Jennifer M. Lee

make/shift magazine, the rainbow, and the coast... OH MY!

2009-10-05T11:42:00.000-07:00

my image was asked to be in the make/shift magazine
it's a small feminist publication and i am ecstatic that i was even considered for this!
hopefully this will be the push i need to start advertising my work more.
you can find out more about the publication at

in other news:

"you gotta have rain... to make a rainbow"

I sometimes forget that there's always a brighter side to life.
that was the first time i've ever seen a full arc of a rainbow.
the nice man on the bike (pictured on the lower right) waved me down as i was biking over a bridge
i could have just rode right by it and never even noticed.
it's moments like that where i truly appreciate humanity and kindness of strangers.

i went to the oregon coast for the first time!
It was the Tillamook (yes, the cheese is made there as well) coast and i went with two classmates in order to document for a science project.

sometimes, art school isn't a drag :]

another day in the life...

2009-09-22T13:49:00.000-07:00

oh, hi there...
i didn't see you there...
how are you?
here's what you've missed, thus far :]

sketchbook update:

going out to draw on location was a huge sigh of relief for me...
i still can't believe how lucky we are, as artist, to be able to have the ability to draw what we see
to report
to observe
and to document

it's a beautiful moment when you get to spend a few hours just drawing
buildings, trees, crowds, etc... :]

Portland, Oregon update:

swift watching was magical...
what are those black spots on this photo, you ask?

"Swifts are insect eating birds that migrate south each fall. At sunset during migration they choose a place where dozens to thousands of birds can roost (sleep). Since the late 1980’s the Chapman chimney has been one of these roosting sites."

i doubt i'll ever experience anything like that again... sigh!

soon to come:
tshirt idea
"finalized" pieces (hopefully soon!)

cheers!
till then.
-j

summer in the city means...

2009-08-17T15:03:00.000-07:00

portland,oregon has been awfully nice to me lately.
i have been only making lists of actual pieces not in a sketchbook..
but alas, i carry my sketchbook around more then a 18x24 sheet
so please be patient as i crank some out...
being an "artist" has blossomed into something more then just visual drawings this summer

it has become, to me,:
words
thoughts
poems
diagrams
research
rest
concepts>drawings
astronauts
psychology
coffee
movies in the park for free

be expecting in the following months:
1. actual posts
2. lists of projects (that i WILL complete)
3. blogging style more so then an "art" blogging style
4. pieces of the wazoo [school is starting up again and it is THESIS time for me]
5. collaborations (i hope)
6. pictures
7. book recommendations
8. hopefully more followers
9. tentative website
10. ___________________

ps) would anyone be interested in a tshirt that has the image of the astronaut for my first drawing??? start the poll ;]

Carpaccio Magazine Issue #2

2009-06-03T15:55:00.001-07:00

http://www.carpacciomagazine.com/

Carpaccio Magazine is a monthly online publication and a quarterly print publication created to promote the work of 'uncooked' artists: emerging but very tasty artists. Published work includes illustration, photography, drawing and others -as music, poetry, diy designs, etc.

kurt vonnegut tribute

2009-04-01T17:16:00.000-07:00

sylvia plath

2009-04-01T12:56:00.001-07:00

Illustration Friday (IF): Poise

2009-03-31T13:40:00.000-07:00

her life and art is the definition of what poise is.
it's amazing how ill-informed i am of all the different types of artists out there...
whether it be printmakers, contemporary artists, or sculptors
i've recently roamed around at my school's library
i get overwhelmed
but maybe it's good i only just recently discovered these artists
if I was any younger, i probably wouldn't have appreciated their work the same way.
Louise Bourgeois

sketchbook update

2009-03-31T13:29:00.000-07:00

So a few updates:
got my clint eastwood watercolor piece into the PNCA BFA Juried Show.
also working on a portrait project... drawing illustrations of controversial couples in the past 50 years or so. it's exciting. i love the research part more then anything!

portrait

2009-03-22T18:59:00.000-07:00

Oh Obama.

First Drypoint Etching Print

2009-02-17T17:39:00.000-08:00

update yet again!

2009-02-04T17:34:00.000-08:00

this semester flew by. now i'm starting my junior year, second semester! how does time fly so fast? it's intimidating yet exciting all at the same breath!

some things to look out for from me in the future:
-prints! (i'm taking a beg. intaglio&lithography studio class)
-digital media illustrations
-portraits
-art show pieces
-sketchbook updates

heres a few stuff i did last semester with traditional watercolor:

watercolor:

this is a watercolor study i did of a movie still:

i haven't actually got to explore the great lengths of photoshop although... i have a great digital illustration class this semester! i'm not entirely comfortable yet but i like how clean i get my shapes/lines... and here are a few studies

movie still from minority report:

movie still from mission impossible:

ironic how my classmate pointed out that i had an odd fascination with cheesy tom cruise movies. so be it!

holy jeebus it's Clint Eastwood

2008-11-26T09:36:00.000-08:00

on display:

Icons are intriguing to me. I prefer to defy all reasons against it. Clint Eastwood’s portrait is portrayed in that fashion. Ugly being a graphic shape within his “manhood” gives his portrait a contrasting emotion with how he is usually perceived and how male heroic icons are usually always perceived as well.

