Sunday, August 19, 2007

the shadow bag

Why would you let your bag get to the point where it's bursting at the seams? Full of old sweet wrappers, chewy, bits of paper, receipts, letters, vouchers, used train tickets etc? Why would you do that? Why do I do that? Why do I carry all this rubbish around with me? On so many levels.

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

Holy cow! That's unbelievable... I could stare at these for hours. Your details just stun me every time.

K said...

Don't worry Andrea, I'm sure many of us collect a lot of rubbish in our bags. Sometimes I just set an old one aside meaning to clean it out, but never get around to it (and don't use it again!). So, you're in good company . . .

Jana Bouc said...

This is one of my all time favorites of your drawings. What a challenge you gave yourself (on many levels!). Beautifully done and so fun to read all your notes written in and around the objects.

mrana said...

Amazing! Am having a great time examining every little thing!

Anonymous said...

Holy cow is right! I already spent a big chunk of time on it and i still have only deciphered a fragment of it. I love the composition, the treatment of the little shadows. You are stretching your art in a new direction with this, and the results are amazing.

Sharon said...

What an amazingly wonderful drawing! (My solution to this problem was to buy a smaller bag. it forces me to clean it out more often.)

Africantapestry and Myfrenchkitchen said...

Now why didn't you turn this into a competition too? Great sketch and wonderful "stuff" coming out of your bag!
Your work is just amazing...it's good to be back and seeing what you do with ordinary every day items.
Ronell

Anonymous said...

What a fun drawing! I mean aside from great composition, treatment of the subject, flawless execution, and so on.

I love your site.

Claudia

dibujandoarte said...

Oh Andrea, more drawings I watch from you the more I like your style. They are all so patiently done and with such level of details... Unbelievable!

juj said...

Holy bleep Andrea. I can't believe this post. I'm completly blown away. I came home thinking about drawing a page full of nothing but pistachios and of course you came to mind, so I came here to see what you'd been up to. I'm too stunned to even think about drawing now.... France is right - you are taking things to a whole new level and it's AMAZING.

Brenda Yarborough said...

Incredible work! I absolutely can not fathom how you can come up with such interesting drawings from everyday (if messy) items!! You are AMAZING!!

Teri said...

Fantastic work Andrea! Oh gosh, and it looks so familiar :)

Sandra said...

Just stopped by, looking at your pictures, and MY GOD, they are beautiful!

Tracy said...

things have been busy and i wanted to stop in and see what you've been up to because its always something incredible - OOOOO MI GOSH. hOW do You do it? its a wonder of a drawing and i'd give a lot to get inside your head someday and see whats going on in there! you see things in a marvelous way - you truly do. who else can come up with this stuff thats just your ordinary and turn it into an amazing drawing.

Jane LaFazio said...

wow indeed. this is one of my all time andrea faves too. Great drawing, great rendering of such disarray. wonderful!!
(well, except for the fact that your clearly a slob...KIDDING!!!!!!)

andrea joseph's sketchblog said...

Wow thanks everyone for all the kind comments. I'm really flattered - thanks.

This started out as a 'quick line drawing' of the contents of my bag. Actually, that's how most of my drawings start out. I long to do a line drawing but I never know when to stop. This one grew and grew and grew.

Hey, at least I'm not the only one who carries so much rubbish around with them! I'm in good company. Cheers!

Peceli and Wendy's Blog said...

Your line drawings just grow and grow indeed! Amazing that you can make a delightful composition of these details. I have posted - a couple of times - the contents of my bag - but I just upended the lot onto the scanner as a photo!
Yesterday I was at the bakers to buy some tasty delights and couldn't find my purse inside my shoulderbag - I had too many books and stuff. I did find it by taking out the books at the bus stop and my purse was there so I didn't have to walk home. But no coffee scrolls or apple pies!
w.

suzanne cabrera said...

Wow, yours is the first bag I've seen that can compete with my friend Addie's:
http://adelaidebrown.blogspot.com/2007/06/baggage-i-dont-have-baggage.html

I absolutely love this drawing by the way!

brian nelson said...

Amazing work! I love your art. You make everyday stuff look incredible!

renee anne said...

oh my oh my
you really do sketch dont you
that sketchy style is so soothing!
love it!

Claudia said...

V e r y good, Andrea! ...and don't ask me what's im m y bag;-))

andrea joseph's sketchblog said...

Thanks everyone,

Wendy, that is funny - you just open your bag out onto the scanner? Sound like an interesting (brave) idea, but I think I'd be picking off chewy and bits of tobacco for ever - and I don't even smoke! Where does that stuff come from?!

Suzanne, checked out Addie's post and yes it made me laugh.

I love doing drawings about bags and their contents - they always strike a chord with women everywhere!!

Cheers guys.

Anonymous said...

Wow, Andrea! I am in awe. I thought I put a lot of detail into drawing my wallet, but I would never draw what's in my purse. I'd be too overwhelmed. This is absolutely amazing. The detail and commitment to the subject. Way to go! BTW, I loved looking at he close-up and reading all your little comments.

Tessab said...

LOL, what an incredibly tidy mess IYKWIM. an amazing drawing. x