Year-Long Collaboration: Part 1

Since January 1st, I have been taking part in a YEAR-LONG COLLABORATION with California-based musician/activist/performance artist LAUREN LARKEN! Yay! I thought I'd share my content from the first 6 weeks, even though it's still developing.

 

[Here's us back in '08 when we were part of a squad of Obama cheerleaders]

We're calling it ARTnership (We've also called it it Freckles, Art Sluts...) and basically it's a multi-disciplinary collaborative curriculum aiming to foster creativity, empowerment, relationship, and activism. One essential aspect is that you do it with an ARTner, as well as document the whole process. (My Flickr Gallery) Each week you both respond to a theme/assignment through music, art, performance, film, writing, etc. I'm really excited about this project and I'm curious to see how it evolves!

This first video recaps the FIRST THREE WEEKS...

WEEK 1: INVITATION

Make an invitation for your ARTner as you embark on this creative journey. Include your vision of what you want to experience in the project, an artifact, and a surprise.

WEEK 2: OPEN INVITATIONS

This week we simply took video footage of ourselves open the other's invitation. (The video is in the week 1-3 recap video up top)

WEEK 3: ADVENTURE MUSIC MIX

This week we were to make a digital mix CD and send it to your ARTner. Music you find perfect for exploring, surprises, and overall adventure. Mine is the first mix here, and Larken's is the second. I love the "Rainbow Connection" connection.

WEEK 4: GET LOST

This week we had to get lost somehow, physically or mentally, really this can be interpreted a lot of ways. We were also supposed to listen to the "adventure mix" made by the other person last week. And after our adventure, make a map of our journey or experience.

I was in Costa Rica, so it was a fun place to have an adventure. In this video I tell my tale with pics and such. This was the first time I've tried video commentary and such. Yay!

I drew this while sitting at a bar...

Some pics from my day of getting lost...

WEEK 5: CREATING SPACE

This is another broad theme, but suitable because Larken and I were both feeling a bit trapped/cluttered/claustrophobic this week. This week I decided to make a pair of drawings in response to our assignment.

I share my thought process in this video as I'm painting the background. I've never filmed myself painting before, so this was fun to finally try!


Here are the drawings, they are called Binge and Purge. They're about how the week I was doing a juice fast (purge) I was gorging myself on work instead (binge).

Some stills from the video...

WEEK 6: RELEASE

This week's theme was very appropriate because a lot of emotions I wasn't dealing with concerning my break-up with Kurt finally were coming up to the surface. And it sucked. I was going to make a drawing about it, but my idea felt like it was more like a, well, commercial.  So I thought I'd play around with video for this one.

So this is my first "video drawing" if that's even the right thing to call it. It's called "Flash Freeze Heart."

And some film stills...

***If you are interested in possibly taking part in our project in the future 

by becoming an ARTner, please let me know! ***

Animamus this Sunday + new drawing

This Sunday I'm presenting my work at the 

Animamus Art Salon!

I haven't decided yet if I'll present art or video or do something live...who knows! It'll be a surprise. But it'll be a fun and inspiring, so please come out! 

Sunday February 26th 

@ 8-11:00 pm (Presentations start 8:30)
262 Bowery: Top floor.

Tickets: $10

Facebook Invite
Other presenters include Erik Bergrin  Michael Blase, Nicholas Burgess, Kim Holleman, and Min Ji. Plus music by World War, performance by Ben McKelahan, and food from chef Jean Pierre Lauret. Sponsored by Hi! Proseco. Founded by Ventiko!

 ***

And here's a new drawing just for fun...

This is a lesson from my relationship with Kurt: that I must remember to relax. Since we broke up months ago, I've had some trouble coping without his de-stressing influence. Yeah, I'll admit it. So I thought it would be suitable to paint this and hang it in my apartment as a reminder.

Currently Listening: Florence + The Machine...Ceremonials

Jugs & Capes reads "American Splendor"

This month at Jugs & Capes we read AMERICAN SPLENDOR by Harvey Pekar!

Our word of the day was definitely "curmudgeon," so here we're all making curmudgeonly Pekar faces...

I'm never in the group photo! So here's me...

I wrote a DISCUSSION GUIDE based on our conversation:

1. Pekar's stories were drawn by a variety of artists. Which ones did you like the most? How did different artists portray him? What do you think about his experience with R. Crumb?

2. Which of the stories did you like the most? (We dug the opening comic, the honeymoon/lost voice, the old Jewish lady in the grocery store...) Were the longer stories more engaging?

