Fallen Tree House

Copyright 2012, Jenn Carney Art.  All Rights Reserved.

After seeing a photo of an actual tree trunk carved into a play house, it sparked an idea of what it would be like to actually see a real house one could live in like that.  My head kept thinking, and now I'm wondering what types of little children's book critters might reside in such a home as this.

Its taking me some time to get a decent flow and connection going to blogging and some form of daily idea; fortunately, there are 2 more months of summer break left to work on it before a new (and busy) semester begins in September.

I'm at times wondering if children's book illustration is the right path for me; I tend to enjoy portrait work, and have several ideas for more fantasy-type characters that a slightly less cute and fuzzy and more adult in nature.  But it has also been my thought and desire to find a gap within the children's bracket that meets somewhere in between something along the lines of Beatrix Potter and Tony DiTerlizzi, to that of Brian Froud, Brom and David McKean.  Right now, there really doesn't seem to be much of any particular style that fits somewhere in the middle and melds finer details with whimsy, and still maintains a family-friendly fashion.  Perhaps that is my goal to seek.

I do enjoy children's art, but I find that there needs to be a balance within my creativity-which sparks ideas about whether or not a children's book illustrated in sanguine would be successful, or how Van Gogh or Picasso might illustrate a story-something that ties in adult techniques and breaks out of molds and what is upon the current book shelves, or hanging on walls.

Herself the Night Elf

Copyright Jenn Carney Art, 2012.  All rights reserved.

A further experimentation of using various types of charcoal and blending tools on chipboard/cardboard, that is normally reserved for oil wash or the occasional pastel application.


Its also an experiment of bringing in the traditional methods I've learned into my own style, and seeking to make it my own.  I've been intrigued on creating a self-portrait that spliced my own likeness to a World of Warcraft night elf, meeting somewhere in the middle of fantasy style and reality.


Prints are available on my deviantArt gallery:
http://twistedthyme.deviantart.com

(I don't think I will be wanting to part with the original on this one.)

Lots more ideas in my head, with images based on music, song lyrics, moods and general thoughts...stay tuned!

The Beginning

Welcome to my blog!  The goal of this is to become a place to post artwork, perhaps place some snippets of story ideas, my thoughts and opinions on art and life, and, as one of my good friends put it, "a place to be fully present within my life."


I hope to promote my creativity, network, and broaden my horizons-illustratively, as well as in written word.  I used to write on a near-daily basis; primarily poetry, but lost some connection with it during the past few years.  It hasn't been until enrolling in art college that I began to reconnect and appreciate writing again, this time expanding outward into art history analyses, art critiques and some short story writing.


For a bit of background, I am currently enrolled at the Academy of Art University, and have recently graduated with a BFA in Traditional Illustration.  (I am now continuing as a graduate, pursuing a Master's Degree in the same field.)


I am also a freelance artist, available for commission work; please take note, if any artwork I post within my blog strikes your fancy, please comment or contact me for sales information.
  
As a person, I am (and will probably always be) young at heart, connected fully to my inner child.  I often find myself pondering about details in life that most others don't stop to consider, and seek out ways to express it within my art.  Anything mysterious or of ethereal nature usually strikes my fancy, though my inspirations are not strictly limited to fantasy art...this is where I hope to grow and expand as an artist.


We shall see where this road leads...I look forward to this journey...