FORWARD_IF

Since I've been fairly voracious with working in my sketchbook this past year I've put together one for the Brooklyn Art Library Sketchbook project 2012. Just finishing up the last few illustrations for my sketchbook this week.
Above is one of the pages that fits the 'forward' theme for this weeks Illustration Friday challenge. This is our friend Ganesha who has been asked to 'perform' by someone just out of view thus the circus-like image. Since one of Ganesha's skills is his ability to remove obstacles, the request is one asking him to help so that the requestee can move forward in their endeavour.

IF TWIRL - Eddy Rides Maelstrom

The word 'twirl' immediately put me in mind of a story and illustration that kept my minds eye spellbound for weeks after having read the story as a child.
Therefore as part of the background I've embedded the beautiful pen & ink maelstrom (whirlpool) illustration by the artist Harry Clarke from Edgar Allen Poe's story 'Descent into the Maelstrom' included in the 1919 publication Tales of Mystery and Imagination.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Maelstrom-Clarke.jpg
This image relates to a job I had after graduating from the Alberta College of Art and Design in Calgary Canada. To cut I long story short, after helping film a TVC for the Calgary Stampede, I ended up with a press pass that I used quite freely by spending a couple of days taking photos of the rodeo through the rail of the infield fence. This drawing recalls that time.
The twirl relates to the bulls movement as it tries to throw the rider off it's back. A bull may twirl or spin in circles. It may whirl and then reverse its direction of spin. If kicks out as well it's a harder ride and if the cowboy stays on for a full the 8 seconds the ride receives higher points. Maelstrom here twirls, whirls. spins, leaps and kicks to get that dang cowboy off.

'Eddy Rides Maelstrom' is from the Snakeskin Sketchbook series of drawings.

Caterpillar Prep

– Sensing it was now time, Onno began the preparation. –

The story before this moment.............,
and after................

Caterpillar Prep is from the Snakeskin Sketchbook series of artworks.

Preparation Lepidoptera larvae

What's going on? IF - Grounded

'What's going on?' is from the Snakeskin Sketchbook series of artworks. It is inspired by the Illustration Friday topic 'Grounded'.  This is an illustration about the research theory called Grounded Theory. 

Grounded Theory is a general research method ; which guides a researcher on matters of data collection (where you can use quantitative data or qualitative data of any type e.g. video, images, text, observations, spoken word etc.); and details strict procedures for the data analysis. It is a research tool which enables you to seek out and conceptualise the latent social patterns and structures of an area of interest through the process of constant comparison. A bit like being the x-ray machine of the social world.
More info on Grounded Theory can be found here http://www.groundedtheoryonline.com/what-is-grounded-theory (Thanks to Helen Scott PHd) 

How it relates to the above illustration is that it starts with listening, asking questions, and hearing what the little bird told you as data rather than hearing it as a story. Then you ask the bird another question getting further data, and again etc.

It's abstruse, I know, so please enjoy the image and interpret it as you wish.

From wikipedia: Grounded theory was developed by two sociologists,Barney Glaser and Anselm Strauss.  Their collaboration in research on dying hospital patients led them to write the book Awareness of Dying. In this research they developed the constant comparative method, later known as Grounded Theory.

IF_ Highlight

Reflecting on 2011 there were a couple of highlights and lowlights moving me in and out of the din of the background noise of everyday life. A trip to Queenstown, New Zealand in May and an intentionally adrenaline-laced adventure there was the one highlight that jumps out at me. The trip was one where I could dare myself out of the background-noise comfort zone and push myself on to try what were previously very intimidating experiences. Paragliding started the adventure and the bungy jump concluded the adventure. The jump is somewhat recorded in this sketch from the Snakeskin Sketchbook series here.