Throw back Thursday

Fact: I am an artist. I went to art school. 

I went almost 7 years without creating and was fine with it- gave it no thought. 

Since I first heard Lee Dewyze’s voice on American Idol in 2010 ….. 5 years ago…. My mind has been flooded with images, giving me a primal need to draw, paint and create. All of a sudden, this skill I had since I was little suddenly MADE SENSE, it has a purpose…. In that 5 years, I have created:

* painted 20 Paintings inspired by him voice, music and lyrics

*754 sketches which fills several sketchbooks- accompanied by millions of notes and ideas

 

I kinda think that this  is proof that Inspiration exists, don’t you?? 

I NEED that music to create…. More than air…. And if you’ve ever been truly inspired by something or someone.. you’ll understand, if not… then I sound crazy and I’m ok with that also. 

 

Works in Progress & East Coast Lee DeWyze Shows next week!

Hello Everyone! 

I apologize for being so quiet lately. Lots going on with My son’s BMX racing, work, etc. 

Hopefully I will have some art to post in the near future. I HAVE been working on a personal painting, so hopefully that will be done soon.  I also have two commission pieces that are in the works so I have been busy busy busy. I have a Lee show coming up next week and that always launches the sketching into super mode… so we ready. 

I hope is well and I’ll be posting more soon! 

 

This show will be at the Sellersville Theater in Sellersville PA with Leslie DiNicola on Tuesday 9/22/15. Here is the link to get your VIP and GA tickets : 

VIP: http://www.st94.com/event/905605/

GA: http://www.st94.com/event/905581/

 It is a beautiful venue. Hopefully I see you there!

 

Also, check out Lee's site for a show near you!!! http://leedewyzeofficial.com

Amazing....

Hi everyone! 

Just a quick note as I sit here watching all the videos from Lee DeWyze's show tonight ( thank you ladies!) .... This man is amazing; a true songwriter. His words...voice.... And passion are overwhelming. How can you NOT be inspired by him? I mean, seriously....I just don't have the words, just sitting here in awe because that's what his music does. 

...thanks all.... Good night 

"Open your eyes" & stuff ....

 

Hello everyone! 

I realize it has been a while since my last post. Work has been so crazy I barely have time to scroll through any social media unless someone specifically sends me something and I have also been trying to work more on ME but exercising more and all that jazz. 

I have done a few sketches in the meantime though: 

 

But the truth is, I have been kind of in a creative funk. I sit down to create and I just feel like I can’t some days. Those days are extremely hard for me and make me sad. I think it is mostly stress from everyday life like work, grown up things , etc.  However, then I have days where I cannot concentrate on anything else. I just have all these ideas flying at me and I end up spending an entire day writing ideas down on sticky notes. I love that though. Those days are ONLY brought on by Lee DeWyze music and when I am in a lull… I crave it. Does that make me an addict? If you could FEEL the way I do at times like this.. you’d be too. 

So I sit here, nervously tapping my foot and anxiously awaiting new music from Lee to get lost in. I am so excited. 

Hopefully this funk will end, as I have a show coming up soon. 

 

I had this idea the other day that I was pretty excited about. After my last sketch ; I noticed that I only have about 20-25 more pages left in this book. After those are filled, I will have filled 3 entire sketchbooks with about 200 pages per book. That is A LOT of inspiration. SO I was thinking…. I create images inspired by Lee DeWyze music and lyrics that touch me and I try my best over and over again to explain to you how special they are to me. haha, all joking aside…. I am a pretty complex person. There are LOTS of things you do not know about me, the things that brought me to be the person I have become or why certain things me so much to me. 

Now, granted I will always have parts of me that will always be locked instead. I found the perfect quote to explain why that is:  “I’m very picky with whom I give my energy to. I prefer to reserve my time, intensity and spirit exclusively to those who reflect sincerity”- Dau Voire. …. And even then I’m guarded, Always have been. 

 

Anyway, despite that; I have decided to make my next sketchbook a true Art journal. I am pretty excited about it and a little nervous at the same time. I plan to start out with a self-portrait and my artist’s statement. After that each page is going to give you a little bit of me and an image that reminds me of it. Family life, things that always made me feel safe, biggest fears, favorite things, quotes, etc.  

 

I have a feeling by sharing that stuff, you’ll be able to relate to my work more and understand why those particular lyrics touched me, or understand why I love horror so much or anything creepy. Obviously there will still be hundreds of Lee inspired drawings because they are such a huge part of me. You’ll maybe understand why I’d choose Lee’s song “Open your eyes” as the theme song of my life.

If you were watching a movie about my life, “Open your eyes” would definitely be softly playing in the background to enhance the dramatic narrative and the emotional impact of most of the scenes. (I told you I was complicated): 

“Open your eyes
You’ve gotta see the truth to see the lies…” , “You’ve gotta feel the lows to feel the high”, “What’s coming over me? I can barely breathe. Everyone can see. Everyone but me” , “Open you heart
Put together, what you tore apart?”

