Jackie Lehmann

when i grow up i want to be a tree

2012-01-16T16:52:00.000-06:00

This is from last month. If you're wondering, "why so grainy?" it's because I drew the picture, photographed it with my phone, colored the photograph in photoshop. It just happened.

nevermind

2011-08-26T04:05:00.001-05:00

Scripty type gets the party going. Trying my hand at lettering lately. I chose this word because it was in a song I heard. Guess which song and you win the prize.

meow

2011-08-25T00:38:00.005-05:00

kitty!

wake up little sparrow

2011-08-03T03:24:00.011-05:00

This is a little unseasonal but I listened to this song tonight and, bam, I made a sad bird.

infographic

2011-06-30T21:44:00.006-05:00

Click to Enlarge

I made an infographic about how I've spent my time over the last six years. This was mostly for my amusement but hopefully you can comprehend it somehow.

(Inspired by vizualize.me which I'm looking forward to utilizing.)

crown house

2011-06-02T23:52:00.000-05:00

A crown house for #30daysofcreativity.

hockey team logo

2011-06-02T02:18:00.002-05:00

Did you see Vancouver win tonight? I thought they dominated the whole game...but I wasn't watching that closely. With hockey on my mind I dug out an unused logo I made for my team and roughed it up a bit.

sometime, long ago

2011-06-01T12:59:00.001-05:00

The sketchbook is making a comeback. Happy June.

nobody tells this to beginners

2011-04-30T00:35:00.002-05:00

My time as a design student is coming to a close with our portfolio show on Tuesday and Wednesday. It's exciting and frightening. I'm proud of the progress I've made and things I've learned but I'm also constantly dissatisfied with my work. Earlier this week I came across this quote which gave me all sorts of peace and hope, etc.

From Ira Glass . . .
“What nobody tells people who are beginners — and I really wish someone had told this to me . . . is that all of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, and it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase. They quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know it’s normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.”

Via Before & After Magazine

Portfolio Show

2011-04-04T00:35:00.002-05:00

I have a month left of design school. The website for our portfolio show just went live. Go check it out and browse the design goodness. Then come to our show.

Where Trees Come From - Illustrated Storybook

2011-01-01T23:51:00.007-06:00

For my final project in drawing class last semester I chose to illustrate a charming little story that my friend Jeffrey James wrote. This was my first real attempt at illustrating a book and I look forward to making more. The requirements: at least 5.5x8", black & white, minimum of eight pages.

See the whole story below. Click to enlarge images:

(Paper Boat Brigade is an art and design collective made up of Jeffrey James, Katherine Jean, and myself.)

minneapolis

2010-12-29T00:01:00.003-06:00

4 x 6" watercolor, ink
Available on Etsy

A portrait of Minneapolis, more or less. It appears that I'm already thinking of springtime.

two big drawings

2010-12-19T01:13:00.004-06:00

I had to take Drawing I as a part of my Graphic Design program. It was a pleasant experience that passed too quickly. Here are two drawings I made:

18 x 24" charcoal

This was a pretty speedy drawing. The assignment was to go out and take a landscape photo then interpret it in a charcoal drawing. We drew the same photo twice with a different interpretation in each drawing. In this one I exaggerated the size of the buildings and adjusted their placement. I also simplified and pushed the value contrast on the foreground industrial equipment.

18 x 24" ballpoint pen

This drawing probably took 12 times longer than the first drawing. The assignment was to draw an interior space at school: two point perspective with a ballpoint pen. We also had to add some imaginative content, hence the deer. Figuring out the angles on the stairs was the most difficult task. Adding value and texture to the bricks was the most fun. To the right of where I was sitting for this drawing I learned that there is a racquetball court that my school uses for storage.

winter boy

2010-11-26T01:38:00.003-06:00

It's cold outside. I sketched this little guy at work and gave him some color with photoshop. Hope everyone had a warm thanksgiving.

Art opening for our show at The Beat

2010-11-09T17:42:00.001-06:00

The opening for our show is happening this Thursday, November 11th from 7-11pm. Stop by, say hello, and look at art made by Jane Wunrow, Ryan Blauer, and myself. (Tip: bring your art and I'll trade you for it.) If you can't make it, be sure to stop by The Beat in the month of November to take a peek.

