What's Right In Front Of You

Yesterday, I had read an interview with an artist named Stacy Jean. She is known for drawing modern day figures (think Rihanna or Beyonce) in Victorian style clothing and drawing them on old music book sheets. They are really neat. She also does other things like skulls and what not on these types of paper as well.

What I really liked was that during the interview, she talked about how she had this sheet music in front of her the whole time, it was always there, but that when she first started doing art she went out and bought a ton of stuff, from canvas to drawing sheets. She spent a lot of money, but felt like her art still lacked something. It was similar to a lot of other artists.

One day, she decided to draw a Victorian photo she found and re-do it on music sheets. She then grabbed her niche. And she became really popular for it. From there, she said that you should never discount the stuff sitting around you. It's around you for a reason. It's something you own and bought because you liked it. She had spent money on stuff that didn't inspire or enhance her art in any real way, but she already had something at room that she needed.

It also similar to our altered books in a way. She liked those sheet musics. However, she took them, drew in them, altered them, played around with them. I found it inspiring really.

I don't feel as clueless about my altered book anyway. Still a little clueless, but I've realized I need to look around me to find inspiration. Not try to find it in a mass production.