80 in x 160 in - From the Filigree series - Acrylic and sumi ink on hanging cut papers

I seem to be on a kick for revisiting artists that I have previously featured.  I have really enjoyed looking back through old posts and finding how each artists work has evolved. I featured a piece, Growth I, by Katherine Mann in 2008, and I was thrilled to find new work from her in my inbox.

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Ink and watercolour on paper, 5x7 inches

I first featured Marc Johns’ drawing, the boxes we put people in, in 2008 and I am so happy that I took the time to revisit his website.  Johns’ comedic drawings are as creative as they are funny.

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Creative iPhone, iPod and iPad apps

I decided to write a post about iPhone apps to explore how art is influencing the world around us.   I set out to find apps that are creative and imagery to interact with the user in a unique way.  Games immediately come to mind when I begin my search, but I started to see amazing utility apps like clocks and music generators that have been completely re-imagined.

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Jim Denevan creates drawings that are nothing short of amazing.  These drawings are mostly created by dragging a stick on the ground.  Okay, I’ll shut up, enjoy.

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With the year drawing to a close we naturally reflect on the past year. 2009 has been kind to this little blog and I look forward to what 2010 may bring. I aggregated a list of the 20 most visited posts from 2009 from the stats and this is what I found. Oddly enough, some were pretty recent, and some were from last year. I decided to include the ones from last year as well since I have many new readers.

Number 20

Barack Obama - by Shawn Barber

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Wire Drawing Exercise

Example from save-janos.net - this example has been placed on a painted acrylic background
With this exercise you are not going to be drawing at all. All you need is some wire and a pair of pliers with cutters. My favorite wire for this exercise is tie wire and you can get it almost any hardware store. The idea is to explore shapes and lines that you create by bending the wire. This exercise will force you to focus more on the line and less on the “drawing.” The nature of the wire also makes it more difficult to create tight corners. Don’t fight this and allow the properties of the wire to influence your piece.

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With Christmas right around the corner, everyone is trying to find that perfect gift.  Here are 25 T-shirts for you or an artist in your life.   (more…)

A few weeks ago I posted a quick review of Sketchbook Mobile for iphone/ipod.  Since then I have found some amazing work that has been completed on these devices.  These drawings use various iPod / iPhone apps to arrive at the final product.  I can’t even imagine the work that went into each of these.  Kudos to these and other iPhone / iPod artists out there that are pushing the boundaries.  (more…)

To Remembrance - Detail - salt
Konichi - Soy sauce factory / Ishikawa, Japan
October 2009
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This little iPhone/iPod app is a must have for every artist.  SketchBook Mobile, by Autodesk, is a drawing application that allows you to draw with your fingers on your iPhone or iPod Touch.  The app is full of features and will not disappoint you.  The best part is Autodesk has a lite version, SketchBook MobileX, that will let you explore before purchasing the full version.

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