The Beat
1414 W 28th St
Minneapolis, MN 55408

Art at The Beat Coffeeshop

2010-11-02T00:06:00.003-05:00

I have 15-20 pieces up on the walls at The Beat in Uptown. My new friend Ryan also has some art up. You'd better buy his paintings before I do. We're planning to have a little opening party on Thursday, November 11th. I'll post details soon.

The Beat
1414 W 28th St
Minneapolis, MN 55408

wolf stamp illustration

2010-10-06T20:45:00.001-05:00

I made this in my Illustrator class this morning. We had to create artwork for a stamp with a Minnesota theme. I've never seen a wolf in MN but people say they're out there. I aimed for a paper cut-out feel which was mostly successful. The text could be smaller and the grass less detailed.

Howl.

tears

2010-09-18T01:49:00.007-05:00

9 x 7" drawn in photoshop

a jar of two cent coins

2010-09-11T00:22:00.001-05:00

watercolor 4x6"

"she'll wake up in a cold sweat on the floor
next to a family portrait drawn when you were four.
and beside a jar of two cent coins that are no good no more
she'll lay it aside."
blood, by the middle east

hot air balloon

2010-09-09T00:53:00.002-05:00

8 x 10" watercolor
Available on Etsy

little boat of little words (new print)

2010-08-15T18:59:00.000-05:00

Digital collage made in Photoshop. Available on Etsy.

a reminder

2010-08-08T22:13:00.004-05:00

just something that's been on my mind lately.

made in Photoshop (CS5!)

some months and days

2010-08-08T22:09:00.008-05:00

This is a slideshow of all the photos I took (and kept) on my phone in the last 10 months or so. I think everyone should make one of these and share a link to the video.

Made in iMovie

Portrait of an Imaginary Woman

2010-07-21T20:47:00.001-05:00

Aren't they a handsome couple?

Painted in photoshop. Made by request, sort of.

Portrait for an Imaginary Man

2010-07-21T13:32:00.001-05:00

Now taking requests for portraits of imaginary friends. Painted in photoshop.

Herbert E.

2010-07-20T18:55:00.002-05:00

This guy flew into my head today. Painted in photoshop.

taciturn

2010-06-24T13:20:00.003-05:00

Just a quick one while I'm on my break from work. This one is for my reticent friends who know that this is a ridiculous thing to say to someone. :) Good day!

PS the background painting is something I did a while ago.

ahoy!

2010-06-21T19:44:00.001-05:00

acrylic on canvas 18 x 24"

Yesterday I felt like making something for my bedroom. I painted over an old canvas that had gone awry and used the colors of my décor. I had grown to dislike painting on canvas and hadn't done so in over a year but this was fun. Might even find a frame for it.

the boat and the harbor

2010-06-19T00:00:00.001-05:00

I sort of wish this was a book I was reading. The text is from Carl Sandburg's poem Lost. Playfully created in Photoshop while listening to For Emma, Forever Ago.

everywhere she goes, it rains on her

2010-06-15T19:18:00.001-05:00

More experimentation... this is an old drawing that I colored today in Photoshop. Here's the original sketch from last Spring:

distance

2010-06-13T14:56:00.002-05:00

Just messin' with textures in Photoshop.

the more it tells you the less you know

2010-06-10T02:17:00.001-05:00

It's been a long time since I took legitimate photographs with a real camera. These are pictures I took with my phone in the last month — a paper ship, some wild poppies, a waterfall, two paper boys, and a bird who lost his head on my doorstep.

sketchbook

2010-05-24T01:23:00.004-05:00

A random selection from my idea book:

new print and shirt available!

2010-05-11T01:47:00.007-05:00

Sailor Boys print is now available in the etsy shop.

You can also wear it on a shirt:

sailor boys

2010-05-10T00:33:00.003-05:00

4x6"

This was painted in Photoshop CS4 with a pen tablet. I have a few things to adjust before making prints but it should be available in the shop by Tuesday.

Edit: I should have taken more progress shots but here are two:

And a detail shot:

o where is my sailor boy?

2010-04-12T01:09:00.000-05:00

(in progress)

This is part of a digital painting I've been working on. I hope to finish it in the next week or so.

Foot in the Door 4

2010-02-22T11:14:00.002-06:00

( more photos of opening )

"Held once every 10 years, "Foot in the Door" is an open exhibition for all Minnesota artists. This ever-popular exhibition celebrates the diversity and enthusiasm of Minnesota's visual — and, new this year, audio/video — artists. It's an important event for the arts community and a great opportunity for artists to display their work at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. The sole curatorial criteria? Each submission must fit within a one square foot."

