The Big Draw

Here in the creative little city of Beacon, the place I call home, there's an annual Open Studios event which is just as it sounds. For one weekend in the Spring, artists open their studios and share their work and work spaces with the public and this year is the first year I've decided to participate. To help raise money to fund Beacon Open Studios every year, there's an exhibition called "The Big Draw" which will be opening January 12th and will be on view through January 26th.

As described on Beacon Open Studios website:  

"The Big Draw Exhibition is an open submission art show. All artwork is  6”x8” and will be for sale for $50 each. Artists from across the country are invited to submit works on paper in any media as long as they conform to the 6”x8” size limit. The works will be on view (and for sale for $50 each) at Hudson Beach Glass gallery in Beacon, NY for the duration of the exhibition (January 12-26, 2013). Proceeds from The Big Draw will benefit Beacon Open Studios and the participating artists."

For my Big Draw submission, I removed a couple of pages from a 1980's Barbie doll coloring book entitled "Great Shape" which hilariously illustrates in great detail how Barbie maintains her perfect plastic figure. Ahem.

I selected the instructional jumping jack pages. I cut each page down to the required 6"x8" size and went to town, doodling embellishments on the images with my trusty Sakura Pigma Micron 005 pens, (a favorite pen of mine since college.) then I added a touch of color to Barbie's stylin' workout gear with colored pencils.

 

Start, Jump and Clap 6"x8" © Margaux Lange 2013.

 

Return 6"x8" © Margaux Lange 2013.

Here are the two completed drawings side by side…

There are so many amazing works in the show! Each drawing in the exhibition will be for sale for $50, so if you're in the NYC area and want to purchase some awesome original art to support a great cause, come to Beacon! 

At first I felt a lot of pressure to make something for the Big Draw that was more serious or "thought provoking" (or whateverrrr) but ultimately I decided to just go with my gut and have fun with it and I'm glad I did. This exercise (haha) reminded me how much I miss the simple fun of doodling and has inspired me to continue on with more of these little coloring book drawings, for no other reason than the pure joy I get out of it. 

What do you guys think… you dig? Anyone out there a fan of jumping jacks?