Rockstars instead of Homework

Times are A' Changing

Bits from my sketchbook. Leonard Foujita and his dog.

I've been a little negligent and really should try harder to work and practice this way (sketchbook), away from larger pressure laden projects. But I really dislike sketching people out in the real world. They notice, and then they posture themselves and suddenly my hands don't work properly and I hurry and do an awful job and my back hurts, and my fingers get cold. Something about being in the public sphere as an artist feels very unsafe. Have been thinking of just taking a camera around at all times to steal moments quickly without anyone noticing and then reopening them at home for me to spend time with.

I've noticed though that there's a lot of negative feelings toward artists working primarily from photography or memory. It's probably just a matter of pride and identity, like a woman refusing to take drugs to dim the sharp pangs of childbirth. Obsession with being as strong as previous generations I guess.

So Question to you guys out there: What are your opinions/ thoughts on the growing relationship between photography and traditional art techniques such as painting, printmaking and mixed media?

Also, as you may have noticed the blog is no longer named Tragically Unpopular but instead Not Quite Science. This may change back, but somehow the old title seemed too pessimistic and self deprecating. Maybe a change of title will help cultivate my ego ;)

Cold Blush

Initially meant to be part of the Fashion theme but then it evolved into something different that caters to my obsession of staring women, red cheeked faces and now depictions of women in communist china? No headshots for awhile PROMISE.

The figure was supposed to be sort of model-esque and default elegant but once I started searching for reference I stumbled upon a thread discussing how some Chinese women were having their faces surgically altered to narrow them so that they more closely resembled women from another region... which happens to be the original facial features I wanted to depict...

Unfortunately I can't find the original thread for the life of me. Anyway, it made me sad that the particular woman featured was so pretty before and now nobody will ever see that face ever again. So I used the woman's before face as the model. I wonder how she would feel that she had taken such drastic measures and a complete stranger like me had no interest in her new more "beautiful" face? Tricky Tricky. After reading her story it felt dirty to go with the original plan as if it somehow would be used to make more women feel bad about their faces!

This all really isn't meant to be linked with the illustration at all, it's just fun to share part of the journey.

Question for the day: Do you think artists have a social responsibility when creating?

Wimps

How did I get in this rut? When did I get so lazy? Is it laziness or just plain disinterest? Whats the point of exploring personal issues when nothing ever seems to change or get solved? Why draw? Am I just a frankenstein composite of a bunch of better and more interesting people? Does leaving SVA take away my merit as an artist? AM I AN ARTIST AT ALL? Is it giving up if I just want to go to school and learn about China for awhile?

Time for a sabbatical. The Blog and I have to air out.

Spain.

)---(

Sorry about the silence.

.

Gratification.

Twisted Sistas

Freakazoids

Runaway vampires.

Beautiful Beautiful!

Teeny Tiny World

All we hear is the badadadum of the organ

Going down with the ship.

I like to work in twos, and show in threes.

Am in an odd mood right now, most likely because am visiting home in Washington. Have been struggling a little, no "struggling" isn't the proper world for what I'm doing. What is happening is that I am watching things and getting mighty queasy. Am sad that I no longer write interesting articles for you guys, and that the art I do show you has de-evolved into silly doodles and watercolors.

Frankly I don't even know if I am an artist anymore, lately it's as if I have nothing to say and what I do want to say is better suited for miniscule scribblings that arn't ever going to be shown to anybody. And then they might as well not even exist because thats how much of a tole they're taking on the world. Around every corner theres something to put my work to shame and the place I thought I could make for myself in the art world seems to shrink and shrink and shrink.

What role can my silly ideas and clumsy hands have in a world thats already been taken over by flashy computer graphics and billion dollar budgets? None, there is no place for Rebekka Dunlap. I'm just going to end up another interesting yet forgettable blip in the ocean of trendy faux-creative vomit.

Bekka sad. BEKKA SMASH!

Calling All Perverts!

All Right kids, am really excited for a new mini project my friend Laura and I are starting called The Naughty Blog. Theres not much there yet, and though our original plan was just to have a place to put all the naked folk we draw the few entries that have been put up seem to say that anything remotely sexy goes, actually even the unsexy will go.  Haha so stop by and see whats going on in the minds of two very nerdy ladies... 

Two very buxom, juicy, voluptuous, sleek, fashionable yet completely modest ladies with incredible hair...ladies.

Did I mention ladies?

Knock knock, anybody home?

Look how cool we are with our thrifted threads and moleskin notebooks!

Finished my second  sketchbook. Have already showed a few from this book but why not a few more? It also seems I've forgotten one image hoo huum where did it go guys?

For some reason people really like this page...

I am very worried about how I totally fetishize breasts, even partially lopsided ones, i don't mean to!

Sketches from the Natural History Museum, which i loved beyond words. These moose are so huge you would never believe it, but even though they're supposed to be battling to the death they still look so polite!

Whhhaaaaaaaa ;__;

 Alright, so it's around two and I still have not put on legit clothes, brushed my teeth or done laundry OR HOMEWORK and have not updated and have not cleaned room in an undisclosed amount of time AND just wanna read because my apartment is so cold and I promise to update more Whaaa!

The Obligatory "So hows school going?"

**With the start of school comes the lacking of time issue, but I'm going to shoot for updating this here blog once a week, however if push comes to shove and things get too hectic (like during finals) I may skip a week. Not sure who I'm talking to haha but whatevs.  

This is the Watermelon girl and the grape girl and a cuttlelfish. 

Aha! I'm currently communicating to you via the School of Visual Arts computer lab since scheduling has created a six (yes six!) hour gap between my two classes today. Alas, its alright since thus far today's classes have been great. My Principles of Illustration teacher got the class (or me at least) really jazzed about illustration, and fighting to be the absolute best artist you can be. Oh dang. The guy clearly knows what he's doing. He was able to inspire and scare us all totally shitless!

Do you guys ever think that life in general is way more interesting than we give it credit for? I mean really, i feel as if, especially in the past week, the combination of old characters popping up in my life, and mini adventures and just beautiful blips in time have grown frequent. Its not all good, but the structure of life itself has shifted a little bit and being able to look back at the summer has brought up even more almost heartbreaking realizations. That being said, this week may be as boring as the last was exhilarating hahah. 

Listened to that song from the Where the Wild Things are Trailer? The one by Arcade Fire? Listen to it now, I have it on loop.