Friday, July 26, 2013

What I've been doing

Seriously, G*d bless my college's library.

While I spend my summer in southern Wisconsin/northern Illinois studying Arabic and watching Kim Possible (and Orange is the New Black), it's nice to get off my ass and try to do something new art-wise. I've been in a slump for a while as far as my drawing has been concerned, and as a result I've had a lot of pent-up creative energy for a while.

(This is where my college's library comes in.)

Every month, the library has a new craft/fun activity on the main level. Sometimes it's planting flowers (no, really), sometimes it's chess or puzzles...




....or sometimes it's zine-making.

This was my first time making a zine. (Not that that isn't glaringly obvious) Tbh, I didn't even know that zines existed until this past year. (Some people go to college and discover their sexuality, or drugs, or their love of ironic wolf shirts and sweaters. I discover zines and blogging. Go figure.) I was a little intimidated to try to make some; when I try a new art project for the first time, I make countless rough drafts, read up on techniques, everything. I don't just go out and ~*create*~ (guys, I could make a mistake).





I'm still working on this one; it's going to be titled September Babies, and it's kind of a compilation of a lot of things that I like (Norman Rockwell, David Bowie, Cary Grant/Katharine Hepburn...) and is therefore not as focused as the other four.


I made these four last night while I should have been studying for my weekly test, but w/e. We must all Make Sacrifices For Art. The one with the tiger and flower on it is going into the mail as a letter for my friend Ori, so it's more of a letter than a zine... The one that says "Make Art, Not War" is another personal zine where the focus is basically telling me to get up and create something. "Oh my god" is maybe going to be about Clueless...? Or a bunch of *pretty* things like geodes and Alicia Silverstone. The last one is obviously meant to be a feminist zine, but I'm trying to be more thoughtful with the stuff I put in it. Mostly because I'm not really sure what to put into it.

(Probably because I've never read a zine before. No, really.)

My college has a zine collection (somewhere), but I've been so busy making these guys that I haven't done my research. I also have a few zines in my shopping cart on Etsy, but I'm juggling my love of being a Scrooge with my desire to have Things. (Does that make sense?)

Does anyone have suggestions  of zines I should check out? Recommended reading and the like? Or do you like making zines more?

Let me know in the comments! :)

-M

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