3. Pekar's stories are about everyday life, so do you find it merely banal or was he successful in a providing a deeper meaning?

4. How do you think his work holds up today? Is it dated? Do you think it would be better to read it as it originally came out (in smaller sections) rather than collected all together?

5. What's your take on Pekar's portrayal of women? Is he chauvinistic or respectful?

6. This was a text-heavy comic, basically talking heads.  Did you find this tiring/boring/intense to read? Did you find his long-winded sections self-indulgent or simply more riveting and in-depth?  And would it be successful if it was just writing? What did you think about the use of dialect/slang? What other comics are text-heavy?

7. Harvey Pekar is a bit of a polarizing character, in fact, our group was pretty divided on American Splendor. So did you love or hate being inside his neurotic head?  Have you encountered other characters similar to him in comics? (The"working class intellectual.") What makes him unique?

8. Did you find him bravely honest because he never idealizes himself and he doesn't seem to care what others think of him? Or did you find him arrogant, whiny, and with a sense of entitlement because he's desperate for other people to respect him?

9. We recommend watching his appearance on Letterman as a group, and then discussed how his personality on paper and in real life compare. Do you find it almost painful to watch him?! Also check out the Pekar Project.

10. If he was getting his start now, how would his work be different? (We called his work "illustrated live journal.")  Would he do a webcomic or would he simply write?  Or would he just get lost buying records on ebay??

Bushcraft: Styrofoam Printmaking!

At this month's BUSHCRAFT we did printmaking using recycled styrofoam!  It's a very simple process (details here) which we used to make valentines, business cards, and other sundry things. Here are some pics!

PS--My Bushcraft Flickr set has ALL the pics from this month and past months' shenanigans.

 

 

And here are some of my valentines:

 

Phew, that was fun!

 

Currently Listening: The Black Keys...El Camino

Mural for Cut On Your Bias

This week I did a fun little freelance gig for Cut On Your Bias, which is a new crowdsourcing e-commerce platform for womenswear, menswear and home/table top items. (It's fashion week here in NYC!)  I basically painted a real-life version of their website for their launch party last night.

I've been having some health issues this week, but thankfully my friend Bishop could help me out with this project. Thanks, Bishop!

 

Currently Reading: American Splendor and More American Splendor: The Life and Times of Harvey Pekar...by Harvey Pekar

Page by Paige: Honors & Reviews

My graphic novel Page by Paige made it onto the YALSA reading list! Yay!  
And I've gotten some other recent honors I thought I'd compile together in the name of forced self promotion...
 
Honors:   

• YALSA great graphic novels for teens reading list 2012 (Young Adult Library Services Association)
• Maverick Graphic Novel Reading List 2012 (Texas Library Association) 
• Finalist for the 2011 Cybils Award for Young Adult Graphic Novels (Children and Young Adult Bloggers' Literacy Awards) 
• Honorable mention in the Publishers Weekly Comics World Critic’s Poll 2011 
  
• Top 10 book of 2011 by 60Second Recap
• Top 10 best graphic novel of 2011 by Comics Worth Reading
• Top 10 graphic novel of 2011 by Kit Lit Frenzy
• Runner up best YA Graphic Novel 2011 by Teach Mentor Texts 

I've also been collecting book reviews since when I first posted the initial ones in my blog. 
So here's a recap of online reviews since May!

 Reviews:

"Gulledge has crafted a protagonist who’s introspective with a capital I, and she conveys her character’s thoughts and emotions in ways that are fresh but never feel forced...That same easy, organic quality is found in the book’s design: the story panels and Paige’s sketches blend and interact effortlessly. It all makes for a truly fresh coming-of-age—graphic—novel."
--HORN BOOK REVIEW

"An excellent crossover suggestion for a wider range of readers than just graphic-novel fans...Gulledge's art is a delight: metaphor and simile are intertwined visually with realistic scenes."
--BOOKLIST

“Far more philosophical than you have a right to expect, Gulledge is the real deal for all the teens who will embrace this book; I hope she's in YA to stay.”
--BOOKSLUT

"Skeptical about graphic novels? Page by Paige may well make you a believer. Oh, to draw like Laura Lee Gulledge!...A fresh, funky spin on the “Who am I?” story sounds appealing"
--60SECOND RECAP

“Gulledge is a superb story teller who excels, through her art, at taking the reader into the mind of main character Paige and showing us exactly what she is thinking and/or feeling.”
--BOOKS4YOURKIDS

