Oh boy, markers (NOT a go-to), least favorite color, and a subject that isn’t on my radar. This was a hard one what with 3 negatives going for it. But, hey, it’s a challenge, right?
Choosing a subject came first….we have a house full of Indonesian masks and sculptures. (My husband studied gamelon music in Indonesia.) Garuda, the “mount” of Vishnu and popular with Balinese artists seemed a good choice, esp. since he can be green, red, yellow or orange.
I rarely choose yellow/orange for anything---artwork, décor, clothing...though I do have a soft spot for sunflowers.
First I drew a bunch of images based on one of our wooden Garuda sculptures and then made a simplified marking pen outline and colored it with markers.
A far-too-common archetype that i have observed frequently in people as they converse with another is one in which an individual uses two layers of defense to protect an otherwise unexamined confusion or emptiness. This relates to a defense of the ego and does not apply to all situations involving anything discussed.
First posturing:
-A mask (or wall) of mockery is sustained in which the defensive individual behaves flippantly as if in jest. This positioning is a way to be aloof from the situation, using incredulity and belittlement to keep a person or their ideas away from the defensive individual.
Second posturing:
-A mask (or wall) of rage is revealed after a certain level of perceived threat is achieved internally. This positioning is usually the one the defensive individual maintains when they have given up the argument or the introspection. Not risking an ontological or existential crisis, the defensive individual lashes out with anger, often accusatorily in manner, potentially belittling others further or just plain rushing away in a huff. This is usually the end of the engagement.
Third posturing:
-The masks (or walls) both come off, leaving the defensive individual to examine the thoughts or behaviors involved in the situation more critically. The defensive individual may find themselves feeling deeply uncomfortable, sad, uneasy, lost, or confused. This position leads to introspection and to a genuine openness, which is not something that the defensive individual had been prepared for. They may find that they were incorrect, only partially correct, or that the perceived rightness of their idea/behavior now has an expanded context, all of which may seem frightening. Individuals may become mentally paralyzed at this point. It takes a strength and an honesty to reflect in this position, which is not something that everyone expressing this archetype will be capable of doing.
(Based on my professional insights as: a cashier, as a member of various technical support staffs, as an occasional minister, and as a peer counselor. Also based on my casual and repeated interactions with both strangers and with more intimately known persons over the course of my lifetime. Observations are my own.)
I collaged "Krampus is Coming For You" together with my own monoprints as well as one of my drawings of Japanese Noh masks that I cut out of an old sketchbook. For the second piece, I had a drawing of Marie Antoinette as an ice cream cone, so I gave her a dress, put a background of my monoprints on her, etc. Then I added more cherries, and the circle reminded me of a clock, so I inked in the arms accordingly.
There's a moment in Black Panther where Michael B Jordan's character steals an African mask from a museum. When the other character with him asks why, he says "I'm just feelin' it." The mask he grabbed was VERY cool, and I kind of wanted one, too. But, short of stealing things out of museums, I guess I'll have to draw them. If you click on the image, you'll see a full spread of them.
Two new characters; Ace and Bowie. They work at a casino together, and are best friends. They always wear their masks no matter what, and are so in coordination with each other that they might as well be twins. Or something. Drawn with FireAlpaca.
The guy who revived Jack, Dave, and Henry (DSaF 4 fan stuff) wears the Chica mascot suit, because he knew nobody else would wear it. Here he is, up on stage. Not while the pizzeria was open, of course --- the children would go nuts. He isn't wearing his mask he usually wears out-of-suit because it would be hard to keep the Chica head down. Uh, if you know what I mean. Two masks on at the same time = bad. Drawn with FireAlpaca. Also, the big says "Let's Cry", which is just for laughs. Something like that would work in a DSaF game.
Yesterday I saw my good friend and I went to the park(I see her all the time but this time our mom and little siblings came) and it was just like old times we played laser tag with the littles, and talked, and swung on swings and climbed trees and it was so fun so I drew us afterwards. I also drew our masks halfway on so we could see our faces. I HATE COVID! I also really dislike wearing masks and distancing and stuff so this is a way of getting around that. Idk if that makes sense.
Image showing how masks would work. So the realistic counterparts of Dave, Jack, and Henry look more like they do in the games, they've been given masks that resemble their pixel-y esque faces. Drawn with FireAlpaca.
I feel like I haven't made any actual art in a while, let alone actually said anything about anything. It's been a long week, in both good and bad ways. First off, I was accepted into college, and then (for lack of better words) I accepted my acceptance to that school (I'm officially a Blue Demon!). Gymnastics is shut down, which I feared would happen, due to the rising cases in IL. It'll be closed at least until after the holidays, which scares me, but it is what it is (I wish people would just follow guidelines and wear masks)... I've been frustrated lately, mostly artistically. I go through times where I'm not satisfied with anything, nothing is good enough but all I want to do is create. There are a few larger projects I've been working on in the background, two for school and one personal. The personal one I haven't had much time to work on, but I'm hoping I will over the next few days (since I'm on break.) So yep. Lots of moving parts right now. Anyway, I hope everyone has a safe Thanksgiving!
