Monday, April 07, 2008

drawn to all things

I used to be a hoarder. Then some years back I decided to declutter my life. And was quite successful. Then I started drawing. Now I have boxes of stuff. Lots of boxes of little things. I have little boxes for red things, green things, and orange and purple things. I have boxes of badges, bottle tops and buttons. A separate box for novelty buttons. This is a box of tags, labels, tickets and bits of paper. Now I see everything as drawing opportunity. Now I say to people 'oh don't throw that away, I'll save it...' and they just go 'yeah, yeah, to draw'.

Illustration Friday; SAVE.

28 comments:

Unknown said...

Wonderful, intoxicating composition.

Unknown said...

Don't mind me, I'll just be sitting here for the next hour, looking at every last little thing. Another amazing piece - you rock!

Terry said...

Just love it along with all your work, it must take you hours and hours as you put so much detail into all your work

Jennifer Lawson said...

So cool. Another beautiful drawing. The detail in your work is amazing.

Felicity Grace said...

Fabulous drawing - and that is an effortless link to Joni, I gotta say!!

E-J said...

What truly amazes me is that despite the vast amount of stuff in a setup like this, you manage to arrange it in a way that appears totally balanced in terms of values and shapes. The way the contents are escaping from the box at the top there is a nice detail.

caseytoussaint said...

I'm always so impressed by your drawings, Andrea. You take ordinary things and make incredible compositions out of them. This is truly wonderful.

Margaret McCarthy Hunt said...

WHo knew that old tags could be so wonderful...what detail...amazing again:>going to have to look at my junk drawer with a new eye...

Margaret Ann said...

Ditto, Ditto, Ditto, Ditto...you are a master of detail...the "mistress of the miniscule"...it is an utter delight and treat to visit your blog and get lost in your art.

Atka Kevlarsjäl said...

wow. I don't know what wonders me more, your drawing or your patience!

MILLY said...

Fabulous work with a great subject matter. Glad to know there are other people that collect stuff just because, and one day it might be in a drawing.

Sherry Pierce Thurner said...

How do you consistently do this? LOL, I don't usually think of scraps of paper and tags as having beauty, but you proved me wrong.

Unknown said...

Awesome! Wow!

Anonymous said...

That looks fabulous. Such detail. I love your color selection and dimention that the drawing has. Looks like it took many hours.

suzanne cabrera said...

I can understand your dilemma!

I have a friend with many friends and admirers who are constantly giving him little presents. Every few months he takes inventory, photographs cards, notes, etc....stores them digitally...and throws the original away. I think a sketchbook can work in a similar manner. Save, sketch, toss, startover. Save, sketch, toss, startover.

But please...don't toss the boxes! These are just too good.

Dana S. Whitney said...

Congrats on the decluttering AND the limit-setting with your collections. The drawings are beautiful. I don't think clutter is pathological until you or somebody else is complaining about it AND you know it isn't "good" for you. (Like any behavior, really.)

Diane Smith said...

WOW! Once again, an amazing drawing. I'd love to know your materials for this. Someone mentioned you use ballpoint pen?!!! WOW again! What did you use for color? Pencil or washes? It's GREAT!

Kerstin Klein said...

I´m often a hoarder too, but once I´ve drawn the stuff I usually manage to get rid if it.
Unfortunately I´m faster at hoarding than drawing. :)

Great drawing!

andrea joseph's sketchblog said...

Thank you all folks.

I also scanned the non-colour version of this so I may post it too. I actually prefer it without the colour, but I wanted to be less predictable!

Margaret and Sdzsmith, I used my usual brown pen to for the drawing and then put the colour in with colour pencil.

Thanks again for the lovely comments. You really make my day, folks.

no way said...

Aaaah! How do you do it??! Were you always so quick, or did that come with practice and time?

Every time I stop by here I am AMAZED, and also inspired. I might not be able to produce work quite like this, but you get me going in the right direction!

Thanks, and this is beautiful and well-crafter, as always.

Teri said...

Geez, you sound like me, hoarding art supplies. The art fairy would be proud of us!

Gorgeous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

There is SO much detail in this!!
it is very good.

Pippa said...

Haha I'm just like that. The problem is, so is my husband. We have a lot of junk. Should probably do a spring clean soon. Great drawing as usual. Thanks for your comments on my blog x x x

Nina Johansson said...

This is just so great... you have the greatest patience in the WORLD, your whole blog is proof of that! I admire you drawings incredibly much, all the detail and the softness you manage to bake into it somehow... wonderful!

wagonized said...

Amazing. And why am i not surprised to read you've got boxes of little things?
This is going in my AJ top ten. Maybe even five.

Genine said...

andrea this is so great. I have just spent a load of time trying to read ever last ounce of it!! wonderful!

andrea joseph's sketchblog said...

Thank you chaps!

I was (well, am) really unsure about the colours. But I'm trying not to be so self-critical! I think it's because I'm not really a pink person and there seems to be quite a lot of pink. I'll post the non colour version when I get low on new drawings to post.

Cheers.

Anonymous said...

I love the way you draw every intricate detail. Your work is great!