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Thursday, June 25, 2015

#TBT and a thought....


Happy Thursday Everyone! 

Here is a little throw back sketch for ya from back in the day. It’s a Lyric sketch for “All Right” by Lee DeWyze 
“I told her she could stay the night…we were up to the morning light and that’s when I knew my friend that everything was all right…”
 
My post has nothing to do with that Lyric… but I was sitting here at the end of this very busy and hectic workday, thinking about all the running around I had to do AFTER work…. when Lee’s voice came on my iPod. Instantly I am calmed, I started thinking that this would make a great post….How amazing it is that a voice can feel like a security blanket. Instantly calming you and putting a smile on your face. This thought then lead to me thinking of this sketch because they are in a blanket fort… haha, I don’t know... I told you my mind is a confusing place. 
 
We will be away all next week, so I should be able to get a bunch of new sketches done. Stay Tuned! 
 
Talk to you soon! 
 
-Jenn

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

INSPIRATION : Paying it forward, a chain reaction


Warning: I again, am going to try to explain to you the pin ball effect that happens when my thoughts cause when I see one thing that leads to a million other thoughts…. 
 
I read this quote on Instagram a while ago that was posted by @Thegoodquote  (I highly suggest you follow them!) http://instagram.com/thegoodquote

“It’s amazing how quickly your mood can change, how deep your heart can sink and how much a person can affect you”
 
…we all know how this can apply to a person, but I feel it also applies to music and then how music applies to my art. 
Like, you can be having a horrible day… overwhelmed by the stress of your day or overcome with sadness for some reason. But then you hear a specific song, sung by a specific voice… and it all melts away. OR; it could have the opposite effect and you could be perfectly fine. Then hear the angst or pain in the lyrics and you can be overcome with a heavy heart. Music is some powerful S***. 
 
Speaking of powerful...Have you ever read anything posted by @PrinceEA  or seen his video posts on FB?
*photo belongs to Prince EA*

He is so inspiring! He is a rapper and activist that posts videos with his thoughts on politics, sociality, environmental and life issues.
I was introduced to his posts when Mark showed me a video called "Why most people die before 25" and I remember being so in awe by his words and the way he said them; we even had our 7 year old son listen. Watch that post here: http://youtu.be/oKAmujgS4mo?list=UUDgUAAHgsV2fFZQm2fIWBnA
 
Well I read a post he did the other day about a conversation he had with an artist friend Lori Gilbert (please check out her work, she is amazing!!!) http://lorigilbertfineart.com


 
When he asked “What is Art to you”, her reply spoke to me…. I totally get it; specifically when she said, “When I first started painting it settled my soul like nothing I had ever felt before…It just centered me in this really beautiful meditative space.…”
 
The reason I wanted to share this with you is because as I read what art meant to Lori, I knew exactly how she feels. Although my work is completely different and not on that level, when I am creating it definitely settles my soul. It’s my happy place. I am creating a world where beautiful music lives. 
(If you are reading this for the first time, All of my illustrations and paintings are inspired by the music and Lyrics of Lee DeWyze. 
 
In the post Lori also mentions that growing up she struggled with depression and anxiety, just as I had and how creating made everything look different. This is exactly how I feel. So by now you are saying, " I get it… you relate to another artist…” Yes I do, I love to hear how other people think like me when I spent most of my life around people I didn’t have much in common with. It’s the joy of social media! I’ve met so many amazing people that think like me and it really does make you feel less alone. The thing that caught my attention the most though was when Lori said, “I never need inspiration, I honestly am creative 365 days a year and just need a project” This statement fascinates me because art takes us to the same place…but I NEED that inspiration. I NEED the music; I NEED to know that Lee is creating more. Trust me, I’ve tried to channel other artistic outlets, but I can’t.  No commission piece, drawing something else meaningful to me… nothing else takes me to the same place Lee’s music does. I reached out to Lori to talk to her about this because I love to know the “whys”.  Let me just say, she is so sweet ! She’s planning to go back and read through this blog to get an idea of where I was coming from. I cannot wait to hear her thoughts on my blog to talk about the difference of needing to be inspired vs. not. 
 
This all brings us back to the original intent of this post. Music is some strong Sh**…
The other day I was having an awful day full of stress. I had this sadness in the pit of my stomach because I haven’t had any time to create and haven’t seen anything new posted from Lee. Then, that night… Lee had a "Stage It" show, played NEW songs and INSTANTLY I was happy! Ideas were flowing…. I needed that show. I am not even going to try to explain the feeling of contentment it gave me... the world was right again. 
 
