(Click on drawing to view)This was an interesting drawing to do. It stirred up so much stuff, about school and what it was like being that age. I hated school. I know that's a strong emotion but it's how I felt about it. What I didn't know then was that such strong emotions would make good material further down the line.
I can't remember doing much graffiti on my desk at school. But that's one of the great things about drawing. Now I can live out all that stuff on paper. My teenage rebel can have the space to run wild (with her pen) and do all those things I was to scared to do.
Another thing this drawing brought back was how many crushes I had back in the day. Lots. And lots. Even though they've now all drifted off into my long term memory they, too, make good material. There's one still continues. Decades later and I'm still worshipping at the altar of Paul Weller.
'Exercise Book' print available HERE.
Ah, yes. The old familiar scribbled up school desk ... although I don't remember any desk in my day looking as interesting as this one. Thanks for bringing back some memories of my youth...and a few afternoons in detention (he...he...smile).
ReplyDeleteOooh, very cool. This could be quite an interesting series. It has been years since I've even seen a wooden desk. I retired from teaching in 2005, and seeing this gave me a flashback of my morning routine, which was to clean off the desks in my room. Believe me, there were no cool drawings, just slander and anotomical representations. :) The best sketches I ever saw were in the margins of notebooks.
ReplyDeleteThis is great. I LOVE it.
ReplyDeleteWow. Another piece that has me scratching my head as to what strange alchemy occurs in the ballpoint pens you use that turns the ink into anything you want it to be! That wood is amazing, and I don't think this is overdone: like so much of your stuff, it welcomes a curious eye and rewards close scrutiny ... I rather enjoy the act of squinting to see the details among the texture of the wood. Makes me feel it's a real desk I'm looking at.
ReplyDeleteOh this is awesome! You totally captured the boredom of school! I used to draw on the desk in government and the student in the next class would add to it. The teacher finally told us we could use the whole back blackboard (which had been covered in paper) because the custodian was getting tired of cleaning the desks off. :)
ReplyDeleteI just love the busyness of it. It sure does remind me of those notebooks and stuff.
ReplyDeleteFantastic! :D The Jam is certainly great. <3
ReplyDeleteyour work is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI was too afraid I would get caught and they would know it was me - but I sure wanted to write on my desk - thanks for the lovely memories -
ReplyDeleteYour work is as good as it gets - I am a great fan of yours -- thank you so much for sharing -
Reminds me VERY much of this album cover:
ReplyDeletehttp://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee274/MartinWarez/Alice_Cooper_-_Schools_Outfront.jpg
Don't know how to do links properly....nice to see the 'MCFC' on there!
This is great. It took me back to high school. I was a good student with bad tendencies. I managed to pull off a space battle (yes, I was/am a geek)between two desks in the back of my spanish classroom, and a desktop covered in album art and beer cans in my english classroom.
ReplyDeletedamn, this is so good! Nearly fell off my chair when i saw it. Bloody amazing.
ReplyDeleteI got in trouble a couple of times for drawing on the desks at school. Couldn't help it.
What a fun idea and it works so well. A great way to lay those demons to rest. I too hated school and if I have a bad dream it will often involve me being back in a school environment. How telling is that?
ReplyDeleteFun idea! I wish I found drawings like those on the kids's desks... Your drawing is completely awesome and amazing, once again!
ReplyDeleteHow, just how did you do the texture of the wood??
ReplyDeleteYour composition is AJ-brilliant. Just looking at this piece threw me back in middle school. Everything about this rings true. Yet it's full of AJ-isms! The phone, the Converse, The Jam... !!!
Bravo.
You know, some of my most endearing and favorite students (shhhhh!! I'm not supposed to have those!!!) hated school. Go figure.
I use to get into trouble drawing on my desk top when I was in school. My teacher made me come in after school to clean all the desk. But they regretted that because I ended up leaving a film of the scrubbing stuff they gave me to clean the desk with. The next day there was a dry powder all over all the desk top.
ReplyDeleteAfter a while I graduated to bathroom stall doors.
I love your desk top doodle!
