Yes! I think I might be, after such a long painful journey - coming back to myself.
I used to draw something, a doodle, a study - every day. I did it like from the time I was 4-5 until I hit around 20 - where it tapered off and I realized … I was blocked.
I “seriously” draw in bursts - with a ton of playing in between, so I can go for months and then I’m vomiting art everywhere. Each time I’ve make a leap in skill level, so I liked it. Sometimes it would go on a LONG time, but it always came back. Always.
But at some point I realized …. it wasn’t coming back.
I pretty much stopped drawing - even the doodles stopped for YEARS. Those that knew me from the age of 5-23 … know how much a big deal that is. I didn’t start trying to force myself to reconnect until I was in my mid thirties.
And it has been really hard. What used to be so easy - it’s so hard now. Or it was. Sculpting brought me back in touch with some of it, and the last three years has seen me waaaaaaaay more productive than the last 17 where I did well, nothing pretty much.
Enter ACEOs. Now, they are NOT new to me. Not at all. I’ve been looking at them and even collected a few that drew me. But last weekend, I was bitten. Odd that it is NOW I get bit, but there you have it. ACEOs are now something that I’m getting just mad about.
What is an ACEO you ask? ACEO stands for Art Cards, Editions and Originals and are always 2.5″ x 3.5″ (trading card sized) works of art. They are a great way to collect or trade art. They are easily displayed in albums or matted and framed. They also make great gifts!
I am attracted to them because I still can’t do a BIG piece. I am still reaching for that connection inside myself that I used to spill out of my pores lol, but something small? It intrigues me. It fascinates me. ACEOs are only 2.5 x 3.5 - So it’s less of a commitment. It dwells on the edge of throwaway art - the kind I always did, but now people are collecting this and other artist are seriously working in that scale!
Anyway - I couldn’t find my prismacolor sets or most of my 2d art stuff except my papers ( I’m a paper hoarder lol ) some pencils and rapidographs. I have sooooooo much 2d supplies and I have NO idea where any of it is. That is SUCH a sad state of affairs. Seriously.
So I had to go buy myself a few pieces yesterday - like a starter 12 pencil prismacolor set ( cuz the cheapo pencils I bought to use at first just suck a$$) to replace alll those pencils I collected over the decades but can’t seem to find right now. I also found some white India ink (OMG! It was right there - with COLORS! I remember when trying to find a store that carried that was impossible and there it is! Heck I remember when they didn’t HAVE that!) because I’ve seen how so many artists use that and do such lovely stuff with it (the colored inks will come later, oh yes! lol).
I haven’t been THAT excited buying colored pencils and inks and seeing what new stuff is out there (colorless blender pencils for helping to blend prismacolors??? ooo yes please! I’d like to play with that! LOL) since I was like in my late teens. LOL.
I seriously thought that I’d never feel that way again.
I grabbed some Kryon workable fixative, because I’ve found artist groups and forums devoted to colored pencil art (and WOW - have I learned a lot!) and while “back in the day” I used to use hairspray … evidently that yellows and the big CP (colored pencils) artists recommend a workable fixative to add tooth and to help prevent wax blooms ( which I knew about but didn’t realize there was a term for!).
I also learned that you need a good sharpener or, you can destroy your pencils. Well okay I guess I knew that because how many pencils have I chewed away to nub in a sharpener? Turns out I just needed a better sharpener!! And that issue with the leads breaking and falling out? Turns out you can NUKE your pencil in a microwave for 4-20 seconds and it will fuse the lead! And that you should be gentle with the pencils so you don’t break the leads - OMG! Gentle I have never been with my colored pencils, LOL! Well now I know better, hehe.
I know that I will learn a lot more too. Soooo anyway - I did my first ACEO. It’s … okay.
I posted it on ElfWitch - so you can see it there. I just decided to post about this new reawakening on the Mother Site because it was so generalized in many ways and because it laps over all my sites.
I guess I’m seeing this site as the one stop gets all, in that the other sites are to serve as ways for me to present various forms of art that I do, but this one presents them all and maybe a spot for me to blab as a person and artist as well.