This is the new official Weaverwerx logo. What do you think? I have a bad habit of over-thinking everything and have been mulling over a new logo design for some time, too long. I was sketching out some ideas tonight and drew this and immediately liked the loose, hand-made quality. It is authenticate to where I am at the moment with the Weaverwerx thing. It's not really a business right now, just an umbrella to throw over top of whatever I happen to be messing with. I think it would look good on a t-shirt. Always best to keep it simple. I'll leave off the "stupid" part of that meme as there's no need to beat myself up over this. 

OK HW

52 Fridays - I Didn't Draw This for You

 

Just sayin'. Not you specifically, but anyone, everyone. If I start thinking about an audience, I get self-conscious and the drawing is dead. All the magic and mystery leaks out onto the floor. This week's drawing is called "I dreamed I disappeared, but I was wrong." It's built from the leftovers of last week's drawing, those splotches are the bleed through of the India ink on the page below. The ink went through several more pages creating ever smaller and fainter shapes, so I will continue to harvest this randomness. I like how the ink has warped the paper creating a subtle series of dunes, like a desert. 

See you next week.

OK HW