Here’s some in-progress shots of me working on the cover to Vinny #1. Thus far it’s done in all watercolor on bristol with small amounts of graphite.

And yes, I’m left-handed.

I’m pleased to finally share with you all a side project of mine that I’ve been laboring on for the past few weeks. The economy is hitting everyone hard– including us artists. I’ve been pondering this problem for awhile now, and it is really frustrating. Artists want to sell their work. People want to buy artist’s stuff.

Unfortunately, there is sometimes a hold up in that transaction because art is not always as affordable as we’d like. Artists pour hours and hours into art: perfecting those small details, using expensive supplies and utilizing years of practice and honing of their craft to create images. Some even say a tiny piece of the soul latches onto the items that artists create. A lot of people don’t understand that, and thus do not understand why art has to be so expensive.

Obviously that means that most artists cannot drop their prices and still be fairly compensated– but the economy is preventing a lot of people from buying that piece of art that they truly love because they’re strapped for cash. It’s a tough situation that’s located between a rock and a hard place. What can you do?

Well I brainstormed a solution to that problem by creating something I like to call “Snippets.” Snippets are small pieces of art created on a 4″x6″ card. Small means less materials. Small means less time. That means more affordable! Someone could own an original, one of a kind piece of art for something that fits more easily into their expenses!

Snippets are small snapshots of something. It may be a subject matter, it might be a thought or an idea. It’s a small peek into something that the artist may have been thinking about or inspired by at the time. I frequently have urges to do just a little something here and there, and this is the best outlet possible.

Here are the first three in the series, with four and five being finished up just as soon as I’m done posting here! Click the thumbnails for larger images:

Each snippet is original and one-of-a-kind. No prints will be made from these tiny pieces of art. Each is something that I felt I wanted to paint on a whim at that moment. Each one is hand-signed, titled, and numbered with what Snippet it is in the sequence. I’m going to offer them for sale at a reasonable price, and I’m really excited about it!

Think of it as an economic art stimulus! Information on buying coming soon as I set up shop. More Snippets to follow as well. (And no, they won’t all be dogs, either. Expect some interesting new things… in addition to my usual ballerinas, mermaids, and twisted story tale fare.)

This past Valentine’s weekend I was privileged to see the Atlanta Ballet’s special Valentine’s performance of Dracula. For those of you who don’t know, I’m a complete ballet nerd. I take ballet classes (have been for about three years now), and try to read about and see as much ballet as possible. It’s a fascinating art form, and I find that ballet-inspired things keep creeping back into my work often.

Lucy as Nosferatu – Graphite and watercolor in Moleskine

Seeing Dracula as a ballet was simply amazing. I had been wanting to see the AB’s Valentine Special for years now (first The Great Gatsby and then Romeo and Juliet) but circumstances frequently made it to where I couldn’t. I’m thankful I made it to this year’s show because it was in the AB’s new venue, the Cobb Energy Centre. It’s a beautiful theater with an expansive auditorium and wonderful sound and lighting. My technical director boyfriend was going ape over the high powered lighting in there, which was amusing and nerdy.

Lucy – Graphite and watercolor in Moleskine

They did a really good job of making this ballet creepy. The score and choreography were mesmerizing, and they really managed to capture that feeling of, well… death. Dracula himself, played by John Welker was fantastic– his movements were loaded with sexual tension and frightening power. Sensuous and fluid, he commanded the stage completely every time he came on.

Mina – Graphite and watercolor in Moleskine

My favorite ballerina, Anne Tyler Harshbarger, played as Lucy in this performance, and as usual I loved her. I saw her earlier this season in Swan Lake as one of the swans (and various other corps parts), as well as Ballerina Marya in The Nutcracker. As cliché as it may sound, I loved the part of Lucy after her death and rebirth as a Nosferatu. Maybe it’s just seeing a ballerina spattered in blood and looking mostly dead with disheveled hair that did it for me. I think that makes sense… a lot of my illustrations have been about the decay of femininity, and portraying pretty or innocent, child-like things with a touch of darkness and grotesque to them. Right up my alley.

Dracula and Lucy – Graphite and watercolor in Moleskine

Some of the other audience members really held my interest as well. A lot of gothic types came out to play, and I saw many a hoopskirt, petticoat, and strange Victorian-flavored attire. I also saw lots of purple and red hair, striped stockings, and lip piercings. My boyfriend and I made quite the game of spotting the most interesting characters wandering around during the intermissions.

Needless to say, the entire experience was amazing. I left with my head filled of images that I wanted to get out just as soon as I got home, and these sketches with watercolor overlaid were some of those. They were quick studies, maybe a handful of minutes each, and perhaps about an hour for the bigger Dracula and Lucy piece.

Welcome to my blog. I thought I’d start it with a bang, and get right to some artwork. My name is Joie. I’m an Illustrator based in the Atlanta area. I unfortunately have a non-art related day job, but am working hard to find my way into the art business. That’s that– glad to meet ya.

Empyrean Eyes – 8″ x 10″ Graphite and Ink on Bristol

Empyrean Eyes – 8″ x 10″ Graphite, Ink and Watercolor on Bristol

Empyrean Eyes – 8″ x 10″ Graphite, Ink, Watercolor, Markers and Colored Pencil on Bristol

Empyrean Eyes – 8″ x 10″ Graphite, Ink, Watercolor, Markers, Colored Pencil and Gel Pen on Bristol

Empyrean Eyes is a piece that I finished some time ago, based on a photo of my costume-designer and model friend Yaya Han. It’s a great example of my process, as well as the mediums with which I am most comfortable.