Yes. We want to know how you do what you do like no one else can do. Someday could we have progressive scans as you layer on your colors and textures. After viewing your black shoes I bought a bag of red pens and only wound up with a red drawing. I failed. Will have to go back with watercolor.
ReplyDeleteyou are so talented and you offer up such great inspiration! Thanks for the trip down memory lane. :)
ReplyDeleteIt's absolutely wonderful. You're like Penny Crayon. It looks so real. Guess who I saw in the paper? YOU! Thank you so much for telling me about it. You know you're a real artist when you're in the paper, eh? Brilliant!
ReplyDeleteThanks everybody,
ReplyDeleteI liked doing this one and there will be future versions. This one started out life as a kind of tester. I didn't know whether I could achieve what was in my head. All those layers of writing and carving on a school desk. There's something really intriguing, I find, about layers.
Oh, and i forgot the obligatory penis drawing. Damn.
Cheers y'all.
You're clearly from another planet.
ReplyDeleteThis is great! I love the wood texture and the way all the graffiti is layered. I used to while away boredom reading other peoples graffiti, I could spend ages looking at your drawing and still find new things.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh!!!! This post made me smile out loud...if that is even possible?!?!?! I LOVE IT. I too had many crushes back in the day. I have to say its nice to be settled on one now though. Multiple crushes can make you crazy.
ReplyDeleteSo many of your drawings I wish I could pull out of your sketchbook and hang on my wall...but this one especially. So, so, so sweet. It feels so personal to me.
Oh and two other things:
ReplyDelete1) I concur with Stephen...you really are from another planet.
2) You can't say you forgot the penis without adding it to your next drawing...hehehe. I double-dog dare you :)
i keep coming back to look at this again. unbeflippinglievable. In fact it's so good it just isn't possible. I keep looking at it and going, no flipping way! Amazing.
ReplyDeleteFound you through stumble - your drawings are absolutely amazing. I'll be sharing your site with my readers sometime.
ReplyDeleteThank you all, guys.
ReplyDeleteSuzanne, did you find the little you and Edgar references? It's just my litle way of saying happy wedding(?!).
Pete, aw thanks. I'm dead chuffed by your comments 'cos, you know, I think you're too cool for school.
Thanks to everyone who has commented. There will be a new drawing coming soon. Really, there will. Now I'd better stop doodling on my desk and get doodling on some paper. Cheers.
I miss them - very beautifull.
ReplyDeleteandrea, I love the detail of your work! I don't have that level of patience!
ReplyDeleteYou have a lot of talent.
ReplyDeleteI admire you.
I admire every detail of your drawings.
Greetings!!
excellent job andrea
ReplyDeleteYes, fantastic!
ReplyDeleteI love this, I just stumbled across your blog by accident, and I'll definitely be back for more. The busyness works perfectly because it reflects the endless hours of boredom, the layers are a record of all the ignored classes. I know my table was crammed with band logos,doodles,heart, philosophy quotes. I was a bit peeved when they made me scrub them off myself. More because they were making me erase my own work...precious even at the age of 11...and nothing has changed.
ReplyDeleteWow I am so like wow you are so great i could not believe it I was suprised you are like so good I love your work.
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone. I really appreciate your visits and comments. And I'm glad this one has brought back some memories for you. Cheers.
ReplyDeleteI'm catching up with the art blogs I habitually visit. As usual you are just the cream on the coffee with your lush but careful drawings. I've been in Fiji for three weeks and didn't visit many of my favourite sites. I drew almost every day as a kid, obsessed then with circuses, film stars, fashion - but not nowadays!
ReplyDeletew.
thank you andrea! I love my baby too! as well as your attention to details! your drawings reveal your sweetness!
ReplyDeleteThank, folks.
ReplyDeleteEdgar, I'm very pleased that you and Suzanne like this one. Really I am.
I just saw this over at Suzanne's - its stunning. back to internetland after summer mostly away and catching up on your posts .... LLLLOOOOOOOVVVVEEEEEEEEEE the washing machine :)
ReplyDelete