How Do I Look?

Art Journal Collage featuring a 

photocopy of a vintage fashion drawing 

done by my Mom, circa early 1950's.

I used to draw these types of girls

when I was in high school too...

could it be genetic?

Some days I feel like drawing,

but other days I want to paint

or collage. Not to mention quilting,

cross-stitch, photography or scrapbooking.

 So many options,so little time!

More vintage illustrations combined

with my own doodles and painting.

I enjoy using every type of pen, 

even fluorescent highlighters.

 I dug out some of the stamps

I've carved from erasers, and added 

stamping to my pages. It creates

borders, interesting divisions of the space

on the page, and makes repeating

a design easy.

Do you ever think about how we

perceive beauty, and how much 

we 'buy into' the stereotypes of 

our society?  People have an unfortunate

tendency to judge others by their

appearance.  I try to resist that tendency,

but I'm not always successful.  This

page reminds me to see the

Beauty in everyone and everything.

 Well OK, maybe not creepy crawlies.

I am not a fan of bugs or snakes...

I will admire their natural

beauty from a distance!

I like fashion magazines, (especially Vogue)

simply for their artistic flair. I don't 

consider them realistic in any way 

for a Midwestern woman of

 my age (ahem!) as a model

for what I should wear or how I should 

look. I just want to be healthy and happy,

and make some art.  Can I love drawing

fashion models without caving in to 

society's expectations?

Linking up with Art Journal Every Day

over at Balzer Designs.

What creative pursuit have

you been enjoying?

Drawing ~ Documented Life Project

The Documented Life Project:

Week 13. Have someone draw 

on your page.  Finish it.

I didn't strictly have mom draw directly

on my page. This is a copy of a fashion

drawing that she did around 1950 or so.

(Below) She drew with pencil, then

inked with a dip pen and India ink.

I had a copy made on card stock, 

then watercolored it and added the

quote by CoCo Chanel.

Don't you love her drawing?

Thanks Mom!

Week 14.  Write your name. Decorate.

I was inspired by graffiti on railroad cars.

(Below) Sketched in pencil, then

Sharpie pen, then watercolors.

I am having so much fun doing art journals

that not much is getting done around the 

house. But a person has to have priorities...

Above, a page in my Eco Green Smash Book.

When I find bits of art projects that I am 

not sure what to do with, it has been ending

up in the Smash book...if I can make it fit!

Hope you will find time to make 

some art today!

Fifties Fashion Tribute

copyright A. Janet Burggraf Bishop

Drawings by my mother, 

when she was in high school.

Pen and ink on paper,

with crayons or colored pencils.

Another post of my mom's
drawings is shown at right
in Popular Posts sidebar:
"Fifties Fashion."

 

 Drawn from magazines or

dress patterns.

Click on any image to enlarge.

You can see the quality of the

lines. She used a pen nib

dipped in India ink.

Even in the fifties, it appears

that the models were extremely thin.

My mom always supported my desire

to make art.  I drew paper dolls

and 'girls' when I was growing up too.

Thanks Mom!

Fifties Fashion

circa 1950, copyright A. Janet Burggraf Bishop
Pen and India ink, colored pencil on typing paper
Fashion drawings done by my mother.
She is not sure how old she was when she did these,
probably a freshman or sophomore in high school.
Apparently I inherited some artistic genes
from her. I remember that she often
doodled eyes and lips when she talked on the phone...
not faces, just the face parts!

My mother's drawing is above, my art journal drawing at the bottom. Mom's is in India ink and colored pencil, mine is in ballpoint pen. She drew these models from magazines and clothing patterns.







I attempted to draw the girl in the sweater on my art journal page...the profile is not quite right in my opinion.




A. Janet Burggraf Bishop, 1950

Dianne Bishop Carey, 2009