When starting out one something "new" I seldom know if the end result will be worth time/effort or if the whole grand plan should have been shut down on the first day. It's the playing out of the run that will leave it's evidence. And I feel that there may be a whole lot of Fools and Jesters with which to deal.
No, I'm not going to discuss politicians, religious sorts, business ethics, weird family members - just going to scribble bears!
Therein lies the Magic of Metaphor. HUZZAH for metaphor! The bears can represent and express almost anything!!!!! And yet they are not as they appear - at least some of the time. Once in a while they are simply Bears. More often they are Us. Whether we like us or not. The bears don't care. they are too busy Representing. This gives me a wee tad of artistic freedom - because as long as I don't pun the bruins will usually gladly play along. (During the first months of drawing the furred ones they warned: If you pun - we will not come. I've heeded this bit of growling ever since.)
In "In Just North Enough," my first book, one bear peers out from under his dunce cap. Caption: "Soon, yes, they'd learn to fear the patient fool..." I don't know this bear. I don't know his plans. I know that he definitely is no dummy, has plans, and WILL carry them out. But for now he remains playing the fool. His time will come... his time will come...
This new Jester seems to be playing The Fool well; it's just not his life's ambition. Doin' the job, but wanting much more. My problem, as an artist, is what to do with the guy. I sort of am in control of his destiny and I, too, don't know his path.
I like his presence. His willingness to carry on - for the time being. I enjoyed researching styles of jester's caps. But now the decisions start to pile up. Add some color with the Prismacolor colored pencils.Enough? Enough for now. Words? No words? (No words were coming out of brain or Sharpie Marker - O.K. - let that go for time being.) Background? Plain white? Something inside or outside? (No thoughts there...) But that weird stripe at top of page must be disguised. O.K. - I still love scribbling a "crocheted" line of semi-darkness. We will go with that. Plus, drawing this scribble is almost a Zen practice for me. Production with some thought but more simple free-arm repetitive movement. Another decision decided. Whew.
(color distortion due to lighting)
This image shows result of "crochet" scribbling. Defines a space - in a way. Hides the odd mark. Makes the air come alive. More decisions.... I ask Facebook sorts for opinions. Most who post like the spareness of the drawing. Huzzah? Less work for me? O.K. - for now this Jester, like many of us, is biding his time. He may or may not be "finished." So few of us seldom are - and that's not a bad thing.
There is space in which more may develop. This piece has yet to be ruined by overworking or being over thought. We will allow this fool to perhaps relax for a few weeks. Did Jesters get vacations from amusing their royal rulers?
On to the day's real work. Prepping for Shell Lake, Wis. art fair on Saturday, July 5th, but also planning the sneaking away (Thanks, Todd, for allowing me this) to attend my hometown celebration of Gurney, Wisconsin turning 100 Years Old this year! Our tiny town (7 miles from Lake Superior, 3 miles in off U.S. 2 - on Wis. State HWY. 169 (our childhood "playground") - no sidewalks, no store/gas station, NO BAR!!! - will be The Destination for the day. Hard-working locals (almost all are relatives - ha!) will have mowed the ball diamond where our dads and we played, figured out the parade sequence (the route is EASY - Go down the hill on one side of the road, turn around at the bottom, and head back up Gurney Hill), and made the community center ready for the odd assortment of interesting folks who will come to our favorite "World's Smallest Thriving Metropolis.").
Our 30 Bear Challenge on our Sue-Rowe-Studios Facebook Page is coming to an end. One bear to go, and some semi-lucky winner will get an original of one of the thirty pieces!
Happy Birthday, to our son, Tyler, today, and Happy 4th of July! to everybody tomorrow! No Foolin'!!
Fare-thee-well,
Sue
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