Work of Art/Next great artist on the Bravo channel...create covers for classic book covers

I am totally exhausted tonight but I had to stay awake long enough to see what the challenge would be tonight. Penguin Books will choose the winner and it will be published and visible nationally...Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde....Pride and Prejudice....The Time Machine.... Dracula..... Frankenstein.... are the classic novels the artists are assigned to illustrate for this composition. Personal expressions, prejudices, philosophies, evidence of fingerprints, historical influences, good vs. evil and so forth. The challenge is to create a book cover for the classic novel in a very short and limited amount of time. Imagination and witnessing the themes of each story and plot in a contemporary graphic approach. Conveying the spirit of the book in an effective design element but remaining uncomplicated enough to draw the readers to pick up and read a classic. Witnessing the individual processes offers insight into how each individual person works with a very short deadline and the images they collaborate with their personal experiences and journeys. Ironically a few selected artists had only read the Cliff Notes...a summary of their novel which could imply they lack the provided information from each author. The pressure seems to creep into the self confidence of some of the artists and that interfered with their ability to focus on just their own mark making...I think there is a lesson here for me to remember :O). You should check this series out just for the inspirations and next week it is "shocking Art".

I went to Goodwill today and found a desk for my small office at the studio and it was only $7.50...I could hardly believe so Ken is picking it up for me tomorrow. I already had found three chairs at the thrift store...they are bright colors and had never been used....WoooHooo! I am getting so excited and they are putting the awning up on the front of my studio so I have to work on what letters or font I would like to see....I am printing three large posters to frame for inside the gallery to employ as a my signage for right now. Nathan is putting one in the front window to announce my upcoming opening. I have a young artist...Haley Lavender who is a Junior in high school and a very inviting young artist whose paintings sparked my interest from the day I met her. She is having the first gallery opening on August 28th with our Final Fridays art walk. She has worked side by side with me all week and never complained...even when she had to thread all of the large embroidery needles for my little ones.

Today's workshop assignment was to create a running stitch to outline their hand prints. This took some time and patience but for the most part the students created some interesting patterns. This was difficult for some of them so I was ever so grateful for my high school volunteers...they were priceless. Ken delivered Popsicles for our break...it was 94 degrees with equal humidity ....so this was a super treat. When we came into the studio we played a game where the students were blind folded and tried to use their words to describe a mystery object in a brown paper bag...this proved to be quite entertaining for everyone. Finally we began our stamping design elements and then with assistance they added the word "Identity" in a bold black image onto their portrait and the evidence fiber sheet. Tomorrow we return to fingerprints and design layouts ...I think we need to take a break between the sewing so we will make hand prints onto paper and then create a second sheet of playful hand print landscapes or compositions. I am so hopeful this weather pattern will break soon... the heat really drains my energy and I now people were concerned when they watched my red face and sweating session. I sort of get embarrassed but I try to carry on ...it is just what I have to deal with since the brain surgeries. I need to get my materials together now for tomorrow. Imagine and Live in Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart