Lynne Margeaux Muses

Black History Month

2011-02-19T16:15:00.002-05:00

Black Working Man 1 (2011)

Links to some of my favorite black visual artists in honor of Black History Month.

Charles White – His drawings are made with incredible draftsmanship. His work conveys raw emotion. White is one of the best social realist painters in American history, period.

Aaron McGruder – Creator of the comic strip “The Boondocks”. I’m a great fan of the strip, not so much the TV show. Funny and politically savvy. More info also on the IMDB.

Jerry Pinkney – Illustrator of children’s books and novels since the mid 60s. His images burst with color, movement and emotion. He is a master storyteller. A great video about his work is here at the Norman Rockwell Museum.

Kara Walker – Best known for her disturbing and haunting cut-paper silhouette installations, she’s a master of story and composition. She is very clever in her use of positive and negative space.

Aaron Douglas – A great illustrator mostly associated with The Harlem Renaissance. His conceptual illustrations are still reprinted and republished to this day.

The Deep Connection

2011-02-11T12:21:00.000-05:00

[ Passion (2010) by Lynne Margeaux ]

Is it just me or does love tend to be the least understood emotion? It seems we have a good understanding of what it means to hate, to be sad, to be angry. But love, although not completely misunderstood, is definitely less understood. Why I’m not sure. Maybe it’s just because we tend to focus on the negative more so than the positive aspects of life. Maybe it’s due to the fact that love can get mixed up with other emotions, like lust, anger, fear, and jealousy. I’m not certain that is the reason either. Regardless of what the causes or reasons may be, love is still the most mysterious and (in my opinion) the most powerful feeling a human being can experience.

All the arts echo this confusion of understanding about love. All of our stories about love seem to involve some level of awkwardness, obsession, lunacy, and pain. Cupid shoots a weapon usually used to kill into unsuspecting mortals and wounds them with the overpowering feeling of love/lust. All the romance movies nowadays are comedies, very awkward comedies. Romeo and Juliet die tragically for their love. All the best love songs have a sense of begging and longing in them. Family love is portrayed as hectic, goofy, and crazy on television shows and in film. Even friendship, like Sam and Frodo in The Lord of the Rings and Gilgamesh and Enkidu from the epic tale of Gilgamesh, are great affairs of love, heartache, and folly.

The only common denominator I can see that may begin to describe love is the connection. The deep connection that comes from knowing yourself, allowing others to know that self, and in turn being trusted enough by others to know their selves as well.

What do you think?

This Valentine’s Day weekend, I wish for everyone to remind themselves that love is about the connection, not just chocolates, cards, diamonds, and roses (although those things are nice too!).

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Proud Fire Providers

2011-01-28T15:46:00.000-05:00

“The fire was a success. He was safe. He remembered the advice of the old-timer at Sulphur Creek, and smiled. The old-timer had been very serious in laying down the law that no man must travel alone in the Klondike after fifty below. Well here he was; he had had the accident; he was alone; and he had saved himself. Those old-timers were rather womanish, some of them, he thought. All a man had to do was keep his head, and he was all right. Any man who was a man could travel alone. But it was surprising, the rapidity with which his cheeks and nose were freezing.”

This is a passage from one of my favorite stories, “To Build A Fire”, by Jack London. It’s the story of a man who is traveling in the middle of winter in the Klondike accompanied by a native husky. He wouldn’t listen to the old-timer, to the dog, or even to his own body about the dangers of traveling alone in these conditions. This story comes to mind every time I see videos on TV of cars sliding and crashing into each other, unable to avoid one another on the icy roads.

In the northeast and here in the mid-Atlantic, we’ve been hit pretty hard by winter’s wrath. While New York and Boston have already exceeded their average snowfall rates, the Baltimore-Washington region got its first significant snowfall of 6-10 inches… during the evening rush hour! It was a hot or more appropriately, a cold mess! I was glad I didn’t have to be out there.

I am always intrigued by people who are shocked at how vulnerable we are to the elements of nature. Just because you have a 4x4 truck, doesn’t mean you can drive as if the roads are clear. Just because the city has snowplows and salt in supply, doesn’t mean the city will get to your house as soon as the storm has ended. We have better radar technology to forecast the weather, and we have heated cars and heated houses. But a storm’s timing and intensity is still somewhat unpredictable and therefore very dangerous. The story “To Build A Fire” is a great reminder to respect that fact. To realize that although we are indeed able to make fire, our mastery of fire is not a guaranteed protection against the hostile elements of nature.

I won’t tell you exactly what happened to the man in Jack London’s story, but I will say these words were his last thoughts, “‘You were right, old hoss, you were right,’ the man mumbled to the old-timer of Sulphur Creek.” Meanwhile, the husky dog that had made several attempts to rush the man along survived. We are proud fire providers and that’s okay. But we are also mortal.

The Squirrel

2011-01-18T12:39:00.000-05:00

I think I may be one of the few people who actually like squirrels. Maybe it’s because I have no gardens or grassy lawns I have to defend. In any case, I admire their creativity and ingenuity when come to acquiring and storing food. And this tenacity or audacity if you will, makes them one of the few animals on the planet that can thrive alongside humans. Let’s face it we destroy natural habitats like cancer kills cells, yet squirrels still flourish. Of course rats flourish, and pigeons flourish but I’m not talking about those animals today. There are not a bunch of YouTube videos featuring pigeons set to music. (Is there?)

Anyway, aside from all that they are one of the most fun and readily available animals to draw. Most squirrels are used to humans and will stop and stare when confronted by a human one-to-one. They have amazingly dynamic poses of climbing, digging, running, and eating. Just don’t feed them unless you want a friend for life.

Poster print available at my store on Imagekind.com

Happy New Year!

2010-12-28T13:46:00.001-05:00

This is the e-card I created for Blue Star Families.

Honoring those and their families who serve in the military.

See you in 2011!

Enjoy The Season!

2010-12-21T16:13:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-24T14:15:00.000-05:00

To you and yours have a happy Thanksgiving. This holiday season see a show. I'm sure there is a Nutcracker production or a Christmas Carol production somewhere near you. Go see it! This holiday movie season I'm looking forward to seeing The Black Swan and I've already seen the latest Harry Potter flick. The soundtrack to the new TRON movie done by Daft Punk sounds awesome. I'm definitely going to buy it(or ask for it as a gift!). I'm not so certain about seeing the actual movie. I play that by ear.

Eat well, watch the game, laugh and enjoy!

The Living Room

2010-11-12T14:45:00.000-05:00

It’s around this time of year when rooms like this formal living room actually gets used as intended. I love to play records in our living room during the holidays. Listening to vinyl records bring forth nice memories of when the music seemed to be appreciated more deeply. This Thanksgiving season, I am thankful for music. It is the only art form that is universally liked. Although not always appreciated as it once was.

Don’t get me wrong I love mp3 players. Mp3 players make long walks and metro rides seem to fly by. But I feel like I’m not actively engaged in listening. The record player forces you to slow down and really think about what songs you want to hear. That is why playing records is a holiday ritual. It’s like lighting candles and fireplaces. We don’t need them as a light and heat source any more. But there’s something about seeing that glow that lights up our minds and warms our hearts. We live for awhile.

Happy Listening Season to You and Yours!

Birds

2010-11-05T17:19:00.000-04:00

No other animal draws me to my window like the local birds. I am still captivated by them. The funny mating rituals in the spring, the loud social rivalries in the summer, and the constant scavenger hunt for things to add to their nests.

The fact that birds can fly, mostly, and that they are very clever has inspired all kinds of imagery and story. There is a reason every state has an official bird. They represent freedom. They represent moving forward and positive change. Who doesn’t think the Bald Eagle is an awe-inspiring bird? How many heraldic and military emblems don’t display some kind of a bird? Of course they can equally instill dread in one’s heart. Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven is legendary for this.

Birds are messengers, are heralds. Angels are traditionally drawn with bird-wings, not bat-wings. Apollo the great Greek messenger, had bird-wings attached to his shoes. Birds, just like the winds that carry the scent of the coming spring or winter, usually deliver good tidings or bad omens most stories. They set the stage.

Happy Halloween! / The Monster

2010-10-29T15:48:00.000-04:00

Halloween is a great opportunity to talk about one of my favorite archetypical characters – The Monster. The Monster, that horrifying and at the same time mesmerizing figure that has never lost its popularity, is an ancient part of storytelling.

I like to think of the Monster as a corruption of something that was once pure, or a problem that has been forgotten, neglected, or ignored. Classic examples that come to mind are that of the Medusa and the Minotaur in Greek mythology. Medusa was once a beautiful woman. But because a goddess was jealous of her beauty, she was turned into a hideous monster that turns anyone who looks at her into stone. The Minotaur was conceived by a cheating wife and a prized mystical bull that her husband, the king, coveted above all other things. Dracula, the mummy, and zombies also come to mind.

The Monster can also represent the dark and wild part of the human psyche that has not been addressed, or given proper attention. In other words, the wickedness that may be one part of a person’s character is allowed to take over. Like Dr. Jekyll, Gollum from The Lord of the Rings or even Darth Vader.

I love the story of Dr. Jekyll/Mr.Hyde! Happy Halloween, everyone!

Summer Madness

2010-08-10T16:33:00.000-04:00

I apologize for not posting here more frequently lately but spring and summer are my favorite seasons. The call of the outdoors became stronger than my computer. I find that I finish more personal drawings in these months and this year was no exception. I hope everyone out there has at least had a little summer fun. All I can say about the Mid-Atlantic area is that it's been unusually hot. But the festivals and the people-watching at parks are so much fun. I have mostly finished the images for AIR, I just haven't posted them yet.

