Everybody has a different way to relax; mine is to build something with my hands. That's how this new media organizer came about. My previous one was old and frail and after five years of daily use I could definitely envision a much improved model. I spent a full day planning, cutting, gluing and I'm very pleased with the results.
Media Organizer
Front View
Close-up
My media organizer is a shelf unit with 14 movable trays where I store all my wax-based drawing media (colored pencils, artist crayons, and oil pastels). I place it on top of my taboret right by my desk .
One of its best feature is the plexiglass on the front of each tray. It lets you get a clear view of what's inside without having to pull the tray out.
Trays Pulled Out
Two Trays Out
Top View
The trays can be pulled out together for complete accessibility of media or individually. They are deep enough that they can hang from the unit without falling.
Colored Pencil Trays
Artist Crayon Tray
Oil Pastel Tray
Sometimes I prefer to place several trays directly on the desk. I usually do this when I select the main colors of my drawing.
Empty Tray
Side View
Close-up
Tray dimensions:
bottom - 22 1/4" x 7 1/2"
back - 22 1/4" x 11/16"
sides - 7 1/2" x 1/2"
plexiglass front - 22 1/4" x 11/16"
non-slip liner - 21 3/4" x 7 1/4"
Structure dimensions:
15 shelves - 22 3/4" x 7 3/4"
sides - 15 3/4" (high) x 7 3/4"
back - 15 3/4" (high) x 23 1/8" (corrected - was 22 3/4")
Materials: foam board (3/16" thick), plexiglass (the thinnest you can find), non-slip liner, and a glue gun.
Having my media accessible and organized makes my workflow so much more fluid. I can concentrate on my art and don't have to waste time looking for things.
Feel free to ask questions if you need more clarifications.
Edit (2/27/2011): for step-by-step instructions visit this blog post.
The Icarus Art December 2010 Newsletter was just sent out. If you’d like to register for the newsletter, you can go to the homepage of Icarus Art and click the sign-up button on the top right corner.
Check out my latest playlist on YouTube. It's a series of exercises on Art Spectrum Colourfix Paper, one of my favorite surfaces. In the next several months all the videos from my workshop "Wax and Heat, a Match Made in Heaven" will be voiced over and uploaded on the Icarus Art channel. Artists who couldn't attend my workshop will have the opportunity to view the videos and practice the techniques.
"The Lightness of Being" received second place in the San Clemente Art Gallery Winter Judged Show, Other Media Category. Open daily Monday-Friday, 12:00-4:00, and Saturday-Sunday, 10:00-4:00, the gallery is located in charming downtown San Clemente at 100 North Calle Seville.If you are in the area please make time to visit. This art exhibit will be on display until January 6th.
I was glad to see Louise whom I've known from her days with the San Diego Chapter of the Colored Pencil Society. She recently moved to New Mexico and came back to organize and hang the show. She certainly did a great job - the exhibit was well presented, the reception lively, and the location really suited the art.
The subject matter was very diverse and included wildlife, still life, landscape, and botanical. It was a pleasure viewing up close artworks that I had previously admired online, and getting acquainted with new ones.
Mario and I came to the reception with the intention of taking many good pictures. Unfortunately my camera's automatic focus stopped working and the glasses I had with me were not very helpful in setting the focus manually. I hope you can still get a glimpse of this wonderful exhibition. Make sure to visit the artists' websites/blogs to enjoy more and better images of their art.
Katherine Tyrrell (Botanical), Gayle Mason (Wildlife), Ester Roi
Gayle Mason (Wildlife), Katherine Tyrrell (Botanical), Mario Bassi
Vivien Blackburn (Landscape)
Louise Sackett (Landscape), Nicole Caulfield (Still Life)
Nicole Caulfield (Still Life), Ester Roi
Nicole Caulfield (Still Life), Mario Bassi
Nicole Caulfield (Still Life), Louise Sackett (Landscape), Ester Roi and Louise Sackett
Virginia Carroll, a very successful artist from Arizona, recently came to my studio for a visit. When she found colored pencil, she began producing drawings at such a rate that she was able to collect a body of work exceeding 40 drawings in the space of seven months, and was given a "one man" show at the Hilltop Gallery in Nogales. Virginia senses beauty in all things, be it nature, architecture or a composed still life, and cannot limit herself to only one of them. She loves the flora and fauna of the desert, buildings and people, and will continue to explore the beauty in all things.
18" x 18" - Wax-based Media (Colored Pencil, Artist Crayon, and Oil Pastel)
Created with the Icarus Drawing Board.
This is my latest work in my pebbles series - a very abstract approach to nature. I took this picture in my studio and I've had the hardest time balancing the colors correctly. I'm fairly satisfied with the results but as soon as I get a professional scan, I'll decide if this image will need to be replaced.
I've had a lot of fun with this project, the subject of which is a group of pebbles I collected on Moonstone Beach in Cambria.
It will be my entry for Explore This! 7, a Colored Pencil Society juried online exhibition which will be on display on the CPSA website for one full year, from February 1, 2011 through January 31, 2012.
Edit (10/24/10): you can read about the specific technique I used for this artwork on a previous post titled A Shortcut for Details.
I am an artist and inventor living in Southern California. On this site I post new artwork, chronicle my progress as an artist, and keep you updated on my invention, the Icarus Drawing Board®. The Icarus Technique, where wax-based media is softened or melted on a heated drawing board, is the perfect method to achieve the smooth gradations and dissolving hues that permeate my art.
