Dr sketches art show came and went and I have some good news. I put in 4 pieces and one of my sketches sold for 75 dollars!!!
I am excited because that is one of the first pieces I have ever sold at an art show in my adult career. (I sold art a few pieces in s high school senior art show, but they were bought mostly by teachers.) So this is a pivotal moment for me!!
It is also one only the 2nd times that I have sold a sketch for more than 10 dollars so I am very excited. Thanks to Shon Richards, he bought my jiggly puff sketch a few days ago. Thank you guys so much for the support. Each day I feel more and more confident about my work Because of the support everyone gives me.
Last year I submitted some artwork for an art show featuring black artists with an anime influence in Japan. It is funny cause I hadn't heard anything back not even a peep. I wasn't even sure the artwork was used. anyway I spoke to the coordinator today and he said that it did happen and that they even projected some of the art during and after party. Next time they do this I have to go!
Sometimes I feel like I just have not given enough in my life. I see people around me doing amazing things to help others and I want to do the same. Feel like a responsible adult. I have no kids no husband and honestly very few really close friends. I take lots of pictures by myself or with my cat. I don't feel like i am really involved in others lives or like I know how to help them to be better people.
I think I want to do a magazine on women in the arts or something. Something to put a spotlight on women that are working in the field and the people that support them. A resource that always gives back especially to young women looking to evolve in the comics/animation field. that is a start right.
I guess we will see where it all goes. How can I do for others in this life?
Honestly I don't do many appearances of Mainasha, because I have a big story planned for her, but I thought I would share her with your guys today. Did this while thinking of Micheal Jackson. I miss him. I cried when I found out about his passing. Ask anyone, I refused to believe he was really gone. I felt like I have lost my husband and I was a widow.
Then when his daughter spoke during the memorial the water works really started. Anyway, enjoy.
So, I did leave my job. I put in my 2 weeks notice and a new girl came in to train yesterday. I decided it would be the best choice from me though. No matter how I looked at it I just didn't want to be there and it effected my ability to work with the people I was taking care of.
I just kept running this thought threw my mind, "If this was my last day on earth is this where I would want to be?" And the answer was always NO NO NO!! I know I am taking a chance by walking away from having a job to having no income except when I draw but, the the way I see it, as an artists that wants to make this a career I NEED TO GROW UP!! I can't expect others to take me seriously if I don't even take my own self seriously right. This is what being an artist envolves. Sitting down at a drawing board and staying there and creating.
I have set some goals and I want to be consistent in every way possible. THIS IS MY CALLING AND MY PASSION! THERE IS NOTHING ELSE I WANT MORE!
The truth is I just can not allow myself to work in fields that I don't enjoy anymore. No retail no day care nothing. If it isn't art related I just don't have the drive to do it. I might show up but I am not there mentally.
Everyone I talk to says Arie you can't just quit your job and not have a replacement job but I do have a replacement. I AM A FREAKING ILLUSTRATOR!! Of course, it is not a regular 9-5, but there is no rule book that states "in order to make a comfortable living you have to work at Walmart" or Caring Hands or any other job that demands 90 percent of my daily life mentally physically and emotionally. I think when a person works for someone else for years and never has anything to show for it except a social security check when they retire early they may as well have lived there entire life a slave.
I WANT TO BE FREE DAMN IT! I WILL DO ANYTHING TO GET IT! well not anything but you know what I mean.
Shanequa Gay over at creative wisdom Posted this article called "Who does she think she is." It was actually really interesting video attached to it, as well. I guess there is a movie being done about women working in the arts.
It addresses how women, especially women that have children, tend to get over looked in the art world. I know there are few women I can think of off the top of my head, from the US, that work in comics; but this is a male dominated industry. So the question I pose is; How hard is it really to be a women in this industry?
I think in the arts, there are few females that take comics seriously as a career. When I was at JKS, in my class, out of 300 guys there might have been 15 chicks. And there was only one female teacher that was a comic artist, the wonderful June Brigman.
