Skipping Painted Stones
An entertaining art blog based in rural Iowa and written by author and artist Haley McAndrews.
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A couple years ago I tried my hand at a 30-day drawing-a-day challenge. I came up with my own 30 prompts and invited others to join in. I'm ready to try my hand at another art challenge - but this time I want to push myself to try some new mediums/styles! If you'd like to see the results of my 30-day challenge from 2022 (some of them got pretty hilarious!) you can find those posts here, here, and here. The idea behind this year's challenge is to pick one subject and create art of that subject, but in a different medium or style each day. Just like with the drawing one, my goal is to challenge myself; so not all the prompts I chose are ones that I am familiar or experienced with. Who knows, I might find a new art form that really speaks to me. And at the end of it, I'll have a series of 14 artworks completed! Here's the prompt list:
 Mark your calendars because I plan on beginning this challenge December 1st, 2024, but I wanted to put the invitation out there to anyone who wants to join me - after all, the more the merrier! Plus, some of these are going to require a bit of prep work; especially if you are like me and don't already have all the materials on hand (or maybe you do and they are just buried in your studio... also like me!) *coughDay9cough*
So because it's me doing this, I'm picking a toaster as my subject. I already have a few ideas floating around for some of the days (pencil drawing? Easy peasy!) but I think I might need to do some real planning for others. That's right, Day 10, I'm looking at you! If you want to join me this December 1-14, I'll be sharing my own creations daily on both Facebook and Instagram. You can use #RSASartchallenge2024 if you choose to share; I'd really love to see what you all come up with! And of course, please feel free to stick to the prompts or take just the parts you want and leave the rest. I'm not looking to set any strict rules, I just want to inspire and encourage my fellow artists! 😘
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7/25/2024 1 Comment Inspiration: MusicAs a disclaimer, in the following post I link to many different YouTube videos and/or channels which may contain strong language in some of their songs. My music tastes are wildly varied. In fact, I refer to it as going through "phases." A few genres I return to regularly are emo, Bollywood, and techno bagpipes. I have a few favorite country songs, as well as a few favorite heavy metal ones. I especially adore covers in different genres - which explains my current phase of "classical covers of pop songs." Having spent a few measly months learning to play the piano as a kid, and only taking music in 7th grade because it was absolutely required, I am aware that music is not one of my strengths. I'm not even that great at singing, but I do it anyway! My dad always used to say "good art inspires good art" and I agree. We have all seen variations of the Mona Lisa, like a version with Mr. Bean's face photoshopped on, or this pair of socks that I own, or the tiny plastic brick set I got off Temu, or even this painting by Laura Enninga:  "Seal A Lisa" by Laura Enninga So, in believing that "good art inspires good art," and knowing my love for genre-crossing connections... It should come as no surprise that I am incredibly inspired creatively by music! In fact, the very first finished piece that turned out nearly exactly as I saw it in my head was inspired by the song "Fast Cars and Freedom" by Rascal Flatts.  Over the years I've created a few pieces that were inspired by specific songs. Below you can see my artworks inspired by "Whiskey Lullaby" by Brad Paisley, "the beginning" by Stanwood Charlie, and "Attack on Cloud City" (inspired by "Little Talks" by Of Monsters and Men). I even have an idea currently living in my head that I have yet to put down on paper for the song "Death of a Bachelor" by Panic! At the Disco. It's very art nouveau and shows an elegant shape of a man in a tuxedo being strangled (but like, in a lovely sort of way?) by the train of a woman in a wedding dress standing on a balcony. There's also a waterfall somewhere in there. What about the other way around - have you ever heard the song "Vincent" by Don McLean? I've loved that song since the first time I heard it. It's a perfect example of music inspired by a visual artist; specifically Vincent Van Gogh. Music doesn't just inspire specific pieces of artwork for me, but I also listen to it to get into a certain mood while I'm working on a project.  While I painted my Lighthouse, I played the Weeknd's greatest hits on repeat. I'd paint, sing, dance a little, and paint some more... all while hanging out in my garage with my lighthouse.  While I was working on my Herky sculpture earlier this year, I listened to folk pop music - in particular, I couldn't get enough of The Hound + The Fox.  And now, as I am currently working on repainting a mural in Kiron, IA, I've found listening to Marshmello to be a fantastic motivator. Side note - Jon sent me a few videos the other day of Emma (my widdle artiste) drawing, wearing headphones connected to her tablet, listening to music and singing along while she colored. She is 100% my child. I also have a handful of Spotify playlists that I have created to inspire different types of scenes while I am writing. I prefer heavy drums while writing action, but violins are always welcome when I am crafting my fantasy world (have I come outright yet and said that I'm writing a novel about elemental fairies? Well, consider this the announcement then. 😁 ) Just for the record, I listen with a one-ear wireless headphone. This way I'm free to move around, can still hear what's going on around me (because kids), and also won't annoy anyone else when I repeat a song five times just because I want to! Do you have a favorite artist, genre, or song that you listen to while creating? Please share in the comments below, because I'm ALWAYS looking for new music/musicians to listen to!