Norman Rockwell Exhibition at the Smithsonian American Art Museum

2010-07-15T10:29:00.000-04:00

If you are going to be in Washington, DC area between now and January 2, 2011, make sure to go see "Telling Stories: Norman Rockwell from the Collections of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg". I just viewed the exhibition yesterday and I was thoroughly inspired as an illustrator and entertained as fan. I have viewed Rockwell's oil paintings before some years ago at The Corcoran Museum. But this exhibit also displayed drawings and smaller color comps.

The drawings were interesting in that most of them were drawn on at least two sheets of large paper joined together in the back. Rockwell also edited a drawing by tearing out the whole lower left section, then replacing it with a new re-drawn lower left section. I guess this was inspiring to me because I have done this many times in my own work. Therefore, I felt connected to this great illustrator, who had such an impact on American culture and is still revered to this day. Like all great pursuits sometimes the process did not come easy for Rockwell, just like any other artist.

Visit this exibition in person if you can. If not,the link to the slide show on the Smithsonian American Art Museum site is here.

The Only Constant Is Change

2010-07-01T19:16:00.000-04:00

If the last couple of years haven't rung home this age old proverb, I don't know what will. The notion of the U.S. as an all-knowing economic powerhouse sounds insane now. People have had to learn what it really means to adapt, to sense the shifting water beneath their feet so they can ride this bumpy wave out. Humanity thrives not on consistency, but on change. And nothing is guaranteed.This is especially true for artists.

I did the drawing for this illustration in 2006 back when the economy was supposedly still strong. I just thought it would be funny in light of these past few years. Of course I had no idea how bad the economy really was, but anyway, enjoy!

Fine Artist or Illustrator?

2010-06-24T14:25:00.000-04:00

I have always found the division between what is considered "fine art" and what is considered "illustration", a little self-righteous and self-serving. The only real difference I understand is for whom and what purpose the artwork has been created. Illustrators tend to create artwork for publication or mass audience consumption, Fine artists tend to create work for themselves and galleries. But that line can also blur. And that is due to the artwork itself. Many artists can straddle the fence, because their work looks just as good hanging on a wall as it does printed in a book or magazine. So that begs the question, why is there a difference in occupational label to begin with?

As artists we know better than most how labels can limit creativity and limit income, yet we still cling to them. I actually think there is a good reason for this. Visual artist is too general and can mean many things, so you have to be more specific. Specific in communicating to others exactly what you do. But remember as an artist, not to box yourself in and look down on other artists whose main audience may be different from yours. Especially in this economy, we cannot afford it. And honestly, technology and the Internet have made these divisions a little old-fashioned.

Drawing from Life

2010-06-18T17:22:00.000-04:00

For those of you who have been following me, you know I have been working on a series of images devoted to animals inspired by the classical elements. The elements of Water, Earth, Air, and Fire. I have completed Water and Earth, and I'm now in the middle of completing AIR.

And that's when the Gulf Spill happened.

If anyone still believes that humans do not have the capacity to destroy this planet after seeing this unfold, they are not living on Earth. I had been preparing this pelican drawing for finish when I saw, like everyone else, the heartbreaking images of pelicans drenched and dying in black-brown sludge. Done by human hands! Not by nature. I decided to do waht us artists do best, reflect and add this experience to my recent work. So stay posted!

By the way, I was trying to give part of the proceeds from Water Interwoven and all the water animal posters to Oceana and The Chesapeake Bay Foundation. But at this point please just go to their sites and see what you can give. Let's try to remember that we all draw from life in more ways than one.

Thank you.

TRAVEL- Shoes

2010-06-17T06:00:00.002-04:00

The very function of the shoe implies a journey.Shoes are used to put one foot in front of the other and go somewhere.They're not absolutely essential, but they certainly help a great deal. Keeping our feet dry or warm, and from sharp objects that may litter our path. Shoes are designed for different kinds of journey. Want to go hiking? Get hiking boots. Going for a run? Get running shoes.

Shoes represent freedom, individuality, and transportation. People are loyal to certain brands of shoe like they are to certain automakers. Shoes have become synonymous with personality. The opening credits of the movie Footloose comes to mind. Just close-ups of people's shoes while they're dancing. One of the best movies that illustrates the symbolic power of shoes is Forrest Gump. From the opening scene where the feather falls on his shoes while sitting at the bus stop, to young Forrest running, to his "just felt like running" phase, his shoes are the silent actor.

Other examples: The Greek god Apollo had winged shoes, Michael Jackson's moonwalking loafers, and of course, The Wizard of OZ.

