For the first studio tour of 2009, I visited the workspace of artist and illustrator, Lora Jost. I first met Lora when we worked together on a poster for the River City Reading Festival and I was so amazed by her illustration that I asked if I could visit her studio to see her workspace and more of her beautiful art. Lora uses several unique techniques in creating her work including scratchboard, ceramic mosaic, and collage. Her pieces draw from personal experiences and collected stories which are depicted with elements of beauty, whimsy, darkness, and joy. From her artist statement:

“I am drawn to experiences that are mundane, whimsical, and socially urgent. I like to mix these themes, and find how they link in spirit. I hope that viewers will identify with the stories my pictures tell. I hope that my art, in some small way, deepens our collective appreciation and compassion for each other and for life itself.”

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Above image courtesy of Michael Krueger

This is just a quick post to point you to a nice interview with University of Kansas art professor Michael Krueger. You can see more of his artwork on his website.

Good ol’ pen and ink wash!

When I was in school, I took several life drawing courses. I really became interested in doing blind contour drawings and I spent a good semester working in pen and ink wash with a little charcoal thrown in from time to time. These are a few of my favorites:

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