Emma had been asking put together a LEGO set with me for weeks - and we just didn't seem to have a chance to spend a few hours to sit down and work on one. Believe me, I have a few waiting; my newest one is a set that can be made into 3 different things, one of which is a film camera! :D  I finally caved about half an hour before bedtime and agreed that we could put together one of the tiny art-themed brick sets I have stashed away in my studio for future building (you know, when I have time... LOL!) This set still took about 40 minutes with all the pauses for photographs.  The one we picked this time around is a tiny version of the Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer. Emma got really excited when i showed her the picture, as she had apparently learned about the painting in school (have I mentioned before that I love our school? Because I do.) Please enjoy the following minute-long speed build video of the set - and ignore the tiny hands of my "helpers" who very quickly were more interested in playing with the random pieces instead of building the actual set. I'm not entirely sure what to do with all these teeny sets once they are completed... I might need a new shelf put up in my studio where I can display them all. Hint, hint, Jon. ;) Here are a few other posts I have about artistic plastic brick sets:
Tiny Plastic Brick Art Set Speed Build - Mt. Fuji More LEGO Art: A Flower Bouquet LEGO Starry Night Build A few months ago I was listening to the Moms Who Create Podcast. The episode was an interview with author Allison Olson, who was talking about adoption (her own and the adoption of her child, as well as her book about adoption.) Olson said something along the lines of writing what you know... And after a quick internet search I knew I needed to write a children's book about a blended family, based on my own family. Where Do My Brothers Go? is about a 4 year old girl, Jeannie, who has an older sister and two older half-brothers. Jeannie and her sister live with their parents, but their brothers share their time between their dad's house and their mom's house. It's written in a simple, easy-to understand way, and explains that even though Jeannie doesn't get to see her older brothers every day, they still love her very much!  The illustrations are bright and colorful. I drew each by hand with pen, then scanned and colored them digitally. They depict Jeannie spending time with just her sister and parents, playing sports, and going on vacation (sometimes her brothers come along and sometimes they don't.) It also shows her brothers spending time with their mom in a positive way.
This book is near and dear to my heart. I talk a lot with my own 4 and 6 year olds about how I am not their brothers' mommy. I know it will be some years yet before they really understand what having a blended family means. But until then, I want them to know that no matter what our family looks like - they are so, so loved! The official release date of Where Do My Brothers Go? will be late August of this year. Keep an eye out on my social media accounts for the announcement of pre-orders, coming soon! 6/11/2024 1 Comment Artist Interview: Jayden CarstensenMy stepson very casually mentioned one day that one of the guys he worked with was an artist. Of course, I instantly perked up, got his name, and started looking into his artwork. His name is Jayden Carstensen, and I am beyond excited to have the opportunity to share his artwork here on the Red Stone Art Blog!  Who doesn't love The Rock? :D Carstensen resides in Jefferson, Iowa - a town that is surprisingly active in the arts! Carstensen is extremely talented. He renders photo-realistic portraits and drawings in pencil and colored pencil. This is a skill I greatly admire in other artists, as I'm not great at realism (as we all know - see #6). I asked Carstensen, "What is art?" I love asking this question, as everyone's answer is unique. "I think art can mean a lot of things," he replied. "What I do is I recreate faces or other subjects on paper with pencils and other tools, some people might argue that is not real art, however at the end of the day it’s all up to one’s interpretation." I agree, 100%. Everyone has their own opinions and what kind of art speaks to them... Which is why it's such an amazing feeling when someone else connects with a piece you have created!  Wax on, wax off. Carstensen says he admires all of the great, famous artists. I mean, there's a reason they are famous, right? "Especially the ones that did something different and didn’t care what people thought of their art - such as Van Gogh," Carstensen explained. "I have also had the chance to get to know some great local artists as well, many of which have helped me along my journey." This is evident when you look at Carstensen's work. You can tell he's making art of subjects that speak to him. But not all of his art is created just for himself; Carstensen also takes commissions. His favorite piece he's done so far is his Iowa Sunset colored pencil drawing. "As a native of Iowa it just represents all that is good about Iowa, with the harvest going on in the forefront and the beautiful orange sunset in the background."  We are all familiar with this sight in Iowa! And I always ask: what's a stumbling block you've encountered along the way? "Really everything is a learning curve, if I had to pick one setback I would have to say I spent a long time trying to get accustomed with using colored pencils, however one day it just clicked and since then I haven’t had much trouble rendering my subjects. It can be hard sometimes getting used to new mediums, but it is always good to challenge yourself as an artist and always strive for something new and exciting."  Carstensen's tools of the trade. "I kind of feel like I learn something new every time I pick up my pencils, whether it be a new technique or style, and so I didn’t really feel the need to go to school to learn new things." Well put! I've said it a million times, and I will say it again, but the magical secret to getting better at creating art is practice. "My advice to anyone starting out is to just keep practicing, there is no substitution for hard work and dedication."  Look at those textures! "I do not really have any 'next project' quite yet. I just got done with some commissions. And I am not sure what I want to draw next."
For more information about Carstensen, follow him on Instagram @Jayden_Carstensen_Art. His website is available 24/7 at Artboi.design and he also has an Etsy shop where you can easily purchase prints of his drawings. |
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