Episode 3: Judging A Book By Its Cover (Works)

*Click on the works to view larger versions*

Artist: Timothy Forry
Twitter: N/A
" Medium: Pastel and digital type."



Artist: Rhonda Rubin
Twitter: The_Rhonda
"I selected H.G. Wells' classic science fiction novel, "War of the Worlds" for two reasons. First, I've read it. Second, have you ever tried to draw a stick figure whale? Not easy. They come out looking like airplanes. I chose to create a literal interpretation of the book, because of the novel's campy adaptations on radio and in film and TV, plus the stick figurey aspect of the martians' war machines. Also? It's fun drawing stick figures being hit with death rays. My submission was created on sketch paper using pencil, pen and ink, and colored pencils."



Artist: Micki Brown
Twitter: N/A, but she food blogs HERE
"I created art for the book The Scarlet Letter. I tried to portray the tension that exists in a reductive community which is held together with suspicion, gossip, and rumors. Everyone has dark corners and secrets in their private lives; finding fulfillment in a society where one is under constant attack by external forces is nearly impossible."



Artist: Susannah Perry
Twitter: PaintingChef
"The Secret Garden was one of my favorite books when I was little. I always had this image in my head of the garden gate being iron and covered in ivy, although I think that in the book it is very clearly described as tall and wooden. When I was about 13, my mother and I saw the Broadway adaptation of the book and they used a revolving stage in the production. It was the first time I'd seen a revolving stage used (I didn't see Le Mis until later that year) and I was fascinated. I wanted to incorporate the three things that I've always associated with this story, the iron gate, the ivy and the rotating stage. This is acrylic paint and ink on canvas. And I have to confess to adding the lettering in Photoshop. The humidity in terrible in Tennessee right now and I just couldn't get the canvas dry enough to do the lettering by hand. Although I do think that if you look close enough, you might be able to see some of the pencil lettering through the paint. My plan for the lettering (and I will still do this once the thirty-seven pounds of paint finally dries) was to make the letters resemble the spikes and finials of the iron gates that apparently exist only in my mind..."



Artist: Becky Cochrane
Twitter: BeckyCochrane
"I was happy to see this title on the list because I recently read the novel for the first time and loved it. Other covers for MOBY DICK show the tortured Ahab, the white whale, or perhaps both locked in battle. But to me, the power of the novel lies in its unfathomable depths: the ocean that conceals Moby Dick and the darkness that lies within Ahab. The perspective I used for this painting is the narrator Ishmael's as he stares down into the water and has a fleeting glimpse of what may be the elusive whale."











*Click boombox to play*
Artist/Composer: Josh Newton
Twitter: Marquis66
"I had a lot of problems with this week, but I finally settled on Treasure Island. I tried to capture a couple of different feelings - the openness of the sea, the prevailing sense of adventure, and then that slight feeling of dread (you can hear it at the very end in particular, in the quotes of Blow the Man Down). Hope you enjoy!"



Artist: Sean Kramer
Twitter: N/A
"Materials: Photographs, paper, pencil colors

I wanted to use one of my art strengths for this challenge, which
would be photography. Then I had to think. Since I didn't have any
pictures of children in period clothing, I decided to draw some of my
own. I figured that would give the cover a little more playful and
childlike feature."



Artist: Lindsey Smolensky
Twitter: Smoness
"Materials: acrylic paint and ink over a photograph"



Artist: Brad Dumm
Twitter: N/A
"Bright colors and a good simple graphic - easy to see and eye catching; Conveying an essential part of the story but doesn't give anything away. When looking at a table of 25 book purchase options, which one will jump out at the buyer? That was my goal."



Artist: Jennifer Mathis
Twitter: JenXer

Episode 3: Judging A Book By Its Cover (Challenge)

From Bravo: "The contestants meet the President and Publisher from one of the largest book publishers in the world, who guides them through the impressive history of the marriage of art and literature. For their elimination challenge, the artists are charged with creating innovative cover art for a classic novel."

[See the full recap and extras on the Bravo site HERE]

Our challenge: Create an innovative book cover for one of the Penguin classics listed below. Your choosing. And I'm purposefully not listing the literature used on the show, because I'd like for all of us to start from a fresh perspective. We've seen what does and doesn't work for the novels given to the contestants on the show. So pick out a Penguin classic and run with it!

-Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
-Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
-Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
-Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
-The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burnett
-Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs
-Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift
-Moby Dick by Herman Melville
-The Odyssey by Homer
-Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
-The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
-Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
-The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells
-Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
-The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
-On the Road by Jack Kerouac
-1984 by George Orwell

Remember, submissions (an image, a short description of your work, & if you haven't done so already, a link to where your work can be credited) are due by MONDAY, 11:00AM, to lindseysmo(at)gmail(dot)com.

All Official and Stuff

Well would you lookie there: We have a Facebook group! Thanks to the amazing Internet skills and dedication from our own, Susannah Perry. If Susannah lived in my neighborhood I'd totally be baking her some cookies. And maybe even buying her a pony. With glitter on top. That's how much I appreciate her taking the reins on this.

