365/2013 - Day 216

is this what a manic episode feels like? -- (loaded with way too many photos)

I felt it coming for about an hour before it hit big time.  It started with me feeling like I wanted to do something, that grew into I really want to make something, then it went to feeling really antsy and then it HIT.  All these ideas started flooding my head but one kept coming back and getting stronger.  I had to stop what I was doing and start making notes.

It was/is a (possibly) crazy/(potentially) wonderful idea for an art show.  More and more details flew onto the page -- I was even seeing how the show could be hung in the gallery.  I tried to take a break from it by playing a computer game, but it kept interrupting and I had to go back to it.  Ruth called right about then and during our conversation I tried to explain the idea to her and I know it must have been nearly impossible to follow what I was trying to tell her...it was still in progress.  Then I tried playing computer games again.

It was almost like I was watching a movie and just taking notes of what I was seeing -- it was becoming that clear -- all the details -- all the questions I would need to get answers for -- it was amazing.  I ended up making a full outline of all of the parts, all of the "selling points", all of the questions on my end.  I even sketched out how the walls could look.  Then I was absolutely exhausted...but still there was an undercurrent of "I want to make something".

I took a break and started to watch tv.  I couldn't really find anything and then I came across a mini series on Ovation.  I started to watch it but couldn't concentrate so I set the tv to record all three episodes.  I played computer games for a few minutes but wasn't into it.  I fixed lunch and went back to the mini series.  At the end of the first episode there was a short station ID sort of thing and although I had seen it a few times before and liked the end of it, it never really clicked what was going on within it.  Because it was recorded I could pause it and back it up, etc.  It was so cool.  It starts out (I realized) like rain drops and then they turn into ripples and then the ripples turn into a drawing and then the drawing turns into an "O" (for Ovation) and then it starts to reverse the process and then there is just the "plain" O and Ovation underneath it.  I really liked some of the drawings and wanted to try to draw them myself...just for a drawing exercise sort of thing.  LOL -- but because of my nearsightedness and the need to wear eyeglasses to see the tv -- but the need to take them off to be able to see what I'm drawing -- I ended up pausing the short a lot. 

I drew what I wanted to draw and wondered how I could put it to use.  A little later I went into the studio and passed by that horizontal collage and it occurred to me to do try it there.  But first I went back and took photos of the short and of my drawing so I could blog it.  (I tried to find the commercial/station ID online but couldn't...so I have to settle for stills.)

the first drop

followed by another as the first one turns into a little plop and circles

that turn out to be ripples

that spread out into a drawing

and turn into swirls and tiny circles

and more

which led up to a drawing of various arts and entertainment images

which start to go back to ripples and circles

then the O starts to form and gets a bunch of outer circles with lines inside of them

the circles all fill in

and then the whole thing starts reversing and the lines start disappearing

except for the lines/circles around the O

last of the lines disappearing

just the O

O close up (but blurry because the tv is in "pause")

The pictures I drew...

I tried to draw along with the commercial and keep adding the elements

then I tried just the circles and the O -- I went back and filled the lines in afterwards

then I tried it again...a little better but not exactly right...I'd need circle stencils to do it better -- but I sort of like my drawing

Then the rest...

the horizontal collage

At first I thought I would just draw the circles onto the collage and I was going to put it all on the wall on top of a piece of butcher paper so I could draw past the collage if I needed to...but then I figured that was uncomfortably high to work on.

At about the same time I remember the ink and toothpicks Leann had us draw with that one time.

I set everything up at the dining room table...I am used to working flat anyway.

Just to be safe I made a tracing paper mask so that ink wouldn't get on top of the creature.

I practiced the ink drip firs.  You know what -- I couldn't get the ink to drip off of a toothpick no matter how wet I got it.  I grabbed a paint brush...the surface was slick enough to let the ink drip.

But man -- it took a LONG time for it to drip -- it was like slow motion times ten.

And when it did drip, the drip was a pool of ink -- look how tall it is -- I think it was because of the matte medium on the surface of the collage.

So I went back in and tried to wick up some of the ink with Q-Tips...but they really soaked up the ink quickly.

So I tried again but with only a few fibers touching the drop/pool...it worked better.

LOL -- then I needed to go back and add ink with the Q-Tips...ai yi yi.

regrouping before starting the other side of the collage

I started the larger circle with the ink on a toothpick but it was way too thick, even with a very light touch...I would have need a needle or a pin or something...the toothpicks had too much surface.  I grabbed my jar of Micron pens (or whatever they are called) and I liked them much better.

That is a lot of little lines!

Then I went back in and tried a swirl and filled it in with the same pens...they are nice and dark.

I sort of like how it turned out...not exactly what I had in mind, but I like it.

Not too bad for a first try directly on a collage in the midst of a manic-ish episode.

Wow -- it has taken me a little while to get all of this down in the blog.  It seems pretty rambly and disconnected...probably pretty hard to follow...but I need to leave it like this for myself -- so I can see what was going on today and how I was working with it...LOL.

After I had worked on the collage my sister Sue returned my phone call and I was able to tell her about my art show idea.  She could understand what I was talking about (and likes the idea but thinks it might be too big of an idea or too much work for just me) and it helped me a lot to talk about it out loud by going through the outline.  Tomorrow I will try it out on Andi while she is here and then another friend later on.  I am much calmer now...in fact I am absolutely exhausted -- physically and emotionally.  Whew!  I am glad this doesn't happen often!