TRAVEL - Keys

2010-06-15T06:00:00.001-04:00

You can't open a door without the key! There are all sorts of of examples of symbolism and metaphor around keys. Just to name a few:

The top center stone of an arch is the keystone
Island chains have keys in their names like the Florida Keys
One plays the keys on the piano
A musical scale is sometimes referred to as a key

Keys are most often symbols of knowledge or wisdom. One most know something before being granted the power or freedom behind the door. We often give people "key points" to remember when teaching them something new or giving new information. Movies and books involving keys are: The Indian & the Cupboard, The Skeleton Key, in The Matrix: Reloaded there was a key master the heroes were trying to protect. The Sixth Sense has a good example of the key. Bruce Willis' character keeps opening a door with a red knob with a key in his pocket. The key in a story, whether it's an actual key or a key to a mental barrier, gives the user passage.

Upcoming Festivals

2010-06-06T12:59:00.003-04:00

I love summer festivals. Great music, and food, and art! I superb people-watching. Here are my favorites. Go out and enjoy!

Smithsonian Folklife Festival
A huge festival that goes on every year on the mall in Washington, DC.

Digital Capital Week
This one is new to me, it's a conference really. But it looks exciting so I'm going to check it out.

Columbia Festival of the Arts
Another great festival celebrating all the arts in Columbia, Maryland.

Artscape
This is also mammoth in size in the heart of the arts district in Baltimore, Maryland.

Capital Fringe Festival
A lot of great theater shows all across this city of DC and music and such.

TRAVEL - The Door

2010-06-01T12:54:00.003-04:00

A door is so simple in function and so commonly used in everyday life that it is overlooked as one of our most powerful symbols. It's also one of the most versatile. It can represent opportunity, obstacles to overcome, passage into new realms of thought or new areas to explore. Or it can represent hidden secrets, a last defense against the outside world, or simply the unknown. A door introduces something.

The door from the opening of the sci-fi series The Twilight Zone comes to mind. There are so many examples to choose from. But maybe you've seen some of these more recent illustrations of the door's powerful symbolism: The use of doors in Pixar's film Monsters, Inc., the movie and tv series of Stargate, the use of doors in The Shawshank Redemption, The Room of Requirement used in Harry Potter, the changing door in the animated film Howl's Moving Castle, the use of doors in the HBO film Temple Grandin.

One of my favorite examples of the door is in the film Jurassic Park at the climax inside the dining hall. That scene where the raptor slowly opens the door that everyone thinks it's not smart enough to open! The list goes on and on! Like The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe or H.G. Wells' The Door in the Wall, which the image accompanying this post is loosely based off of.

Remember doors are also a tried and true staple of design. That door to your bedroom and every door in your house has been designed, not just to open and close, but to greet and say goodbye. How many doors take center stage in your favorite stories and images? How many in everyday life?

TRAVEL - Symbolism & Story

2010-06-01T11:58:00.001-04:00

They say life is a journey. And I consider this blog to be documentation of some of that journey. Therefore, I thought it would be appropriate to start off my series on insights around the theme of travel this month.

Every story in essence, is about a journey of where the main character must go through something for the story to progress. Be it a physical challenge or a mental challenge or both, a transition always takes place. Something is learned, something is lost, something has been destroyed, something has been accomplished by the time the story ends. I think the door is great metaphor for transitions of all kinds and most journeys in life begin with the opening of one.

Inspired by ...

2010-05-24T14:13:00.001-04:00

Inspired by music.

The word music comes from the the word muse and I can understand why. Music can either lift someone's spirits or bring them down. I listen very intently to any music I hear.
Many artists listen to music while working. I have learned I can only do this with movie scores and instrumental music. I'm too busy listening to the song to focus on the drawing in front of me. Maybe that is why I like Radiohead. So many of their songs sound orchestral and have lyrics I can't understand!

Inspired by dream.

I think of dreams as a kind of raw mythos that is later formed into myth and story. I've had many vivid and memorable dreams over the years that have shaped my art sensibilities and influenced the way I draw. I like leaving drawings looking rough and unfinished, just like a dream.

Inspired by chapter, verse, and scene.

Anything and any medium used to tell story I like. Movies, books, theater, poetry, animation, graphic novels. I follow them all. Current likes include the story of the Green Knight & Sir Gawain, Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol, and James Cameron's Avatar.

Welcome to my new blog!

2010-05-24T13:23:00.000-04:00

Hello, I'm Lynne Margeaux and I like to draw. A lot. I'm a freelance illustrator/designer living in central Maryland. If you've seen my home site or Facebook page, you already know this. The purpose of this blog will be to share what inspires me to draw and create in greater detail. I plan to share my thoughts on the process of making art and the role of art, commercial and personal, in our society as I see it. I also plan to explore the basic archetypes of story and myth. I love a good story! So let's get started!