 

See? Deep and so fitting. The most important line though? “Remember where I end and where you start…”That’s always been important to me because like everyone else, when you get into relationships both romantic and friendships…. People lose a little bit of themselves and blur that line. I’ve been guilty of that several times. I have been finding “Me” again in my art and Lee’s music and let me tell you something: I love my life. I have an amazing husband that loves me, and amazing son and friends that have seen me through everything… but I missed “me”. 

The other day when I thought of this new sketchbook theme, I was telling mare about it and her response pretty much made my heart burst, like her words usually do: “Understanding a person’s art, whatever medium that is, is understanding them. Knowing their heart. When you find the heart in something, you find inspiration, you find connection, and even pieces of yourself... “  I LOVE that. It is so true.  What would your theme song be? Are you able to recognize choices you’ve made when you were not being yourself? What would YOUR biography look like if it was sketched out? I am extremely excited to see mine. 

 

-Jenn

When your muse plays hide & seek

…..I guess that’s being a bit dramatic, huh? My Muse is not lost; sometimes I just get in a funk and cannot find him. As most of you know, about 95% of my art is inspired by Lee DeWyze. Some people can argue that a true artist can work on anything, at any time. If this is true, then I guess I am not a “real” artist. Trust me, I have tried to do subjects that are not lee related. Those turn out ok, but there is nothing there for me; I am not attached to them. I know that is hard for some people to understand, but it is what it is. 

That being said, with my “Muse” being a touring, busy musician; he is busy. I have never been a needy person, but when life gets too busy for me to draw, or I don’t see posts and tweets about Lee creating…I can’t. I need to hear the new music, I need to explore new lyrics that spark new images in my head. 

 

For the last month or so, between my busy life and not being as active on social media, I have felt myself falling into a creative black hole. When this happens, it actually makes me sad. I have done a few sketches in the meantime, including a self-portrait, but I wasn’t feeling them. they didn't take me to that happy place. 

 

This Past weekend I watched the movie “Big Eyes”, the story of Walter & Margaret Keane.

It was about the famous “Big Eye” paintings in the 60's that became famous by an artist named Walter Keane; however it turns out that Walter never painting them. As a matter of fact,he was not an artist at all. His wife, Margaret Keane had been painting them for over 10 years and keeping this inside. I can not imagine how she must have felt! To have work that means something to you and no one knows where is actually came from. There is a scene in the movie where she talks about what her “Big Eyed” children mean to her. I was so moved by her because that is how I feel about my Lee art. They are not just sketches to me, they come from somewhere special. True Inspiration. You may think you have been inspired, but you don’t realize what that actually means until it finally hits you. 

A few of my favorite quotes from the movie that struck a cord with me are: 

Margaret: "People buy art because it touches them. Walter: You’re living in fairy tale land. People buy art because it’s in [the stores and in vogue]. They don’t get to discover it."

Margaret: "Why are you lying? You are taking credit for something you didn’t do. These children are a part of my soul"

"You don’t know what it’s like to put your emotions out"

Watching this movie sort of nudged me a bit to want to get back into the sketchbook. 

 

Last night, my husband went out for a mountain bike ride and I decided that enough was enough. If I could not think of visuals for lyrics, I was going to go straight to the source of my inspiration and do a portrait of Lee himself. We all know I am not the best at drawing faces… I have had some trouble in the past… 

I decided to put on my headphones, listen to Lee 's music and do a portrait. I took it so seriously too! Usually I just sketch with a No. 2 pencil and use my fat fingers to smudge. This time I broke out the sketching pencils and blending sticks I bought once and never used. Boy did that make a difference! 

I have never been one to toot my own horn. Actually, I do not even think my art is THAT good. I often feel that the praise is coming in merely because of the fact that the subject is a song someone likes, or just because they are Lee DeWyze fans,. Etc. Know what I mean? I know they like it, but there is always that doubt in my mind. And faces? Forget about it. My main style has always been no faces... You know, let the gestures set the tone and emotion....

 But Mostly because I am just not good at it. For instance, I recently did a sketch for one of Lee DeWyze’s new songs; “Give me something” For the life of me, I could not do the people’s mouths. So, I just left it as is. I know I’ll never finish it…. 

 

Well this time, I actually drew a face! I decided to draw a picture of Lee that was taken and posted by Vox concert series. 

I was so proud of it! I mean, it actually LOOKS like Lee. I've come a long way from my first portrait where he looks like he was stung by 100 bees. Haha. When Mark came home, I lifted up my sketchbook beaming with pride like a little kid. I was like “look what I did!!!!!!”  I can honestly say that although I have other sketches that are my favorites, this is the one I am the most proud of. I still have lots of room for improvement obviously... But still! 

 

Thank you Lee DeWyze, as always for giving me the inspiration I need simply by just doing your thing. 

Lee DeWyze is currently on tour! Go to his website for a venue near you! Get out there and see for yourself how amazing his man is!!! 

 http://leedewyzeofficial.com

-Jenn 

 

 

#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

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*

https://www.facebook.com/PrinceEaHipHop

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.…”

You can read the entire conversation: https://www.facebook.com/PrinceEaHipHop/posts/10153408992079769:0

 

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