Dreams

2008-09-28T20:54:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of updates.
That's a show piece I made for Launch Pad Gallery, theme being "Dreams"
The opening is Friday, i'm actually quite excited about this one, over 100 people are a part of it. I've never been a part of such a huge show. It'll definitely make up for a great friday opening! I'll leave some information about it on the bottom.

LAUNCH PAD GALLERY

Dreams
A Salon-Style, Open-Call Themed Group Show
featuring one piece each by over 100 artists
October 3rd - 31st, 2008
Opening Reception:
First Friday, October 3rd
6pm-12am
FREE! ALL AGES! OPEN TO EVERYONE!

Launch Pad Gallery
534 SE OAK ST.
(1 blk. East of Grand Ave, 1/2 blk. North of Stark)
Portland, OR 97214
(971) 227 0072

that's all for now, i'll update soon enough :)

Life and a Bowling Pin...

2008-07-28T16:34:00.001-07:00

This summer has been the most difficult summer to bear. Transitions have been happening left and right. With life, with my art, and the list can go further. I had to experience a loved one being taken away from me due to lung cancer. It was my first experience, ever, and I can't put into words how much that hurt. My Grandfather passed away on July 1, 2008. My grandfather was a great man who I could have known even better. His compassion and heart proved to show in his ending days, which fortunately i was able to see and experience. I plan on doing more series of work concerning him. I miss him very much... :[

Ever since his death as well, I've been more fascinated with birds...

here's a process of my bowling pin piece for the PIN UP show @ Tender Loving Empire
it's called "I know why the caged bird sings"

FINAL images (sometimes i wish i had a better camera/scanner)

hands

2008-05-15T13:58:00.000-07:00

my grandparents "portraits"
done in gouche/watercolor
it's a part of a series but these are the only ones that came out successful..
illustration painting class

more to be posted!

omg new post...

2008-03-19T18:18:00.000-07:00

an art poster contest i won for 200 at pnca.
its a small jpg but i deleted my bigger format, sorry.

*ill post the stuff ive been working on this semester soon!
my teachers have most of my artwork and ill start scanning as soon as i get it back!!*

hope all is well with everyone. hope 2008 is treating you well
it surely is treating me well in portland :]

art + money = ?

2007-11-30T15:26:00.000-08:00

upon request...

2007-11-10T17:50:00.000-08:00

IF: illustration friday-> extremes

2007-10-17T13:55:00.000-07:00

coincedentally it collided with a midterm project i did for life drawing.
its simple, vague and i understand that.
it's an extreme portrait, it shows the identity i have as a women in today's society
there's this OVERwhelming sense of what "perfection" is
it's driven people to eating disorder, anorexia, etc.
the media plays out this unrealistic view of what a "perfect" body is.

in this illustration, the girl is branded "society", like a holocaust victim.
i feel like the way media is portrayed in today's society, its pretty much a genocide to women's self esteem and self worth
it's depressing.
i also wanted to point out why this body is headless.
it's a universal problem that i think all cultures are dealing with
this obsessive compulsive need to be this "type" of body to feel beautiful.
we all have those doubts, we all have those issues to work on with our self esteem as ladies (or even men)
so yeah...
also this girl has a hole, right through her..
the word "perfection" pretty much makes her feel empty inside and not "full"...
so its a disection of her soul.. i feel like a lot of girls these days feel this emptiness because they dont feel like they're good enoguh or beautiful enough for society..

its such an extreme that needs to be acknowledged as a growing problem in society today...
its not enough to just ban models from being anorexic.. it doesn't work out that way
it doesn't stop the problem that there are still teenagers and adults and even worse, children, wanting to be this "perfect" girl.

details: click for detail! (the background... is a million or so words just saying "perfection".. incase you cant see it... it's hard for this piece cause its better in person!)

update on pcc

2007-09-21T21:40:00.000-07:00

and heres one of my first class assignments, its a noahs ark analogy

self portrait

2007-09-07T22:51:00.000-07:00

illustration friday: alphabet

2007-09-03T14:19:00.000-07:00

you know the drill- click for detail

i need you.. or is it that i need me?
growing up, i've had this co-dependency with everyone i knew
it caused me to feel that that was my basic...
my alphabet, my way of communication..
i couldnt be alone for a minute
without feeling paranoid id be alone the rest of my life.

enjoy! i have much much much more to come
im just getting a start on this portrait party business, alongside my portfolio and schoolwork

hope your summer was wonderful

UP UP UP date

2007-07-22T21:51:00.001-07:00

*click on it for bigger version*
just a random doodle
from art center, my baby cousin, queens, etc

although i have come to appreciate these random days of doodle and details...
it doesnt have to make sense...
i dont know..

art center figure drawing

2007-07-06T23:51:00.000-07:00

IF: Rejection

2007-06-19T15:22:00.000-07:00

colored pencil on black board...
(sorry for the crappy photos... i dont have a scanner this big... but i wanted you to see this as a WHOLe.. then some detail, below..)

a closer look.....

i take rejection pretty hard... it breaks me to the core... i feel incomplete and eventually, it hurts my heart...
im sure many of you know how i feel.

i know, i'm a horrible person for not blogging!!!!
what has everyone been up to??