So if you want to get in on some good discussions, read more about the artists, or just stalk the group through yet another Internet avenue, go! Join us! We won't bite. Well, I can't speak for Rhonda. But the rest of us are safe.

XOXO

Episode 2: The Shape of Things to Come (Works)

Artist: Susannah Perry
Twitter: PaintingChef
Chasing the Dragon: "I wanted to focus on all the crap that comes between people in a relationship. I think that while technology is an undeniable convenience, it has also added a layer of complication to things that can send so many mixed messages. And eventually, if you don't get it right from the beginning, communication (or the lack of it) can become an entire third party in a relationship, usually dragging it down. So we end up with everything we WANT to say floating in the air around us while we find ourselves tethered to the technology that can become the only physical thing connecting us. Phone calls, IMs, texts, voice mail, it all comes between us and we lose the ability to sit down, cut through the shit, and have an actual conversation.

Canvas with acrylic, magazine collage, cell phone and ethernet cable."




Artist: Lindsey Smolensky
Twitter: Smoness
To Always Long for More: "I wanted to take an every day, often overlooked object and make it something noticeable by romanticizing it. Water bottles + electric cords = two things that shouldn't be together because the combination of water and electricity can be dangerous. But love in opposites is like that. loving what isn't right for us, creating a thrill or excitement in our lives where otherwise none exists. The pattern in the fabric is to show patterns and complacency in daily life. The red wire is meant to break through it."

by Micki

by Gabriel

Artists: Micki Brown & her six-year-old son, Gabriel Arthur
Twitter: N/A, but she food blogs HERE
"My work was inspired by the female shape of a tv remote that I pulled apart. Then I noticed that an old paper tray looked suspiciously similar to a kimono, so I used it and painted a classic landscape on it.
My son was inspired by "GRL" and created "BOY". I thought it was a clever response and perfect for his age."




Artist: Rhonda Rubin
Twitter: The_Rhonda
Man's Escape from the Grind: "When I read the challenge, I thought -- as I always do -- about life, appliances and plight of man. Since I wasn't able to find an old, used crematory, I used a blender, wiring from an old vending machine, and Jell-O."





Artist: Sean Kramer
Twitter: N/A
Caught Up in Love: "Materials - Duct tape, circuit board from phone, Christmas lights, telephone cord and wires from a change machine.
I wanted to use the cords and plug to portray a spider's web. Life
goes on every day, and sometimes certain aspects of it just get caught
up in it."




Artist: Becky Cochrane
Twitter: BeckyCochrane
I Got Your Number: "Materials: Tabloid photos colored with pastels, markers, and pencils, old cell phones, old phone number buttons, wire that I coiled.
Explanation: I couldn't get the 867-5309 (Jenny) song out of my head, and I thought: Wouldn't it be great if all the Jennifers joined together in a Paparazzi Ass-kicking Network?"











*Click on boombox to play*
Artist/Composer: Josh Newton
Twitter: Marquis66
The Invisible Red String: "Based on the ancient Japanese story that two loves are connected from birth by a red string that no one can see. For this challenge, I took recorded sounds as my "Tech" - you will hear a reading of the waka "Irohauta," which you can find HERE. You can also hear Thunder sounds, which I got from HERE."






Artist: Timothy Forry
Twitter: N/A
The Future of Reading: "Materials: Old computer, unrepairable copy of Tom Sawyer and two other books, doll head, cardboard tube"




Artist: Brad Dumm
Twitter: N/A
"I used an old mixer as my electric device, pulled out the blades and replaced them with roses from my backyard, which I painted with some chrome paint to add to the "metalic feel" of the piece. I layed the mixer on a black quilt. Textures include the flannel of the quilt, the plastic housing of the mixer and the "chrome" rose blades."

Episode 2: The Shape of Things to Come (Challenge)

From Bravo: "For their second challenge, the artists are taken to an appliance graveyard filled with televisions, toaster ovens, and an array of broken electronics. Using the trash heap as their canvas, the artists are charged with transforming one man’s trash into another man’s piece of art."

[See the full recap and extras on the Bravo site HERE]

Our Challenge: Transform one man's trash into another man's piece of art. However, since we do not necessarily have the same access to as many discarded electronics as the contestants on the show, I'll pose this: Use any found objects you can get your hands on. But let's incorporate at least one electronic element (a cord, light bulb, buttons, CDs, anything you have access to that you can use). That's it! Re-purpose anything you want as long as you include one electronic element.

Remember, submissions are due by MONDAY, 11:00AM, to lindseysmo(at)gmail(dot)com. Since these works will be of the 3D nature, feel free to submit more than one image (no more than three) of different angles of your work, along with a short description of your work.

Okay, artists! Go! Create! Have fun!

A Quick Hello:

Vlog for "Work of Art" challenge from Lindsey Smolensky on Vimeo.

Please pay no attention to the fact that my hair is a hot mess. And that I have huge bags under my eyes from sleeping only sporadically. Two thumbs up for my concert shirt though: The Airborne Toxic Event kicks ass. But not as much as you do. You guys are rocking my world right now. Can't wait for tonight's episode!

