I am continuing to try to paint without outlining in pen first - just starting with a pencil sketch. I used this awesome photo as reference: https://www.pexels.com/photo/chimpanzee-sitting-on-gray-stone-in-closeup-photography-during-daytime-33787/
In July of 2022, Brianna Grier died falling out of a moving police car while having a mental health breakdown. Since Brianna passed, I have been heartbroken for her twins and family but also reflecting on my struggle with mental health. Mental health needs compassion and empathy, not police and punishment. The brunch strokes are purposeful, but I completed them with empathy in mind. I want to keep the composition simple but filled with meaning. The color theme represents vastness and loneliness, but also kinetic energy found in warm orange tones.
"Nowhere Fast" is a compelling still life that blends mundane domesticity with surreal, slightly ominous undertones. The scene is anchored by a wooden table where a spilled glass, a pack of matches, and an ashtray with a smoldering cigarette suggest a moment of interrupted pause or quiet, long-term stagnation. Dominating the foreground is an oversized, weathered cigarette carton boldly labeled "WARNING", its subtle but unsettling presence hinting at a consumption that leads nowhere.
In the background, a vintage RCA television set displays a stylized amanita mushroom, a recurring symbolic motif that adds a layer of psychedelia and altered perception to the otherwise drab setting. The earthy, muted color palette and soft lighting create a feeling of weary introspection, capturing a sense of being perpetually stuck in a cycle. The piece masterfully uses everyday objects to explore themes of vice, time, and the quiet, slow march toward an uncertain destination.
The amaranthus are commonly used as symbols of eternity/immortality due to its ability to retain its color for a long time after dying/cut off". I thought that this phenomenon represents "hope" more than the more common meaning of "devotion/undying love". Having hope keeps us alive during difficult periods where we are cut off from the things that typically motivates us, whether it be financial resources, loved ones, etc., and I tried to convey this by juxtaposing the vibrant colours of the flowers (symbolizing hope and life) with the grayscale tone of the statue (symbolizing death and brokenness).
This piece was made 2 months into starting drawing. A symbolic surge of creativity and inspiration as the veil was broken down. This can be considered a personal milestone.
4 of 5 of the characters I scrapped due to changing the tone of the story. This character is half mythic-a ziburinis but flames are purple and half human.
I finally did it. I completed my 100 gestures Challenge. You can do a gesture in 2-3 minutes (or even faster if you are trained), so you can complete such challenge in 4-5 hours. I decided to do gesture drawing as a habit, take some extra time to select poses which I find interesting and draw on most of the days at least one gesture. I started in April and now I'm done in December, which means 7 months later. As it is now a habit I will not stop drawing gestures after the challenge, but I passed a milestone. Thanks for watching.
Finally started back on a regular sketch schedule. Once a week on Thursdays, and I really look forward to it. I tried to tone down the orange marker with brown ink, but no luck. It really was a bright and sunny fence, though.
Classical lighting setup. Finished piece derived from an initial sketch. Model: Meadhbh (Maeve).
H, 4B pencils and white Prismacolor pencil on 9” x 12” Strathmore Toned Grey sketchbook paper.