On Thursday I went to the opening of Foot in the Door 4. It was jam packed with people and art. If you're in the area I highly recommend going to see the show. It's up till June and it's free. If you're not in the area, you can still see all the wonderful artwork online here. I submitted The Squirrel.

The Mistress

2010-02-05T00:14:00.007-06:00

Digital painting #2. Graphics tablet in Photoshop. Spent more time on the face in this one.

Coat and Hat

2010-02-04T00:09:00.005-06:00

I guess you could call this my first digital painting. Made in Photoshop with a graphics tablet. Very fun.

Photoshop, Project 1

2010-01-27T02:13:00.003-06:00

I am taking a Photoshop class and for our first project we were to create or alter an image using only one layer. Emphases was on using selection tools which are painfully time consuming for me at this point. Anyway, I photoshopped good old page 38. I think I'm learning to appreciate gradients.

everything will be alright

2010-01-19T12:38:00.007-06:00

8 x 10"
Watercolor on warm white Stonehenge paper.
Available on Etsy

I redrew and painted Sketchbook 07 which I've been meaning to do for some time. I think I'll make more of these because I like them a lot.

Haiti Relief

2010-01-17T21:31:00.010-06:00

I've helped design some shirts to support the people of Haiti and the relief effort. The shirts are available through Skreened.com/hopeforhaiti and the commission will go to Partners in Health. The shirts are offered in a variety of colors and styles (including hoodies!) Take a look:

"L'union fait la force" is Haiti's motto. It is French for "Strength through Unity."

Not interested in shirts? Consider donating to the relief organization of your choice.

Siebentes Kapitel (Seventh Chapter)

2009-12-29T23:10:00.007-06:00

Truth be told, I don't care for working with papier-mâché. But I do like little sailing ships, so I use papier-mâché. The pattern for this boat came from Ann Wood: annwood.net. She also makes incredible owls.

Maria, 1944. (in progress #2)

2009-12-19T01:48:00.003-06:00

Tonight I worked on this drawing for the first time since my first post about it. I'm mostly pleased with it, but I should have used different paper.

Progress #1

sketchbook 14 (Julian of Norwich)

2009-12-13T02:47:00.005-06:00

"All shall be well and all shall be well and all manner of things shall be well."

I was searching for an email about bibliographies when I came across a different one where someone had written this quote by Julian of Norwich.

brochure mock-up

2009-12-12T13:15:00.006-06:00

Last night I made this brochure for class. We were to create a brochure about our dream computer. I used Pg. 15 from my journal project. It was fun to do something with that image and the brown paper texture printed very nicely.

sketchbook 13

2009-11-29T02:49:00.003-06:00

There will be time, there will be time
To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet…
- eliot

sketchbook 11

2009-11-23T01:02:00.002-06:00

graphite HB & 4B

seeing double

2009-11-22T00:23:00.003-06:00

print of pg 38
!!!

alphabet

2009-11-21T12:45:00.006-06:00

Click image for full view.

I've been learning how to use Adobe Illustrator. Yesterday I made this alphabet with the pen tool. It needs some fine tuning, but I'm really happy with it.

sketchbook 10 (an imaginary book #2)

2009-11-16T02:16:00.004-06:00

HB graphite

once upon a time...

sketchbook 08 (an imaginary book)

2009-11-08T22:02:00.005-06:00

mechanical #2 pencil .7mm

sketchbook 07

2009-11-04T02:17:00.003-06:00

mechanical #2 pencil .7mm

sketchbook 06 (trouble so hard)

2009-10-23T00:11:00.009-05:00

watercolor

words from Vera Hall's Trouble So Hard
which is sampled in Moby's Natural Blues
except I made 'trouble' plural.

Poison

2009-10-13T21:39:00.004-05:00

3 x 4.5" graphite on copy paper

This is a vision I had before falling asleep last night. I sketched it at work today.

Maria, 1944. (in progress)

2009-10-11T01:59:00.005-05:00

12 x 16" graphite on warm white stonehenge paper
(in progress)

Progress #2

Typically I post small drawings that are made quickly. This is a big drawing and I'm slow at big drawings. It's been a while since I've drawn a large formal portrait. My family commissioned this one. It is of my mom's mom's mom; my great grandmother. Along with the tiny photograph, I was given an audio-cassette of her playing the harmonica and a number of rosaries. These are treasures to me.

