tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post7084232805726902356..comments2024-03-18T07:23:32.809-04:00Comments on Gurney Journey: Growing Up With ArtJames Gurneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01870848001990898499noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-88815147575389963042010-12-18T10:03:27.514-05:002010-12-18T10:03:27.514-05:00I have an office job (with reduced hrs due to rece...I have an office job (with reduced hrs due to recession) and my wife works most nights. So, what typically happens is that I care for my two boys (3 and 5) each evening and after they have gone to bed I find a little time to concentrate on my painting.<br /><br />I find that if I try to paint while all 3 of us are awake in the house then they either have alot of "requests" for daddy, or they try to play together and end up squabbling or tearing up the house.<br /><br />They enjoy seeing my artwork and like to color as well as use Crayola washable paints. I think things will ease up a bit as they learn to play peaceably together and can handle pencils better.<br /><br />It ain't easy, but I'm happy to be a daddy.Joseph Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01848495879457412107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-92080605027630677582010-12-18T07:00:29.247-05:002010-12-18T07:00:29.247-05:00I gave up trying to communicate that wht I was doi...I gave up trying to communicate that wht I was doing on the computer all day (animation and digital illustration) was work. The kids were convinced I played all day (computer + 3D = games) and that was that. I tried a few times to get them modeling, sculpting and animating themselves, usually with too little success to get to that moment of recognition. The tools were too difficult, they couldn't get it to look like they wanted it to, but oddly (for me) that never transferred into respect for my abilities or efforts in teaching them, but rather in how much fun it was to draw on paper. Now THAT was okay. And all my preliminary sketches (on sheets of paper or in my sketch book) would be immediately and unquestionably accepted as immediately accepted as work. They'd always jump in and work too, of course. So that part of the job was always most fun. :-)davidmaashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16696298300141402317noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-36400319754914036942010-12-17T19:47:00.235-05:002010-12-17T19:47:00.235-05:00My mom's an artist; we had free access to all ...My mom's an artist; we had free access to all her supplies growing up-- I remember getting a headache after using alchohol-based smelly markers for some project or other. Most of the time when she was painting I was allowed to come and sit on the stairs, which had a direct line of sight to her easel. When she wanted to take a break, she'd sit on the stairs with me and ask me what I thought about a piece and where my eye went to. I didn't realize it until years and years later, but I learned almost everything I know about both composition and critique just from those talks! :Dbzyglowihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11564099205654636171noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-65042640056527737582010-12-17T07:45:50.261-05:002010-12-17T07:45:50.261-05:00A week ago, our older son got his first two drawin...A week ago, our older son got his first two drawing manuals. <b>I</b> wanted to be the one who gave him his first whe he became older enough... and my father was the second, hours later. The kid has been interested in drawing, although he always wanted to sit in my lap while I was at the drawing table. The problem is that <i>daddy's tools are cooler than mine!</i>. And my wife <b>banned</b> me to leave the kid the india ink :)josembielzahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01361369582704026453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-67662838303329239542010-12-16T02:02:46.622-05:002010-12-16T02:02:46.622-05:00My parents were not the artistic type in the sense...My parents were not the artistic type in the sense of painting or drawing (especially not my dad, he's completely left-brained), but the times my mom would start doing sewing projects for whatever reason, I'd always love watching what she would cut out, how fast she would sew on the machine, etc. Now that I'm older, I now enjoy sewing and other crafts alongside drawing and illustration.Sara Sydnorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12818799160406005955noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-17827483009748531422010-12-15T17:52:03.064-05:002010-12-15T17:52:03.064-05:00I inherited my love of art from my mother who is a...I inherited my love of art from my mother who is an artist. I watched my mother copying from art books in her sketchbook and decided I could do the same thing at a young age. I spent hours copying a Leyendecker painting in pen. I still have that drawing and it is very dear to me. It is pretty remarkable for a 7 year old. <br /><br />You said that you never needed to child-proof your studio and neither did my mother, but she did learn to keep her wet paintings off the ground. After a 4 hour session with a model working on the portrait she left her fresh painting on the ground. I was about four years old and thought I could improve on the nose. My mother came down to find the entire portrait smeared away from my fingers. <br /><br />Thanks for your blog<br /><br />Amelia <br /><br />www.amelialandestaylor.comAmelia Murdockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13986852229762699191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-92199576835830520072010-12-15T10:33:22.767-05:002010-12-15T10:33:22.767-05:00WOW! Thanks to everybody for all these stories. I ...WOW! Thanks to everybody for all these stories. I read all of the comments aloud to Jeanette while she was fixing dinner last night, and we loved all of your different perspectives on the challenges and joys of working at home. This should be required reading for young artists embarking on parenthood——or kids growing up in artist families.James Gurneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01870848001990898499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-55949121054483344732010-12-15T01:53:26.158-05:002010-12-15T01:53:26.158-05:00My kids take for granted that I'll draw them a...My kids take for granted that I'll draw them any book they want. Of course after I've spent 3 years making it they say "Uh mom...this is the kind of book you make, not the kind of book you buy!" Oh well. <br />They like to use my sketches as coloring book pages and always offer to make the cover art for my projects.