I am Making Art

Where-a you at?

2007-09-17T10:08:00.000-07:00

Hi ho, floksies!
I'm sorry to inform you, but I'm closing this here blog, in favor of my "everyday-life-arts-and-crafts" blog Yarn and Coffee. I've been there for almost two years now, and I'm feeling more and more silly about separating my arts from my crafts and sort of splitting my creativity in half. I don't see any reason for it. So I guess I'll have to overcome the fear of "what will my art-y friends say" about my plush toys, my knitting shenanigans, the pictures of my cats. It's all a part of me and I should just stop being so judgemental. I'll brave it. I will.

So here goes, this blog will not vanish but it won't be updated again either. Feel free to come visit me here: yarn-n-coffee.blogspot.com and update your blogroll/bloglines/whichever.
See you there!

(Takes a deep breath, jumps in the water)

Long time no post, eh?

2007-01-13T22:34:00.000-08:00

Well, I've hardly been here lately, mainly because I started a shop. It's via Etsy. If you're not familiar with it, it's an online store for crafts and indie artwork. Very cool, go check it out. And of course, check ME out while you're there... ; )

New portfolio stuff

2006-11-08T11:45:00.000-08:00

This is the front page for a new portfolio i'm trying to put together. I still need to figure out the coloring technique, but I like this guy. A little.

That's perfect!

2006-10-18T11:41:00.000-07:00

I really need this shirt. You do too.

Arts and crafts

2006-10-11T18:55:00.000-07:00

Years ago (doesn't matter how many), I went to art school and was a fine arts major. On top of a lot of f*rtish cr*p, they made it clear what was art and what wasn't. Animation, story-telling, illustration - those where "Entertainment". And "Craft"? That was really an insult. Between convincing me that abstract painting of penises were superior to my detailed, descriptive drawings and teaching me two and a half thousand long and useless words - I stopped drawing for four years.
Regarding "Entertainment", you already know I got over the "criminal offense" of creating art that dares to communicate and is (good grief!) commercial. As for "Craft" - that took a while. If you're familiar with my other blog, you may know that I've been doing quite a bit of it this past year, getting back to simply "making things", functional or not. I used to do so much of it as a kid and fad or not - I'm grateful for the Handmade movement for bringing me back to it. And the feed between those two aspects of my life is quite interesting. It's interesting how "Craft" now has such a big influence on my "Art".

I finished those two little stuffed toys last week, and today I got around to take some pictures. I posed them outside, on my porch, and all of a sudden - a story was born (click forward on the photostream to read it). It's not very complicated, true, but those two guys are now alive in my head and have already inspired drawings, ideas, adventures. Even better, their "older brother" Peter (the first softie I designed) has inspired a series of children's books I'm currently working on. "Craft" isn't an insult for quite some time now.

Anyone who still feels like "Art" is some vague, abstract, conceptual idea and that every attempt to ground it in physical existence (in synthetic felt, no less), go ahead, Mr. Fancy Pants. Want to make fun of me for knitting socks? Pfff... Whatever. I let my inspiration take me where it wants to. Even if it's into the land of felt, yarn and buttons. "Craft" is "Art" and "Art" is "Craft" - and they're both a part of the creative me. Hooray!

New business cards

2006-09-30T19:24:00.000-07:00

I made this new business card this week (of course, the real ones DO have my phone number and email address). I plan on making more in this style (with different drawings). It would really help if my new printer actually worked like it's supposed to... I really need to start printing cards professionally. Know any good printers?

How to be a (miserable) artist

2006-09-14T18:08:00.000-07:00

I put my "inspiration art" folder in order, and came across this. I think I checked most of these off at some point...

Illustration Friday - Match

2006-08-22T10:31:00.000-07:00

These two may look strange together, but they are a perfect match.

Markers and colored pencils on colored paper, 2005.

Illustration Friday: Play

2006-08-17T16:21:00.000-07:00

This fox is taking his play very seriously.

Yeah, I know I'm absurdly late with this, but I actually like the concept so much, you might see many golfing animals from me very soon.

The new website is up!

2006-08-02T09:55:00.000-07:00

My new website www.michalwright.com is finally up and running! The work in the gallery section are not all new, but when I actually draw stuff I like, it'll quickly go up. Go, check and enjoy!

100 Entries

2006-08-01T15:55:00.000-07:00

No... Not on this blog... ; ) My other blog is celebrating its one hundredth entry with a contest you might find interesting. Check it out (there's even a prize)!

I'm still working on my portfolio website and on some childrens' books ideas. Stay tuned for much more soon!

Some cats

2006-07-14T09:20:00.000-07:00

This week's Illustration Friday's assignment is too gloomy for my current mood. So here are some cats I drew for a recent portfolio submission. Have a good weekend!

What I'd like to do

2006-07-13T13:09:00.000-07:00

(From my personal blog yesterday:)

What I'd like to do, is tell you about crafting, drawing, Suki, my latest trip to the beach, my new Japanese sewing book, cooking.
I'd really like to laugh, bounce around, take nice pictures of delicious yarn and fabric, report on my progress on projects and my advances at the gym. I'd like to make you smile, admire my cat, share my thought. But I can't.
In case you didn't get the news (I know not everyone is the news addict that I am, or an Israeli abroad), Israel now has gotten into Southern Lebanon following a deadly attack on the IDF on the border and the kidnapping of two soldiers. All this while it's still in the Gaza strip, and while Gilad Shalit (a 19 year old soldier) is still the prisoner of Palestinian terrorists for over two weeks.
I don't want to talk politics. I really would love to shove my head deep in the ground and make it all go away. But I can't.
Would you please join me in the hope that both sides will come to their senses before the situation spins completely out of control? That no more innocent lives, on both sides, will be hurt? That the idiots governing both Israel and Palestine will finally realize that there is no other way but peace? That the poor kidnapped kids, the soldiers, be back home soon to their families?

And turn your thoughts and well wishes to India too, who was so badly hit by terrorists too cowardly to even take the "credit" for their own actions.

Illustration Friday: Skyline

2006-07-07T15:34:00.000-07:00

Today's Illustration Friday is "Skyline".

This is a new drawing, from today.
Markers and colored pencils on colored paper. Copyright Michal Wright, 2006.

Illustration Friday: Sticky

2006-06-30T10:13:00.000-07:00

Today it's "Sticky". This poor guy really should have watched where he's going... I drew this last year as a part of my "The Book of Monsters" project.

Drawn, scanned and printed onto colored paper, then cleaned up and colored with Prismacolor markers and soft colored pencils. Some adjustments made in Photoshop. Copyright Michal M. Wright, 2005

In the beginning...

2006-06-10T00:39:00.000-07:00

In the beginning, there was a sample post. A post that told the people that a new blog was born. And the people asked "what is this blog for?" And the Artist answered - "to show you my artwork, and chat about my creative life." And the people said "oh... I see..." And they all went to get some ice cream.

Yeah, pardon the stupidity - all that I meant to say was - welcome to my art blog! Please feel free to drop by and comment on anything you see here, and I hope that you enjoy the show.

See ya!