sketchbook inspiration

 

I'm not sure what I want to work on next, so I've been tearing out pages in magazines and catalogs and filling my sketchbook with quick collages and doing a corresponding line drawing then adding a bit of watercolor.  It's a nice exercise just to get my creativity flowing while I decide what to create next.  Do you have any methods or exercises you do when you're stuck creatively?

welcome to the 21st century

After 7 1/2 years with my lovely durable LG phone, I begrudgingly decided to take the leap into the 21st century and get an iphone 4.  At least since I waited this long it was only $1.  I have admit I am loving having a camera on me at all times.  I was going through a little photography rut lately and now I think this combined with the changing weather is inspiring me a bit.  So now I am on instagram.  You can follow me here.  Don't be shy, I love seeing everyone's feeds.  There's such a huge range of photo taking on there.  I love it.

tara donovan

Aren't these installation sculptures by artist Tara Donovan so incredible?!  She uses simple everyday objects and turns them into incredible works of art.  I actually didn't believe the first one was made up of plastic drinking straws until I saw the super close-up.  I thought it had been mismarked!  It looks like a dreamy wall made up of layers of encaustic.  These are so inspiring.  It reminds me of this lady I talked to once when I was working at an art supply store.  I was helping her pick out a very expensive sable brush and her husband said "Do you really need that?"  She looked at me and said "You're only as good as your materials right?"  I just had to smile and nod while secretly thinking "I hope not, because I use the $2 paints and get materials out of the dumpster out back."

a ship of lace

I've been slowly working on this ship for the last 2 weeks and I finally finished it yesterday.  I had a lot of ups and downs with it.  I almost scrapped the base before I decided to bend the back out and put the lace and velvet ribbon trim on.  Sometimes things have to be really ugly before they become beautiful. 

inspiration

My absolute favorite shot from Anna Karenina.  It was the perfect ending to a perfect film.  It has stayed with me for months after I first saw it.  I will hopefully have a series of movie stills from this soon.  Just have to take the time to shoot them.

party girl

I just started a new series this week.  I've had a ton of ideas in my head over the last couple of weeks and didn't know where they were heading until I finished the top piece a couple of days ago.  I finished the blue one yesterday.  They are both pencil and watercolor on thick 140 lb. cold-pressed watercolor paper (which I love).  I'm going to do some more of these, but in the meantime I've made prints available on Society6 and the originals are available in my etsy shop. 

a golden age

 

I recently discovered the amazing work of artist Brad Kunkle via Hi-Fructose Magazine.  He uses gold and silver leaf in his oil paintings which gives them this dreamlike luminosity.  They literally look like they are glowing.  I wish I could see his work in person as I'm sure the effect is even more beautiful.  For now I will continue salivating over my keyboard.

pretty packaging

I love getting stuff in the mail.  Especially when it's wrapped up as lovely as my latest etsy purchase from pretty little thieves.  I grabbed the mail while my husband and I were leaving to go to whole foods and was so excited when I found this lovely little package amidst the junk mail.  It was wrapped so pretty I waited until I go home to open it (and I have absolutely no patience whatsoever so that says a lot) just so I could photograph it.  This sad party girl is now brightening up my living room.

vintage carousel

a new print and free shipping at society6 now through the 10th through this link: http://society6.com/morgankendall?promo=8fb62a

You may remember my 3D version of a multi-animal carousel.  I've been so into drawing lately with my animal series I thought I'd do a 2D version.  It looks really cute as a shirt, I just might have to get it.

sketching elle

I just picked up the latest issue of Bullett Magazine and am so glad I did.  This may be my favorite issue yet.  Each one has a theme this one being the Surreal Issue.  There are three covers out, and even though I am obsessed with this photo shoot, I'm glad my area had the one with Michael Pitt on it.  I was even more elated when I flipped through and found this incredibly interesting shoot with the always lovely Elle Fanning shot by Pierre Debusschere.  I love the smatterings of colors that look like smeared paint, mixed with the organic lines drawn onto all of the photos.  Perfectly in tune with this months theme.  There are also many more fantastic interviews and artist spotlights this month.  Definitely worth picking up a copy.