I'll post more progress photos as I remember. With the way things are this may take months to finish. But I have a good start.

sketchbook 04 (would you promise to be kind?)

2009-10-09T00:11:00.006-05:00

words from Mirah's Promise to Me
(an absolutely crushing song when the time is right)

good news

2009-09-24T23:17:00.013-05:00

That little painting I did of Michael Jackson is about to make the rounds. Here's the press release:

With the recent passing of superstar Michael Jackson, it's impossible not to have some sort of reaction. Emerging Twin Cities artists come together to reflect on the memory and media portrayal of the King of Pop. This bi-partisan tribute is a collaboration of mediums, ideas, and opinions of a generation of artists raised on Jackson's music. Aesthetically the work is a fearless juxtaposition of creativity possessing a whimsical but raw boldness. 'Remember The Time...' is touring the Twin Cities during the fall and winter months, premiering in October at Audubon Coffee in Northeast Minneapolis and heading to Lowertown's Back Alley Gallery in November. An opening reception will take place at Back Alley Gallery on Saturday, November 7.

Remember the stork and invitations I made for Carol's baby shower? She gave birth this morning and everybody is happy and healthy. :) Check out this great etching I spied at the hospital (click for full-size):

sketchbook 03

2009-09-05T16:42:00.008-05:00

watercolor and 005 micron pen

this is a sort of collage
the style of buildings is from carson ellis
and the words are from bob dylan

sketchbook 02 (OR don't ever tell anybody anything)

2009-09-04T00:21:00.016-05:00

reproduced book cover on moleskine with 02 micron pen

Maybe it's just nostalgia but I have loved this book cover since I got it ten years ago. My father bought it for me at the local B&N along with Nine Stories. "Do you really need both?" he asked. "Yes," I whispered. But I never finished Nine Stories and I lost it a few years later.

sketchbook 01

2009-08-21T00:29:00.004-05:00

acrylic in moleskine

inspired by a painting from picasso's circus (or rose) period
and a voicemail from my mother last week.

a man with his hat, gloves, and mustache

2009-08-16T14:33:00.006-05:00

8 x 10 3/4"
acrylic on cardboard

This is a commission for a friend.

a stork

2009-08-02T12:03:00.004-05:00

This is a papier-mâché stork I made for Carol's baby shower.

Thank you, Katie, for constructing the beak. Thank you, Sarah, for making the paste, cutting out feathers, and making the bag hanging from his beak. Click here for the site that shows how to make giant birds. Click here to see a few progress photos of this stork.

michael jackson

2009-07-14T19:42:00.007-05:00

acrylic on 5.75 x 7.75" Art Board™

This is the piece I made for an upcoming Michael Jackson Tribute art show.

an invitation

2009-07-06T22:25:00.002-05:00

Inkjet print on pale blue Artoz A6.
(click for a larger, better looking image)

Carol and I have been friends since English class in 1999. She thought I was funny and I thought she was funny. We had sleepovers and played lousy pranks on our friends. She cried during Steel Magnolias and I tried to but couldn't. She liked Mountain Dew and I liked Reese's Puffs. One time, sitting on her front stoop, she graciously analyzed my terrible, overly symbolic, Chagall-esque painting. We ended up at the same college where I was her RA and she was my basketball coach. We shared an apartment after graduation until her wedding day and we now live 80 miles apart. She is having her first child in September. This is the invitation I made for her baby shower.

the good-time emporium

2009-06-24T18:36:00.006-05:00

I have a friend who is very good at letting me know about cool things and nice opportunities. Yesterday Katie sent me a link to The Good-Time Emporium. It's a place of magic and wonders. Today my work was featured: here. Go take a look around, spy some new art, leave comments, and make a submission.

a summer sort of tree

2009-06-19T19:17:00.008-05:00

3.5 x 4.5"
bic stic on copy paper

Last weekend my friend was accidentally in town. Everybody draws trees but he draws them well. He explained his method and this is my attempt. I drew it in the dark to the sound of ten snoring children. This one's for you, Andy. I am sorry that it looks like an atomic bomb.

hey pigeon

2009-06-08T00:54:00.003-05:00

3.75 x 5.5"
acrylic and gouache on a book cover

hold on to your hats

2009-05-26T23:42:00.006-05:00

I'm making a small pile of little things for sale.

