Tribal

I am taking a graduate level drawing class at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) this semester. So far, the class is amazing. Not only do I get to go out and draw two nights a week, but I have been completely inspired and exposed to new subcultures and genres. I am not going to go into too much detail here, but I wanted to share a few images. This is the first time in quite some time that I have been able to focus on my own art. Even in grad school I was more focused on teaching art. When I was teaching full-time I had little time for my own art...throw a kid or two into the mix...need I say more?

OK, here is the quickie explanation. For this assignment we were to research tribal art and then create an image with some elements of tribal art. I found an African sculpture here of a mother and child. I was also influenced by western images of the same subject matter then created my own interpretation using ink and charcoal and bubbles....yes, I said bubbles. I treated the paper with black ink bubble prints before getting started. If you look closely at the whitest parts you can see some faint bubble prints.

I like the idea of adding a twist to an age old theme. Images of a mother and child have been created by artists from many cultures throughout history. I wanted to blend cultures under a universal theme. I always visualize a very European Mother and Child portrait when I think of this theme so I started with that and added patterns for a more tribal feel. I made the mother and baby a mixed race pair to strenthen the concept that motherhood exists everywhere.

My house is covered in charcoal dust, but it has been worth it.