"Their relationships are charming and they each come across as believable individuals; no cookie-cutter characters here"
--LOVE YA LIT

"I was most impressed this year, visually, by the way Gulledge assembles her pages and the artistic choices she makes in this semi-autobiographical story of a young artist finding herself. This is the kind of book you can return to year after year and find new insight and inspiration."
--COMICS WORTH READING

"She turns the comic format into one that is strongly artistic and very visual...Get this in the hands of tween and teen artists and step back. A truly inspiring read"
--WALKING BRAIN CELLS

"I think this would appeal quite a bit to the female audience, but even as a male, I enjoyed it. The conflicts are all internal, and the story is sweet, but not syrupy. I hope to see some more comics work from Laura Lee in the future. She has a unique talent and a great eye for layout"
--LAUGHING OGRE

"What follows is part diary, part sketchbook, and entirely wonderful as Paige progresses from shy, secretive, and angsty to brave, funny, and creative. Based on Laura Lee Gulledge’s own adolescence, the reader is taken on a very real journey as Paige learns to challenge herself to do the things that scare her most and to trust both herself and the people around her."
--CYBILS

"For those people who scoff at graphic novels and say that they keep the reader from having to use their own imaginations, well then they need to read a book like this."
--A FOODIE BIBLIOPHILE IN WANDERLUST

"I'd give this book to...(someone) who likes Linda Barry's book about creativity, "What It Is," because this seems like a great fictional counterpoint to her thoughts and encouragement."
--UNSHELVED BOOK CLUB

"With a story we can all relate to and a storytelling device that adds new poignancy to a familiar tale, I would highly recommend Page by Paige to anyone looking for a sweet, heartwarming story either for yourself or for any teen in your life."
--SPANDEXLESS

"Not only is the artwork fabulous, the book deals quite realistically with the challenges artists (and writers) face when looking at a blank page or deciding when to go public with a piece of work. I look forward to using parts of this graphic novel in beginning-of-the-year writing minilessons."
--NEXT BEST BOOK

"There's a real tension between going out and living, sometimes and sitting back and letting life live around you, and Gulledge captures that strongly in both the words she's written and in the illustrations that heighten those words."
--STACKED

"In many ways, the book reads more like a long-form poem—quiet and reflective—than a typical teen novel."
--PORTLAND BOOK REVIEW

"I loved loved loved Page by Paige. When I tweeted about it, I used exclamation points. Two of them. And that from a girl who rarely emotes. This is a book that I needed when I was a teen. It's just too bad no one wrote it until this year."
--GUERILLA LIBRARIAN

"(Paige's) budding romance with Gabe is especially lovely: their kindness to each other is what you really want to see in a teen relationship, or in any relationship, really."
--BOOK AUNT

"Not fast paced or even full of any kind of intense conflict, but the creativity of the illustrations is something not to be missed. Watching this young girl struggle to find herself, I often found pieces of me instead."
--THE SECRET ADVENTURES OF A WRITER GIRL

"Most comics about teen life are either so stylized that they can't tell the truth, or intentionally un-pretty, rough, awkward. Page by Paige seems happy to take neither path; with her affable lines, her apparent ease, and her restraint, Laura Lee Gulledge makes Paige's milieu a pleasure to visit, but she also gets it right. It's the kind of teen story that goes with an indie-pop soundtrack, two-thirds we've-all-been-there and one-third you'll-wish-you-met-her....Not just a book about a girl who makes pictures, Page by Paige reminds us what pictures can do, how they can earn our trust, lead us to one another, or let us rebuild ourselves."
--RAINTAXI

New Starry Drawings

In Costa Rica last week I wasn't compelled to draw much, because I just wanted to explore and be. But I did make these illustrations, all strangely with a similar theme...

I have too many ideas! I feel them buzzing inside me, these little balls of inspiration making me antsy and impatient to GET THEM OUT. So I pictured them like fireflies filling my glass jar of a head.

In New York you don't see the stars. So standing on an empty beach at night alone in the darkness looking up at the stars...I just started to weep, feeling gratitude and awe. And the words that popped into my head were, "I'm sorry." It breaks my heart to forget things that are important.

Traveling alone, strangers can be quick to judge you.  "You're here...alone?" "It's JUST you?" "Isn't that lonely?" This bothered me sometimes, as though "just me" wasn't enough. For some reason in response, I thought of myself as the sun. Alone, yes. But it's a star in a universe with billions of other stars. Does the sun get lonely? Is the sun "enough?"

Currently Listening: Paper Bird...Anything Nameless and Joymaking