Keep your eyes peeled, my friends.

spot the differences

2009-05-24T16:08:00.004-05:00

holiday fun
(click image to view full size)

four boys without bodies

2009-05-23T21:43:00.005-05:00

4.75 x 7.25"
gouache on old paper

(raise your hand if you know where i found the reference photo)

untitled [OR two women walking together]

2009-05-21T23:58:00.008-05:00

8.5 x 9" + frame
acrylic on broken plaster frame

"Say 'Nevermore'," said Shadow.

2009-05-19T22:25:00.008-05:00

"Fuck you," said the raven.
American Gods, by Neil Gaiman

4.5 x 5.5"
watercolor on homemade paper

make like a tree

2009-05-17T23:34:00.005-05:00

5 x 8"
acrylic

sailing the tops of trees [OR my love is an ugly love]

2009-05-12T22:33:00.009-05:00

[but it's real and it lasts a long, long time]

4 x 5"
watercolor & ink

horizontal line sketch & a reminder

2009-05-05T01:55:00.001-05:00

Daphne and a Girl

2009-04-26T00:45:00.002-05:00

up up. away.

2009-04-26T00:05:00.003-05:00

I didn't mean for this to happen.

C. #3: Untitled

2009-04-21T00:40:00.004-05:00

6 x 8 "
Mixed media
Collaboration material from Anonymous.

untitled

2009-04-19T23:24:00.004-05:00

2 x 2.5"

Watercolor

A winter with no one.

2009-03-11T00:24:00.005-05:00

9 x 12"
Acrylic on canvas

A woman standing in the snow by herself.

2009-03-08T01:23:00.006-06:00

9 x 12"
Acrylic on canvas.

Please Tell My Brother

2009-03-04T10:07:00.009-06:00

Please Tell My Brother from Jackie L. on Vimeo.

Last night I made this video. I don't remember if I made the video for the song or chose the song for the footage. Either way, this is my father's childhood. He is one of the little boys.

Spectacles, prosceniums, and dancing bears.

2009-02-28T18:54:00.008-06:00

8 x 7"

C. #2: Meadowlark

2009-02-21T23:03:00.003-06:00

7.5 x 11"
Collaboration material from Anonymous

Collaboration #1: brave new world

2009-02-19T20:08:00.003-06:00

9 x 11"
Collaboration material from indigo-umbrella.blogspot.com
"Progress is lovely, isn't it?" is from Aldous Huxley's Brave New World.

a good winter

2009-02-17T22:04:00.004-06:00

I've received some mail for my next project: Thank you.

Yesterday I discussed monsters with a four year old. With sincerity she expressed that monsters are scary because they always have a gun. I wondered how she knew this and she said it's on TV.

Today it snowed some:

a good winter from Jackie L. on Vimeo.

Forego the parable...

2009-01-25T22:40:00.003-06:00

Je est un autre.

2009-01-19T21:50:00.004-06:00

dieu, aie pitié de moi.

I Owe Him My Life

2009-01-09T00:34:00.005-06:00

...and all I've done is this crappy drawing.

I Have Forgotten Your Love

2009-01-03T17:31:00.002-06:00

I have forgotten your love, yet I seem to glimpse you in every window.

from Love, by Pablo Neruda

YOU

2009-01-03T01:40:00.001-06:00

I Have Caused Great Pain

2009-01-02T00:11:00.003-06:00

a love balloon

2008-12-29T20:02:00.005-06:00

( This is part of my to-do list that I made at work today. )

I think the journal project is over. Something new is on the way.

Pg. 40

2008-11-28T21:38:00.002-06:00

2008-11-23T14:40:00.006-06:00

Forgive my silent inactivity. In recent weeks I have been occupied with quitting jobs, moving, leaving people behind, a new job, assembling a portfolio, considering further higher education, and listening to my mother's stories. So, stick around, there's more to come... even after the last page has turned.

Thank you for your comments on my journal project thus far.

Pg. 39

2008-11-16T22:55:00.002-06:00

Pg. 38

2008-11-06T22:35:00.002-06:00

Pg. 37

2008-11-06T00:01:00.003-06:00

Pg. 36

2008-11-01T21:24:00.002-05:00