Global Talent Search Round 2!

I woke up that Tuesday morning a few weeks ago to see that I made the top 50 of
999 amazing artists in Lilla Rogers Global Talent Search! Wow...I'm in a group of outstanding artists!
The assignment for this round was to create a personified animal character for a young child's t shirt.
Uh Oh, this isn't the thing that I normally do or am the most comfortable with. I had lots of ideas and only
2 1/2 days to do it in before I left for a vacation with my Mom. I started right away just quickly
painting a few ideas.

It seemed like a good start so I started playing putting them into t shirt shapes to see how they would look.

Hmm, looking back now If I had more time I would have explored these options more.
I may have tightened up a bit too much because of time constraints. But at the time I really
wanted to show great deal of detail and thought on the animals face and gestures. You know
its so easy to 2nd guess yourself in a high fraught competition like this. (and in my experience in
a real life situation, a job, there is feedback on sketches from the art director so its not so blindly
done, so this is extra hairy!)  On the final version I wanted to show the lioness in a different position
so she is playing guitar on a vintage tin lunchbox and I also wanted to show a cute little girl wearing
the shirt. It would knock my socks off to get into the next round of 6 finalists but if not I've learned
so much and come such a long way that I'm going to be happy either way. (after a good cry!!)
Best xoxo Jennifer

Dolls and Faces

I don't think I could have more fun with an assignment! The mini this week at Make Art That Sells is
to draw dolls and faces. This is my go to!! I do it all the time, my notebooks are just filled with them.
So I had a fantastic week with this.

I saw this doll at the local church sale last week, just begging to be painted!!

And these are real people that look like dolls!! My sister in yellow and my Mom in the 40"s from
an old black and white photo.

Jell-o, Jelly and Moulds

I can't believe its almost a month since I posted. I just can't keep up with
everything.. I try to do too many things and then sometimes nothing gets done.
Like the blog.
I'm in month 2 of Make Art that Sells bootcamp. The mini is Jell-o, Jelly
moulds. My first reaction on monday morning was Oh, Gross. It took a day
to sink in before I even could start the assignment. Once I got over the fact
that I wouldn't touch the stuff with a 10 ft pole it got more interesting, (and
disgusting) In the 50's and 60's people made Jello with other foods suspended
in it. Like fruit, meat, spaghetti, I don't know what else but GAG. But the good
side is that the shapes are sort of awesome and the colors are happy.
Don't they look like they could be cool hats? I did..

We'll find out what the assignment is on Monday morning. I'm sure a wrench
will be thrown in.

Week 5 Lilla's Class

WOW.. This week was so intense in the Lilla's class. I was totally thrown
for a loop at the beginning of the week. We had to go around and find
stuff that we love and collect. I had so much stuff: vintage buttons, spoons,
cool pottery and vases, wooden animals, flowers, tea etc. I floundered with too
much and what to paint or photograph. Then we got the assignment and
had to create a hyper lush zipper pouch. Maybe using photos or drawings
of what we collected..Yikes. I hated the stuff I worked on at first. It made
me angry and sad instead of happy. Looking back on them now I think they
are sort of fun, but they really aren't me or what I want to be doing.
Like this:

So I ditched the whole project and started to concentrate on my large
collection of old photos. I love drawing faces and then it just all came
together. I couldn't wait to be in the studio, What a difference to LOVE
what you are doing! I added tons of doodads from my collections, also
bits of paintings from previous weeks work, like a mushroom and a snail.
I learned so much in this class. Can't wait until October for Part B!
Here's the final as I submitted it.

IF-Mirror

This is a sketch from a project I am working on.
A little girl looking in the the mirror trying to discover
who she really is. I enjoy reflection drawings and over

time I've done many of them..

This one "Trying on Glasses" was done for the
author Geneen Roth, for the video promotion for
her book  "Lost and Found" 

IF-Carry

Here's a little sneak peek at a project I'm working on..
More details later!

A Big New Project

I recently finished a wonderful project with Geneen Roth, the inspiring author of Women, Food and God. Her new book Lost and Found is out and I was lucky enough to illustrate a video of her reading from a chapter in the book! Finding the humor and inspiration from her words to put into images was a fantastic experience! Take a look.... Geneen Roth illustrated book video.

