The Final Friday

The other night I went to The Pendleton Art Center in Cincinnati for their Final Fridays show. For those who've never been, it's a eight story building filled with artist studios. The last Friday of every month, they let artists open up their studios to the public to showcase and sell their work. There are all kinds of artists ranging from sculpture, painters, printmakers, metal work, and even some glass blowers! It's really truly a one of a kind experience to not only see so many artists and their studios but to be able to talk about their work as well.

Most of the studios are actually for real studios, but some can seem more like a store or a gallery, which weren't quite as inviting. I liked the ones that seemed like the artist actually did work in. You know, a bit messy with canvas and paints everywhere. I heard a few complaining about the smell of turpentine in one but to me, it made it more personal.

I highly suggest getting there early, especially if you don't do well with crowds. The later you get there, the more crowded it tends to get. Most studios tend to be small, so as the night progresses it gets increasingly difficult to view most of the work at a leisurely pace. Plus it's far more likely that you are able to have some one on one time with the artist.

All in all, I'm really glad I went to the Pendleton's Final Friday! I got to meet and talk to a lot of great artists and see a lot of simply amazing art. Seeing all the cool studios and just talking to people just really inspired and reminded me why I love art and want to pursue it as a career. It truly is a must for any budding artist in the area!

My Influences: Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli

There are times when I get so enthralled with something, that I usually forget everything else about that day. One such instance was with "Spirited Away" by Studio Ghibli, directed by Hiyao Miyazaki. I don't remember what I was doing, or why i had been watching it, or even if anyone had taken me to go see it.

I was completely and utterly captivated by this film. The story itself was phenomenal, yet it was the animation that really drew me in. All the detail and little things that made this movie what it was blew me away. The fact that the main character was the least detailed figure in the whole movie but possibly the most expressive made me so excited  that went home immediately to draw her. I would spend countless hours trying to recreate just how absolutely breathtaking all the scenery was with water colors and markers and oil pastels or whatever I thought at the moment was what made those backdrops. To say I became obsessed was an understatement.
Yet it didn't stop there. Once I figured out who created the movie there was no stopping me viewing everything he had done. This not only applied to his movies, but his concept art as well.

Concept art for Kiki's Delivery Service

I've tried to take the same approach that is done in his movies as well. Though, I find it hard for myself to actually make a character so...not detailed. His characters are usually plain looking but when you're watching them within a story, they aren't so plain. Though, I do think his work has inspired me into making my stories and comics more animated and less dependent on detail, I don't think I quite got the hang of it yet.

The Golden Key

My newest project as of late is an animation. It'll be approximately three minutes in length and will feature a tale from the Brothers Grimm as my main focus. The story that i picked is honestly very, very short. It barely takes up a third of the page!

Here it is:

"In the winter time, when deep snow lay on the ground, a poor boy was forced to go out on a sledge to fetch wood. When he had gathered it together, and packed it, he wished, as he was so frozen with cold, not to go home at once, but to light a fire and warm himself a little. So he scraped away the snow, and as he was thus clearing the ground, he found a tiny, gold key. Hereupon he thought that where the key was, the lock must be also, and dug in the ground and found an iron chest. If the key does but fit it! thought he, no doubt there are precious things in that little box. He searched, but no keyhole was there. At last he discovered one, but so small that it was hardly visible. He tried it, and the key fitted it exactly. Then he turned it once round, and now we must wait until he has quite unlocked it and opened the lid, and then we shall learn what wonderful things were lying in that box."

Obviously very short and very simple. My idea though, is to give it that story book feel by only using a very little amount of actual animation and to incorporate the text as much as possible. The majority of everything else will be sorta a collage of pictures and textures to really give it some aesthetic oomph. I intend it to fairly cute and simple since I feel as though if I really did anything else with it, it just wouldn't go over too well.

Here is screen shot of what I'm doing at the moment:

My Influences: Bill Watterson

When I was younger, I can remember when there were just whole days where I would do absolutely nothing but read book after book of comics. Sure the only real thing that broke me from the comics was the call of a good meal, but who's counting, really? Most parent would probably be concerned hearing their child laughing hysterically by themselves for hours on end, I'm glad my parents weren't.

Bill Watterson's Calvin & Hobbes is what kept me laughing by myself, hours on end. Possibly the most acclaimed comic strip of its era, Calvin & Hobbes ran from 18 November 1985 to 31 December 1995. Calvin is a six-year-old boy, Hobbes a stuffed tiger who in Calvin's presence, and Calvin's presence only, comes to life and is capable of speech. From harrowing adventures in space and against Mutant snow goons to just dealing with the baby sitter and his parents, it follows Calvin through all aspects of life.

Yet the real appeal to this comic for me, even as a young child, were it's themes.  Calvin and Hobbes are always discussing the weightier matters of life like religion, politics, and the meaning of life. Yet, it never seems heavy handed, Calvin & Hobbes take the issues an adult may prefer to leave theoretical, and apply them to everyday life with amazing simplicity and a healthy dose of humor.

Though, I do love Watterson's handling of line weight and simplicity, his style is not what i want to emulate. At some point I will want to do a story very near and dear to my heart. It's about someone in my life that I feel addresses a lot of issues. When I do decide to make it, I do NOT want to it to be heavy handed. If anyone could learn anything from Watterson, is to make light of a situation and to present an uncomfortable issue in a, well, comfortable light.

Life Drawing

I feel as though it's usually important to go back to the basics and build upon what you already know. There is no better way to do this than in a life drawing course. Even though we look at human figure everyday there are not many times that we, as an artist or not, can actually critically analysis the human figure. I feel like it's important that we continue to build upon what we know about the human figure so as to have a better understanding of it. Plus, I get a lot of enjoyment from drawing the human figure.

Here's my most recent one, done from a stock image for forty-five minutes.

Et tu Muse?

There are, for the most part, clear cut steps for any art project. Most technical processes only really require a cut here, paste there, scribble more, less green, no glitter. Yet, no one really accounts for the infamous creative block. Muses are fickle and fleeting, and I am by no means impervious to their wishy-washy whims. My technical process can be seriously affected when I am under it's curse.

There is, of course, ways to get around it. I generally do not have the luxury of sitting around waiting for my muse to grant me a secret magical concoction of creative juices. Of course there isn't any, I have to work through and find out what will charge my creative batteries again. Doing this usually involves trying to go to my happy place. Funnily enough, my happy place usually involves creating something completely different.

Conveniently enough, I am currently in the midst of my latest block. Though I think my muse is coming back in the form of a tiny black and white fluffy cat.

Hey, Hi, Hello

Welcome, and enjoy your stay.

My name is Sarah Striker, and this hopefully if you are not terribly confused, is my art blog. The first thing I want to address is the title of my blog. Standing in fire is generally not associated with anything good. I feel as though art can be a lot like standing in fire for me though, at least the career part. It makes me nervous to the point of sweating, yet like the generations of men and women before me, it also attracts our attention and captivates us. My fire is art, its what makes me nervous yet also drives me.

I don't feel as though simple words can truly show you who I am. Let me show you some of my embers.

AC-MOI, November 2010, Photoshop

Mothers Lament, February 2009, Mixed Media

Flobots Poster, December 2008, Photoshop

 
“No Words” page 1, December 2009, Pencil and Ink 

Personal Buddha, March 2011, Oil Paint on wood