Episode 1: Self-Reflexive (Works)

Artist: Lindsey Smolensky
Twitter: Smoness
"A friend of mine feels and speaks of her Grandmother almost exactly the way I feel and speak about my Great-Grandmother. Her stories always warm me, so I chose to paint a portrait of my friend's Grandmother, "Neena.""



Artist: Jennifer Mathis
Twitter: JenXer
"My husband, Chris."



Artist: Rhonda Rubin
Twitter: The_Rhonda
"Inspired by my friend, Tim, whose home and work life intermingle, yet he manages to keep all his balls in the air."



Artist: Susannah Perry
Twitter: paintingchef
Hours in the Kitchen: "My grandmother was, among many other things, a caterer. And her kitchen is where we spent the majority of our time together. More often than not, by the end of the night, it was just the two of us and we were a mess. These are some of my favorite memories of her, glasses askew, covered in flour, cake batter and whatever other projects had happened that day."


Artist: Becky Cochrane
Twitter: BeckyCochrane
"I don't watch much TV, but I do have a favorite soap opera and a favorite soap villain. This is my fourth attempt at drawing him. I think he's classically handsome, with a strong jaw, piercing eyes and a square chin. He could be a hero, but those looks make him even more enticing as a bad boy."

*Click on the boombox to play*
Artist/Composer: Josh Newton
Twitter: marquis66
"It's a piece that I wrote for my wife, Jen. I tried to give it a noble or strong character, with a hint of melancholy which Jen said she really understood. I also wanted to try to play on her love of music boxes, and bring that into the piece. Not an entire portrait of who she is, but certainly one little aspect of her."


Artist: Sean Kramer
Twitter: N/A
"This is my boyfriend, Joey. During our photo shoot, I was trying to portray the fun and serious sides of him, but here all I see is him looking into my soul."


Artist: Brad Dumm
Twitter: N/A
"This is my partner Jose - we went out to the park last weekend and took pictures while we walked (you'll see his camera in his hand, too). Jose always has such a great attitude and is perpetually happy. I think he is totally inspirational. I wish I could be more like this."

Episode 1: Self-Reflexive (Challenge)

The contestants' mission is to create a piece of art that captures the essence of a fellow competitor (ie: a portrait).

[See the full recap and extras at the Bravo site HERE]

Our mission? Create a portrait (open to your interpretation) that captures the essence of... well... anyone of your choosing. Any medium is acceptable. However, if you choose a performance piece, your submission should be a video still or image of collected stills, or a photo capture of your performance.

Submit 1-2 images of your final work along with a short blurb (no novels! just a few sentences) about your work, NO LATER THAN MONDAY, JUNE 14th at 11:00AM to lindseysmo(at)gmail(dot)com.

And remember, if you haven't sent your "I'm Interested!" email to Lindsey yet, please do so before submitting: lindseysmo(at)gmail(dot)com

Let's get this thing started!

Introduction:

Okay, here's the deal. Bravo has a new television show called "Work of Art," searching for the next great American artist. It airs on Wednesday nights. Set your DVRs!

What this blog is all about is watching the show, and then taking on the challenges posed to the artists on the show each week. Any artist is welcome to participate. This is how it's all going to go down:

1.) Watch "Work of Art" on Bravo every Wednesday night.

2.) After the show (either really late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning) read this blog for the adapted challenge. *Sometimes the challenges posed on the show are not directly transferable to us viewers at home. We'll be doing the same challenges as the contestants on the show, but we may have to adapt a little to the fact that WE'RE not on the show.

3.) Do the challenge! This is a chance for some seriously creative homework. A chance to work outside of your comfort zone or usual medium. A chance to expand upon your work as well as your work ethic, as there is a deadline!

4.) Each week, submit 1-2 photos of your finished work as well as a short blurb describing your work to: lindseysmo(at)gmail(dot)com NO LATER THAN 11:00AM EVERY MONDAY!

5.) By Monday night (Tuesday morning at the latest), see everyone's work from each week's challenge RIGHT HERE!

6.) Feel free to leave comments, spark discussions, or just browse the amazing work we're all putting into the world.

This is a chance to take on an amazing challenge and really inspire your work. And all submissions will be credited to the artist.

If you're interested, shoot an email to Lindsey at: lindseysmo(at)gmail(dot)com with the title, "I'm Interested!" In the body of the email, leave your full name and a link to a website where you'd like to be credited. That's it! You'll receive an email confirming your interest and probably a couple of emails here and there with updates about your participation on this site.

Thanks for checking us out, and we hope to see you participating!



P.S. It should be noted that this idea sparked from a one Ms. Becky Cochrane, who for three seasons has performed a similar challenge with Project Runway. For three seasons she (as well as some other Internet contestants) have completed all of the Project Runway challenges by sewing the fashions for the ultimate diva: Barbie. You can see her "LJ Runway Monday" fashions on her blog (under the tag "fashion") HERE.