When I go to conventions, I see mostly guys sitting at the tables and the few women that are there, though amazingly gifted, I don't think many people know who they are. I think though that Manga has been a blessing for women in this industry. Because there are stories geared toward female readers I see there are more women drawing and enjoying manga and anime. I see tons of tables with girls at Anime conventions.
The female audience in comics is an audience that has been to long silent. There is a huge potential market out there because we love reading stories and drawing and creating just as much as the next guy. I know for myself, I love a good corny love story and sometimes spiderman just doesn't do it for me.
I find also, that sometimes when someone wants me to do a comic story for them I just don't find myself having passion behind it. Not because the story isn't good but maybe just because I don't relate to it. I like to draw women in all shapes and sizes though! I think that is great fun! We can be so unique! But sometimes when I am doing to many comic pinups it can get a little repetitive. I remember there was a drawing I did of Rogue laying down. I think I had about 5 commissions where people wanted me to draw a character for them in that pose or something very similar.
Anyway, I would love to hear others opinions on women in comics. Feel free to give your own opinion. and don't forget to check out Shanequa Gay's blog. She has some beautiful work.
One of the other things I did yesterday was I went to an all night jam session here in KC. It was hosted by Mutual Musicians Foundation. There is just a huge Music and artist community and it was really cool cause we got to see them record one of the local radio shows live! Talk about a good time. Me and Vanessa went and just had an all out ball. Really made me miss all the nights out we use to do every week. Salsa and rollerskating! I loved it and still do. If there was anything I wanted back in my life while I was away at school it was getting to go out and just have a damn good time at least one day a week. Especially when it was free.
So I know I said I was going to work all day yesterday and technically I did but in a different way. Yesterday, I spent my day with a West African Dance Troop!
And to think I almost stayed at home. One of the things I wanted to do id go hang out with them and sketch and watch one f there performances. It was located at a Unity Church, in North Kansas City. I did get to do some sketching but not as much as I would have liked. I wished I had a good camera so I could do some photos and bring them back home to go some sketching afterward. When the women dance they move there bodies so fast! But is is so beautiful.
After all this I went to my friend Vanessa's house and helped her cut veggies and prepare food for Sunday events. The church had recently come back from Tanzania and they were doing a special African themed service all day. When we were done we went out for a midnight music jam and watched them shoot a radio show get recorded live. It was amazing. Kansas City has a very big jazz and blues community. The place was absolutely packed. The music was just heavenly. I got chills.
But while I was with Vanessa in the kitchen we were talking about teaching and I told her a story about a young man I knew. His day and him got into an argument cause he hit on the dads 25 year old girlfriend (dad is almost 50) and the dad Kicked him out and told him he didn't have anymore family.
The boy walked the streets and was trying to work at a barber shop where he met another man that was a bad influence on him and the man convinced him to go cash some checks saying he would give him part of the money. The boy got in trouble and got picked up by the police. He was sentenced to do jail on the weekends. He was only 19 and the dad pleaded with the judge not to give his son 7 years in prison.
So I was telling Vanessa this story and I asked her you know I wonder how different his life would have been had he been involved in something like this. Vanessa said to me, Idle hands do the Devils work. Her troop has such a close bond and there is such a feeling of community and when I am around my family I just feel that man I wish I had that. I went to church with my mom last week and as we were walking to the door I held her hand. She pulled it away. When i leaned close to her as we sat together in the church she scoot over. I have always felt alone in my family. Isolated. When of there kids played I was not allowed to join them. many of my cousins and often my nieces and nephews never wanted me around and never really treated me like I was apart of what they were doing when I was coming up, So I drew and I sang and I even danced all by myself a lot of the time. I remember when I came home from NY/NJ after being gone for 4 years and my mom is sitting her talking at me about stuff and she says you don't talk that much do you. But I never did cause honestly no one wanted to talk to me, I was always the quit girl that sat and listened to people have conversations but never participated.
I wonder what would have happened to me had I not been an artist. Had I not had an outlet like so many young people these days.