IF: Sign

2007-05-21T23:45:00.000-07:00

please god... give me a sign....

click on it for detail

so i've been gone for a week or so.
i was moving back home from cal arts so that's why i've been MIA.
im so glad im back on track now.

im not relgious at all, at least not anymore...
but i belive theres some sort of connection we have to any higher being
whether that be your mother or father, hero or teacher...
we all look up to someone
and many times, we ask for the help we never get
and we cry over it
and we hope that our questions and feelings will be answered, eventually....
well, here's to hope. cheers. hope of anything and everything..

All alone...

2007-05-07T22:44:00.000-07:00

so school is almost over. it's an interesting feeling to be packing things and having the studio bare to the bone. it's also interesting to know that in less then two weeks... i won't be back at cal arts as a student.

i'm intrigued with the future and yet so scared...
who knows where i'll be in a year or two.. who knows..

Illustration Friday: Neighbor

2007-05-07T14:12:00.000-07:00

click on the image
to see the details!!

"oh for art thou neighbor..."

side note: i need to start using different mediums now... i adore my sketchbook but still....
also:
check out my other illustrations in
IFN cardboard box

"Remember"... (Illustration Friday)

2007-05-02T15:16:00.000-07:00

click to see MUCH enlarged picture....

ok i want to explain this ordeal..
its a girl, impregnanted (metaphor)... she has so many people who care for her and who she cares for too, she has cut herself..
but she gets a fortune from the fortune cookie about how others admire her..
so REMEMBER, before you cut, think of all those who might miss you... and who you'e hurting (like your own child, as a metaphor)
and the rest is for your imagination...
a bt more "cartoony" but im happy with it.
the scanning quality sucks though...

post film.

2007-05-02T09:25:00.000-07:00

Illustration. This is a series of illustrations i want to get started using Fortunes from fortune cookies. i think i'm going to do it on a smaller scale paper. The reason i wanted to post this was because of the mere reason of wanting to bring up the topic of emotion vs. art. many people who saw me working on this asked me several times if i was "okay". If you can't tell, it's a girl with a noose around her heard and the fortune says "Don't forget to say 'I Love You'". when i drew this i was honestly fine.i mean i was emotional but that is my personality. a trait that i wouldn't give up for anything. So how much do artist really put their emotion into their art pieces? I think it's something that's inate in your life. Because i am an emotional PERSON, i will always use an emotional topic or theme just because it is apart of me. So i don't necessarily believe you need to do an artwork that has a certain emotion and only do it when you have that specific feeling, it's okay to be an emotional person, it really is.

THIS IS A PLEA OF HELP! IF ANYONE KNOWS HOW TO CODE THINGS WITH HTML OR WHAT NOT (TO MAKE MY BLOG MORE UNIQUE AND ACTUALLY CAN PUT A DIFFERENT DESIGN ON MY PAGE OTHER THEN THE DEFAULT), PLEASE CONTACT ME! I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO CLUE AS TO MAKING THIS BLOG BETTER. ANY HELP WOULD BE GREAT. you can comment me and we'll talk it through, thank you!

i shitted and this is what came out...

2007-04-09T17:17:00.000-07:00

quick drawing i did in the girls bathroom at school.
so if you saw that!!! :P
it'll be painted over soon enough...

My Film Update!

2007-03-19T19:03:00.000-07:00

So those are some freeze frames of my film.
The flower, i'm still working on texture options.
As you can see, it is, plainly to see, a "dark" film.
The story is about a girl who gets a flower from a boy.
She plucks the petals to see if he loves her or not ("he loves me, he loves me not")
But in the long run, she can't pull of the last petal which if pulled, meant that he loved her.
So that being said,
he doesn't love her. She gives the petal back to him.
He gives it to another girl and the girl easily plucks the last petal, which means,
he loves HER.
The little girl gets sad, and does this voodoo thing at the end which i won't ruin the ending surprise.
I'll definitely post my film once i'm done.
April 23, 2007. Deadline for 90 seconds.
Wish me luck.

(i'll try to post before then but if i can't, expect a long blog from me)

more stuff!

2007-01-31T18:01:00.000-08:00

so it's been a while since i've posted!!! i finished my first semester of animation. and it's sucked all my energy out. As you can see, i don't have much to show for it but it's been a great ride. now i'm focusing on my animation which i'll post my story reel up soon once i have it finalized. so hopefully you guys will keep checking this site out cause i WILL (one of my new years resolutions) update once in a while. whether its my film or other stuff on the side! thanks for visiting and come back soon :]

-Jen

Life Drawing 2007

2007-01-31T17:24:00.000-08:00

click on them to see a bigger image of it! :]