This has been a very busy Spring. The semester is over (I teach as an adjunct at a local college) and, hopefully, not too many students want to throw darts at my photo. So, in between some ongoing projects (more details when I can), 2×4′s and spackle, and a car restoration or two, I might have a chance to post some new sketches.
This rough sketch is how I’ve felt lately. Trying to control the Frankenclient.
Alright, alright, what's another deadline. Oh, sorry . . . undeadline.
I’m sure the Easter Bunny is as happy that his task for the year is over as I am that the semester has finished. After all, the Easter Bunny certainly has a tougher job than Santa. Santa knows who is getting what and where they live. I’m sure it’s even easier since he got his iPhone. But the poor Easter Bunny, not only does he have to deliver to every house, he has to hide all the eggs, too. All this and hardly a tenth of the recognition Santa gets. So, if you happen to see him looking like this you’ll understand why.
By the way, if you do see him perhaps you should watch Jimmy Stewart in “Harvey.”
From the movie: Years ago my mother used to say to me, she'd say, "In this world, Elwood, you must be" - she always called me Elwood - "In this world, Elwood, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant." Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant. You may quote me.
Yes! It’s over! Another semester completed. All that’s left is to grade the final projects of my students and the fight to win over my students will be done. Until the Fall that is, when a new battle will begin. Sometimes teaching is a battle and other times it’s very gratifying. It’s my responsibility to help the students grasp the topic. If they don’t, I feel it’s at least partly my fault. This semester it’s been web design using hand coding. Without a grounding in the basics, they’d never be able to resolve the issues that browsers and programs such as Dreamweaver can raise.
Designers live in the trenches of the browser wars.
One of the many things I do is teach computer graphics courses at a local university. When I pass around the attendance sheet, many of the students ask to borrow a pen or pencil. They’ve become so reliant on electronic technology that they don’t bring any writing utensil with them. One of the most important things an artist can do is sketch and that also applies to art directors and graphic designers. The sketch allows us to work up ideas quickly, test possible layouts, and capture inspiration as it appears.
Now you can say that you can do all that with a laptop, or an iPhone, and now the iPad. That’s all well and good, but you can’t sign the attendance sheet with any of them.
The computer was originally designed on paper.
It’s getting close to that time of year. Students start panicking because finals are rapidly approaching. If there’s one thing I don’t miss about being young, it’s taking tests. That’s funny because every time I draw something new, it’s a test. “I am still learning.” is a quote attributed to Michelangelo that rings true for any artist. I am certainly learning all the time.
Final? But this is an art college.
It’s that time of year for college students (and professors, including me), break’s over, back to school. Most of my students are really interested in the class as it is vital to their future career. There is the occasional exception . . .
Uh, like I just want the credit. Do I have to come to class?
We interrupt this blog to bring you an important message:
Do you know a college student that enjoys cartooning? Take a moment to send him or her the link to the National Cartoonists Society Jay Kennedy Memorial Scholarship, http://www.cartoonistfoundation.org/jay-kennedy-scholarship.html. They don’t have to be an art major to apply!
Snow, and lots of it! We had about a foot and a half or two feet. A real blizzard during the night. Too bad for all the kids that it arrived Saturday night and not Sunday night. Spent the day finding our cars under the drifts.
Look up in the sky, it's a bird, it's a plane, it's . . . a blizzard!
Candy, cookies, cake, they are everywhere this time of year. Just ask Santa. If we were wise, we’d have abstained from the goodies for a few weeks prior to the holidays. Instead we’ll all eat too much, enjoy ourselves and “pay the piper” later. There will be plenty of exercise shoveling snow in January. Those of you living in warmer climes will have to jog instead.
I'll have just one more piece of cake. I think my suspenders can take the strain.
It’s that time of year when my students find themselves running ragged trying to complete all their final projects. Some of it is caused by procrastination, some by their workload and some by us mean, old, professors. I haven’t the heart to tell them it’s nothing compared to what they’ll face once out in the workforce.
Asking for an extension is like howling at the moon.