What do you know about Lee DeWyze? 
That he won American Idol? Well let me tell you, he is the most amazing songwriter I have ever heard. He is my muse and I cannot create without his music. There are plenty of other songwriters out there that write amazing songs- a lot of them write for other artists to sing; there are a lot of amazing singers out there that have tons of people on their payroll to write them the songs they sing…. Lee DeWyze does all that himself. Of course there are people he works with, but he writes from the heart…from HIS heart, on his own. His voice is amazing, raw and full of passion. Lee DeWyze makes sure the music comes together the way he intended it to… This music, that fills my heart and helps me create in my happy place is the product of Lee himself… That alone is admirable and inspiring. There is no better feeling than seeing Lee live, to see his passion. Yes, I’ve seen him play live several times. I get asked, “don’t you ever get sick of the same show?” No!! Even if you see Lee two nights in a row, he never sings a song in the exact same way. Lee DeWyze is a true artist. This new album he is working on is going to blow your mind, I know it…. Go take a listen to Lee's album out now, Frames. You will NOT be disappointed, I promise!  I wish I could write more, but I don’t want to write a book. If you read back throughout this blog…you will get the idea. There is inspiration everywhere. I am fascinated with talking to people that inspire me, knowing what inspires them and sharing where this inspiration comes from. I love it all. Give Lee DeWyze a listen… you will see what I mean. 

THANK YOU Lee DeWyze, PrinceEa, Lori Gilbert and The Good Quote for inspiring me! This is my attempt to pay forward the inspiration you've given me to my readers. 
Please share this to keep that inspiration going and don't forget to check the links above! 
 
Thank you! 
-Jenn 

 

Monday, June 1, 2015

Everything is connected ...

Hello! 
I have a little something I’d like to share with you that I typically don’t… 
Many times I try to do a post explaining the feeling I get when creating and how the ideas come to me when I listen to Lee DeWyze’s music. There is always at least one odd coincidence with whatever I come up with…. 
 
First I’d like to start with my creative process: 
  1. The ideas flow when I am listening to Lee DeWyze, When he posts new lyrics OR at times they will just come out of nowhere (so basically, ALL the time) 
  2. A visual comes to my mind and I usually go out in search of similar “poses” to what I am seeing in my head, so I have a visual guide to help with my proportions, etc. and place it into the world my mind created & make it my own. 
 
 
I know a lot of people do not give any thought to their gut feelings or intuition, but when it comes to my art… I do. I’m going to share with you an example…. 
 
Sometimes when I am scrolling down Pinterest or watching a movie, I’ll see an image that just affects me… like, I know I’ll be able to use it, I can feel it. 
 
I few months ago, I see this on Pinterest…. 

I do not know who the artist is, but I just thought that I should keep it because I was just drawn to it and thought I could use those hands in my own way someday….. 
 
Yesterday Morning I woke up with the urge to sketch. I did not have anything new to draw; I did not have an idea, nothing. I went about my day with this nagging feeling to draw, but had nothing. Well, after a couple hours of cleaning I sat down on the sofa to relax and check my phone. That same picture came up on Pinterest as “something suggested for me”. 
 
About 10 minutes after that, Lee posted new lyrics…

 
You can imagine my excitement when all of a sudden; out of the blue… he posts these beautiful lyrics … 10 min after I was reminded of this picture that just happens to fit perfectly! On a day I had the urge to sketch. A day I was home alone with no outside distractions. All of that… lead to this…. 

 
I love when this happens. This is WHY I love art. This is what happens when you are truly inspired. Unless you create, you might not understand… but you cannot always just sit down and create because you are allotted that time. It has to come with a force… that is when it is exciting and you fall in love with the creative process. That is when it becomes part of you. 
 
It’s funny because right after he posted, Mare texted me “what are you going to sketch???” and I just replied back that I already had an idea. 15 min later, I posted my sketch, then Jaime tweeted me this: 

 
…Funny how the world works. I love that and it only happens when I am bringing music to life…. I absolutely love that!
 
One last thing, I also had just gotten a journal the night before to keep with me to jot down ideas when they do just pop into my head unexpectedly….. 
 
…….SEE?!?!?!...........

You know, something like this happens with every single sketch I do.
 
EVERY. SINGLE. ONE.
 
All 523 of them and counting. It fascinates me and I hope whatever this is that responsible for my connection to the music and lyrics and takes me to this creative place never goes away …. 
 
 
-Jenn xoxo