<br />I have a magnificent studio with everything just where I want it but I hate to be to far from my kids and always have a project on the dining room table.<br />I make art so that there will continue to be magic in the world my kids inherit.Castle in the Airhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01755228703104717008noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-68295877424153100032010-12-14T21:25:33.357-05:002010-12-14T21:25:33.357-05:00Of course the very best reason to allow the little...Of course the very best reason to allow the little ones into your studio is in order to use them-as models!<br />My four children posed for me over and again, they understood that the art often would not look like them, sometimes their age, sex or race would be changed if that was what I needed. They were always willing and handy models- oh and they volunteered their friends of all ages too. Very useful.janice skivingtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07907400457045945037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-77062896902936101032010-12-14T18:44:55.772-05:002010-12-14T18:44:55.772-05:00My 6 year old daughter paints with me, in my studi...My 6 year old daughter paints with me, in my studio, and is learning to take care of brushes. We experiment with many mediums and never have an agenda - just create!combatartist64https://www.blogger.com/profile/05393781593824977917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-78139895870572620472010-12-14T17:44:49.886-05:002010-12-14T17:44:49.886-05:00Growing up, I was always making things, drawing an...Growing up, I was always making things, drawing and or painting. <br />My parents do have a creative streak in their bones. My mom, her thing was poetry and music but never pursued it further. My dad is creative with his hands occasionally sculpting with wood and medal. You should see his wood carved knives est. I do think some where in the mid-evil past some of my ancestors were shoe misters or something. <br />Over all the biggest influence for my art growing up was school and home life. It was a rough childhood and most of the time I really thought of my self as unworthy so it was in a way therapeutic and gave me something special to call my own other then my problems. Sometimes it was pure joy, other times I drove the teachers bonkers by turning a boring math assignment where you have to circle the correct answer, in to characters them selves and other times I would create characters that I would imagine that would be on my side against the cruel world. . But I think the best use of my artwork in my early years was to stop a bulling with out resorting to violence. This bully in particular had a habit of spitting on me and being an over all jerk. So I drew him as a character that reminded me of him. Before home economic would start, I would draw the character and eventually I applied colour to it with my coloured pencils est. Eventually he saw it and was so impressed, he promised not to bully me any more if only he could have the drawing. That drawing was of Joe Camel. ;) The rest is history.K_tigresshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435524324162761134noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-76810446340743955562010-12-14T12:07:48.858-05:002010-12-14T12:07:48.858-05:00My kids have been pretty good, they rarely disrupt...My kids have been pretty good, they rarely disrupt me in the studio, and they often come and paint or draw with me. However, my 2 youngest girls (2 and 4) were recently escorted rather abruptly from the studio after smearing lead white and alizarin crimson on their hands and faces, and in THEIR MOUTHS! Poison control tried to tell me that lead white paint contains no lead.Toddhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12427774701188154966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-42687635641706898322010-12-14T10:23:43.612-05:002010-12-14T10:23:43.612-05:00Well I think you found a topic that everyone can r...Well I think you found a topic that everyone can relate to. I am not a full time artist, but I love to paint, draw, sculpt... <br />When I break out my art boxes with pencils, or paints, inks... my kids know what I am about to do, and they know they are welcome to join me, and they often do. We will all sit around the kitchen table and draw or paint together, sometimes collaboratively. It is a great experience.SoarsLikeAnEaglehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02187655088876834150noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-73877826114524667102010-12-14T08:25:39.942-05:002010-12-14T08:25:39.942-05:00We built a studio in our home when my wife was exp...We built a studio in our home when my wife was expecting our first child. it was a loft studio with a balcony overlooking the family room. For the next twenty years I painted as babies cried, children's television was watched, homework was done, games were played, instruments were practiced, friends came over to play, rock bands were formed, drums brought in. Unlike your studio, mine was up a hardwood spiral stair and the kids were discouraged from going up to the studio. But being I was perched above the heart of the family, I could work a twelve hour day and always feel part of what was happening. I cherish that.