Ever wonder how the Jazz Age started? Well, not that Jazz age but these quirky little line drawings?
They actually started out as a silly game. Back in 2013 I got a new drawing app for my iPad. Paper by 53. Back then it was very basic, but it allowed for smooth lines. I never really liked drawing because my own practice never progressed past stick drawings and I felt everything I drew was messy. The lines were uncontrolled and didn't fit with my misconceptions of what a good drawing was. But then came along the tablet technology. It catered to my need for immediate gratification. Brushes, pens, pencils and markers were all there - changeable with a tap of the finger.
I began playing around drawing squiggles lines and shapes just to see what the app could do. Then faces began to appear. I began to draw with my eyes closed - just drawing one or two squiggles, open my eyes and try to see the face. What is the minimum number of lines needed to convey a face? What are the most essential elements? I have always been inspired by the simplicity of Al Hirschfeld and the clean lines and shapes of Art Deco. I drew hundreds of drawing over the course of the year - I suppose developing my own aesthetic.
That Christmas, I was struggling with what to do for gifts for everyone and I decided to print some off and make a set of postcards. The drawings were a success among my friends. The idea of postcards got put on the back burner for a good five years. In the meantime, I took twenty of my best drawing and expanded them into large three-dimensional drawings in the series The Jazz Age with an exhibition as part of the Mimetic Festival at the Waterloo Vaults in 2014. But always in the back of my mind was the idea that these drawings needed to be turned into greeting cards or postcards.
Well, now is the time. Beginning in January 2019, The Jazz Age will be available as 5x7 note-cards or A5 Postcards. Individual images may be purchased in sets of 10, or there are several assorted sets of 5 or 8 images. Check out the Stationary page in the Shop!
Oh... And Happy New Year.
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