In January, I visited with a new friend and drew on his couch while listening to Aphex Twin. Created Shelby-ception (14) and Quantum Entanglement (15). I decided to buy some watercolor paper and break out the Chameleon markers I received as a Christmas present and work on a birthday card for Nina (16). The drawings have been steadily coming out since.
I was inspired by the surreal flora from the Voynich Manuscript and created some pieces based off of my favorite flowers. I particularly liked a flower that had the body of some four-footed creature. I’m planning on finding other places for him/her. I initially wanted to give it a centaur body, but it overpowered the geometric flowers. The creature is a soft, tinier thing that is shy, maybe passive, and solitary. In Thought Fountain, the creature is so lovely, I don’t know if I can make anything else as lovely.
I drew Catalyst and the Zodiac for a new love interest, Cassidy. I wanted to celebrate these parts of myself that fractured into nameable entities during a tumultuous time in my life. Ask me about it if you want to know more. I’m still metabolizing these mental happenings into stories to tell myself and others.
The J is for Jonathan. One of my first friends in California. A very loving guy, gentle and witty.
Cottonwood Sky (8), Sky Turtle(3) and Traveling Sprout(6) were created while Cassidy was out of town. Perhaps, I wanted to reach out across the distance in my own version of a whale song. Cottonwood Sky is based off of a visit I had to Colorado recently. We went to a hot springs at night and gazed up at the stars. Sky Turtle is a dreamy, stained-glass-esque piece, inspired by Terrence the Turtle, a character Cassidy made up during a therapy exercise to represent caution and slowness. Traveling Sprout: I’ve been chatting to Cassidy a bit through FB messenger. We talk about our new relationship being a sprout that needs tending and gentleness. We use that sprout emoji and lately, I’ve been drawn to using more stickers and emoji in my work, since it’s been a huge part of my visual language with him.
Dopamine (19) The week after we met was valentine’s day. I gave Cassidy this card. He joked saying “Thanks for the dopamine, etc.” It’s an honest and fun sentiment on this day so overwhelmed with heart iconography. I had to draw some dopamine (and seratonin).
Tuzki Flame (20) It was a birthday for one of my new friends who’s a spiritual person. I wanted to capture some of their personality while celebrating with a friendly face. Tuzki has a facebook sticker set, so it came to mind… do I spend too much time communicating through FB messenger that my visual language is clogged with others’ characters?
For Emma (21) Also a birthday present for one of my new friends who’s soon to be married. I met her fiance first, actually, though not by much. They identify with bears, so I thought a cute bear stack with some swirly night (with magic pens) would be a good birthday art.
Floating Cosmic Chocolate Mote (22) Sweet Cassidy constructed a haikube poem while he was away. I hold it as one of my most favorite poems– it’s about us. I’m a sucker for silly little love songs. “Some people want to fill the world with silly love songs/ And what’s wrong with that.” (Source) I really like cut-up poetry, words clumsily falling into place creating fresh and unstable imagery. I ended up not printing the words in this drawn piece. It’s so mysterious. What if I lose the words and all I have are these boxes…
Swimming Magic Otters (23) Also during Cassidy’s absence from California (am I fueled by distance?) I used the magic markers to create a drawing that reveals a second nature when markered on. I brought the 9” by 12” piece to his house and simultaneously, while on his bed, we magic-penned the surface, a white marker with special chemical, slowly and gratifyingly revealing the black parts to have two different colors, the Significant Otter facebook sticker — of course, our relationship is littered with these things, a sticker, something so casual and yet, friendly. It’ll do. This image is the pre-magic version. I’ll post the post-magic version, if I can get a picture. It’s at his house.
EEE Gamercat (24) Pink is a major theme my latest stuff. No doubt inspired by Cassidy and his pink persona. His curtains are pink. His hair is pink. The haze in my mind when I think of him is pink. Again here, a facebook sticker of something I only know as a FB sticker character. I hope to go back and trace these images to their original context and enjoy their original selves, instead of affectionate avatars, that I send over and over again to convey visually joy that might have come out more ambiguous if I had to type the feeling that they evoke.
Materials:
Chameleon Markers from Christmas (Thanks family!)
Crayola 20 Ct Washable Super Tip Markers
Wham-O Wham O Magic Pens Amazing Color Changing Pens
Melissa & Doug Take-along Watercolor Set
Strathmore Watercolor Paper Pad 9″X12″-140Lb Cold Press 12 Sheets
Katarina Countiss 