IF-Sight

I need my prescription glasses/sunglasses to see any sort of
distance these days. And I always lose them in the house,
my bag, the car. I have to spend 15 minutes looking before
I can get anything done. At least when I do have them I can
still see pretty far.

IF-Hitched

I pulled out these greeting card designs I did a while ago for
the word hitched. Sort of a bad word for getting married but
I guess it's understood.... Hopefully I can draw some new
stuff next week!

IF-Shades

I was doing a lot more fashiony type of drawing
a few years ago, this one was for Greeting Cards. 
Yesterday, I was at the Met seeing the portrait exhibit
which was on its last day, and after I walked down 5th
Ave for about 40 blocks.Central Park was on my right,
the buildings on my left. The weather was practically like this,
even though it is still March, people were in T-shirts and shorts,
skirts. It was so happy. Spring is such a great season

if-GiveAway!!

Today I have a Giveaway from the Online Clothing Boutique
Shabby Apple! They have really cute vintage inspired dresses,
swimwear, girls dresses and jewelry.!! Here is a sample of a
few pieces I thought were particularly fabulous!


The Giveaway is for a $75 gift card to Shabby Apple, so you 
can pick out whatever you LOVE!
So go check out their site and browse around for something great,
Shabby Apple


To Win:
1.Go to Shabby Apple facebook page and Like it (This is a Must)
2. Leave me a comment here about which piece you are planning
    to choose if you win.
3. Like August Wren Facebook page and/or join my twitter feed!
4. Contest is open until 12 noon Friday, March 16.


10% off for 1 Month
You can also buy something from the site, (if you can't wait, or you don't win)
just enter augustwren10off at checkout.

Good Luck!!

IF-Intention

My Intentions are pretty simple but sometimes it is hard
to even accomplish simple things.
1. get to yoga more
2. hang out with good friends more
3. get outside
4. walk
5. use my sketchbook more consistently
6. cook more

My most hopeful one is to have no more migraines and
then all these will seem like easy tasks.... But I'm happy I
can get done what I can for now.

IF-Twirl

Twirl, The word reminded me of the little
ballerina music box I had as a girl, all pink
and gauzy, with a mirror behind her.The
music played and she twirled when you
opened the box. The first page of a brand
new sketchbook...
.....Monday, I just added the twirling girls,
we used to twirl around till we were so dizzy.
Now I think I'd throw up from that...It was fun
though.

Cupcakes

yummy cupcakes.
These will look nice as a new card set.

IF-Bicycle

circa 1977

2011

For ever..(I actually don't know how long it's been) RISD requires students who are applying to do

3 supplemental drawings to their portfolio..One

of them has always been a bicycle. I came across this old polaroid, faded, dusty and yellowed of my submission. You can tell from the style of bike this is very dated.. I remember setting it up in my front hall and spending days drawing!
The color drawing below is a detail from last weeks word "journey".
I happened to have had a bicycle in there too. You can see the full drawing in the post below.
So 34 years apart, I still draw crooked wheels!!

.....and I was admitted to RISD.

IF-Journey

We all take journeys in so many ways,
I thought I would depict some of them
here. From the short bike ride, the leisurely
boat ride, a commute to the city, or a

plane ride to somewhere distant.

IF-Bottled

I was totally inspired to get all fancy this 

week and paint this elaborate desk with 

lots of pretty shaped perfume bottles.

Come to think of it bottles are a great

image to paint because of the amazing

shapes and colors they in.
I might need to try more.

IF- Resolutions

I'm always thinking about resolutions, and ways to change,

there are so many thing I'd like to accomplish, but I think

my main goal this year is to slow down, be mindful of the

things that give me joy and just try to be happy.

IF-Paisley

I'd never really wear this outfit but I'm definitly a  pattern junkie in my drawings.
I painted this right away when I saw the word for this week was paisley. I may post some more here on my blog because I still have ideas, possibly later in the week.
I haven't been doing too many watercolors lately and I had a great time with this one...

IF-Early

The early morning routine is a ritual, wake up, coffee or tea,
 shower, get dressed, eat and grab the bag for work.