R. encouraged me to make a printed artists statement for the Art Trail. So, I did. Thought I could store it here...and if you are interested, here goes. If not, breeze on by. My feelings will definitely NOT be hurt.
I never thought I could do this sort of stuff. You know, make pictures. Seriously make pictures. I can make logotypes, lay out books, art direct very expensive photographers, create boxes, labels and bottles to make things to eat, spray or goop look appealing and good. But pictures seemed out of the mix.
However, in the spirit of change (and maybe midlife crisis), I decided that maybe picture making was exactly the thing I needed to do. Needed to do, not had to do. And so I have.
I am making pictures either with the graphic design tools I know (Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop) but intentionally making them look un-digital. Meaning: not the “look I can put my head on a cat’s body” or “I have all these electronic tools and I can really make people see how cool I am with every filter imaginable” kind of thing. I want my work to look as if a hand touched it--resembling a screenprint or a woodcut. This is
one approach.
The other approach shown are hand-drawn images with pen and brush focusing on the Memento Mori, Remembering our Death or Remembering our Mortality.This Memento Mori project is a nine month sketch project with a published sketchbook every two months with the end result being as series of applications from tattoos to skateboards to china and glass designs. This work is taking me down avenues in content and style that are tapping deep wells of inspiration and drawing I didn’t know was in me. Everything you see with Memento Mori is work from August 15th to October 1, 2007. I am now in another phase of the drawing process. Take a look at my sketchbook. More to come.
Everything you see today has been created in the last two years as either assignments or assignments that blossomed into mini bodies of work.
You can follow my progress at my blog: The Rongovian Academy of Fine Arts (www.qcassetti.blogspot.com) or to see more finished work, my illustration website: http://www.qcassetti.com. Or if you are interested in graphic design, logos and branding, lets have coffee and I will show you a portfolio.
Thank you for visiting us during this busy Art Trail Weekend. It means the world to me.