Weekly 5 is a round-up the past week’s creative news, discoveries, and happenings in my world!
Best thing that happened in my world this week:
Alex and I occasionally take trips to thrift stores to look for items we might be useful for our creative projects. For several years, he has talked about acquiring a children’s Speak & Spell to bend its circuits for music projects. He never intended to purchase one new, and each time we have gone shopping intending to search of one, we have almost always hit a dead end. However, this past week we struck gold! On this week’s trip, I passed through an aisle and a bright red rectangular object caught my eye. I realized it was a Speak & Spell and immediately grabbed it. I hit the ‘on’ button and found that it worked. When I presented it to Alex, his eyes lit up like it was Christmas morning.
As for my own finds, I acquired a small handful of children’s board books for use in upcoming collage projects. Additionally, I scored a goodie bag with several Ticonderoga No. 2 pencils. They evoked memories of many hours spent drawing during my elementary school years. During class time, I filled the margins of my assignments with doodles – which made my 4th grade teacher livid (Hi, Mrs. Post! 😜). Outside of school, I spent many evenings (and the better part of summer vacations) at my family’s kitchen table drawing. I drew out many full-length stories that could have been turned into storyboards for full-length movies. My last memory of using a traditional No. 2 pencil was when I took my final multiple-choice test using a Scantron sheet…30-plus years ago. I believe now is a good time to revisit drawing again the way I used to!
Ubiquitous Objects Transform into Ambient Soundscapes in Zimoun’s Installations
from COLASSAL
Exploring the possibilities of such simple materials is at the core of many of Zimoun’s works, as he shifts our perspective on their uses and functionality. Appearing animate, each object becomes an instrument in its own right, as the kinetic, often frenetic, movement of the machines transforms a wood-slatted door or metal barrel into a sonic apparatus.
Artist discovery: Masako Miki
Miki’s monumental outdoor public art installation at Uber HQ in San Francisco and OH Bay cultural coastal park in Shenzhen China is on view. She is currently working on Mina and Natoma Street Corridor Project with SFMOMA and SFAC designing functional sculptures. Miki is a native of Japan and currently based in Berkeley, California. She is represented by RYANLEE Gallery in New York and Jessica Silverman Gallery in San Francisco.
Ryan Lee, New York
©Masako Miki
5 non-drawing tips for drawing on location
From Coffee in drawings out on Substack
A practical guide to urban sketching
What doesn’t get talked about enough is the practicalities. Drawing on location, or in public, seems to be a big deal to many people. I get it. It’s scary to start with. But all you have to do is look at something and make some marks that might look like the thing. Then we can go get a beer.
- Find your spot
- Don’t worry about people
- Start fast, finish slow
- Take less crap
- Make it easy
©Andrew James
