Culture Lab // Margin

An art/performance piece featuring myself and 4 other artist debuting this Saturday

I was invited to participate in an ongoing project called Culture Lab that brings together small groups of artists to collaborate on a Jewish theme. Culture Lab is organized by a group called East Side Jews which was started three years ago by TV writer Jill Soloway because there was no interesting or creative Jewish activity on the East Side. The early events were like happenings – very creative, spoken word events with local writers in unusual spaces. I love their mission statement: “East Side Jews is an irreverent, upstart, non-denominational collective of Jews living in Los Angeles’ East Side. We hold monthly events at unlikely venues during unpopular holidays for Jews with confused identities.” They received a large grant last year and became a part of the Silver Lake Independent JCC with even more innovative programs.

This is the third iteration of Culture Lab. I was paired with 4 other artists to make a piece around the theme of Margin. There are 2 choreographers, 2 visual artists and one storyteller/filmmaker. I am creating an 125ft mural that wraps around the performance space. There will be dance, installation, interactive components, storytelling. You can arrive anytime between 7p-11p – it is a durational piece so everythign that is occurring (dance, interactive activity, storytelling) will continue to do so throughout that time. The show will be performed twice – this coming Sat. and next Sat. the 20th. The flyer is below plus a sneak peak of the mural in progress. If you are in LA, please stop by!

Immanence

pre chanukah warmup

Sketchbook

I’ve been working on my freelance marketing business lately and haven’t had time to take my images from sketchbook to finished art. It feels like I am storing up all these bits of ideas which will someday make their way into a story.

This is a page of notes from a children’s book illustration conference I attended on Sunday. I picked up a few tips but it always comes back down to just doing the work…

a sketch

Yes, I still exist but I am buried in work. I dug up a drawing from 3 weeks ago to remind myself that I like to do this too. It’s the opening page to my sketchbook. Hopefully, more to come….

muscle building doodles

I haven’t drawn much lately and I felt rusty when I sat down to draw this morning. It feels like my hand won’t obey my mind. But slowly, slowly, the energy starts to infuse my finger tips and then I just follow along a winding trail. The blank page can be so intimidating after a long absence.

I think it will be a good exercise to occasionally post my doodles – they don’t have much deep meaning but some of them look like they do!

the art of breakfast

Yum, Danny Gregory makes breakfast so creative! If someone did a video about my process, it would not be as interesting – lots of shots of me squinting at the computer and getting up to stretch when my back starts aching…

Gregory also produced a few short films about other illustrators. I love getting a peak inside someone else’s process. It’s so mysterious and life affirming.

lack of sleep leads to bad spelling

thought full

start at the start

what.1

the net

sense memory

sketches before bed