<br /><br />Here's a tip. When the kids were young it was my job to pick them up after school. I always had an alarm clock set in my studio. It's easy to get caught up in what you're doing and loose track of time, but no kid wants to hear that anything was more important than picking them up.Larryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05400061467355574566noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-37814313526438164242010-12-14T08:01:12.706-05:002010-12-14T08:01:12.706-05:00My kids are only ever impressed when they find out...My kids are only ever impressed when they find out s famous person reads the comics I draw. Otherwise, yeah, I'm just the dad who stays at home and draws all day..Sean Phillipshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14922458206969216654noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-82091736578884109742010-12-14T07:47:45.961-05:002010-12-14T07:47:45.961-05:00Some of my earliest memories are being in my fathe...Some of my earliest memories are being in my father's darkroom. The smell of developer always brings me back there.<br /><br />My parents also left one wall bare of wallpaper and let us draw on it.Colinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13502023232868840902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-69038906687497363502010-12-14T07:35:49.319-05:002010-12-14T07:35:49.319-05:00Your post seems to have evoked some lovely stories...Your post seems to have evoked some lovely stories to appear here James :)<br /><br />I can relate to them because I have 4 kids myself (6, 7, 9 and 3 weeks). I'm not a professional artist but I do have lots of drawing tools, paper, cardboard, art books and what not laying around in the living room. I use it as often as I can and I can see that the more I draw, the more my children want to draw too. Now with the newborn I've not drawn all that much the last couple of weeks and I notice they aren't either. <br /><br />I also have a small studio in my basement, and sometimes they come with me to draw there but not now because in wintertime it's too cold in there for them (no heating).<br /><br />My 8y old son is one of my best critics, he tells me what he likes and what he dislikes, very pure and straight to the point, and it's really great to hear how he interprets what he sees. His ideas put me back on my 2 feet!Johanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02417615368000033233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-1396477800606611622010-12-14T04:23:35.707-05:002010-12-14T04:23:35.707-05:00Several years ago, I was asked to paint a stage ba...Several years ago, I was asked to paint a stage backdrop. For part of the process I had to borrow someone else's studio, because my place wasn't big enough. While I was working away at this project, one of the studio owner's little kids wandered in, wanting desperately to help paint. I was tired and had a headache, but I couldn't bring myself to chase the kid out of the studio. So I handed him a brush, pointed to a fairly safe spot on the backdrop, and said "OK, Paint here." He stayed at that little spot, painting away, while I finished the rest of the backdrop! My initial fears about that little kid being in the way, or destroying my backdrop were unfounded. He was happy, and felt like he had contributed. I was happy, and successfully completed the backdrop. Miracles do happen!James Gunterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12626977085862840924noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-57024745834505540392010-12-14T02:38:41.770-05:002010-12-14T02:38:41.770-05:00I have many memories of all the art books lying ar...I have many memories of all the art books lying around and would get lost in them for hours, especially the Time-Life Library of Art series. We also had a fair amount of original art hanging on the walls and designer furniture, including hand made furniture by my dad.<br />I also was always in awe watching my Dad draw (an industrial designer). He would sit with me and very patiently teach me to draw anything I could dream up.<br /><br />I was most fascinated by his, apparently simple, ability to draw a perfect circle freehand, any size, any medium, any time... to a kid that was the coolest thing.David Teterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16747334525619423349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-85986713029452596052010-12-14T01:56:54.433-05:002010-12-14T01:56:54.433-05:00My father is an illustrator and has been my entire...My father is an illustrator and has been my entire life, so I relate to your children. :-) I also have younger brothers, and although there is art supplies in plenty for them, they have on occasion 'contributed' to my dad's work. Luckily they are very artistic themselves and more interested than destructive, but my father is fortunately very patient. Once my youngest brother added a patch of orange to a painting my dad was working on, and after looking at it, my dad realized the color worked much better than the one he was trying to use anyhow!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16908862550124310479noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-42463064366677929482010-12-14T01:52:40.432-05:002010-12-14T01:52:40.432-05:00I am in my studio all day and my 10, 7 and 2 year ...I am in my studio all day and my 10, 7 and 2 year olds join me often but the two year old boy feels he needs to embellish my works. I didn't know this until I hung two works on a gallery wall thinking, I didn't paint that pure blue streak there or another leg on that figure!<br />He also gets covered in oil paint occasionally, I had a dog that came out with yellow ochre all over his mussel once, I think it's a boy thing.<br />I feel my children will have nice memories and I feel very lucky to be working at home and them in a creative environment.Raffertyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12735186786676263885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-80381204439358458412010-12-14T00:37:32.643-05:002010-12-14T00:37:32.643-05:00Hey James! It was a real treat meeting you at Tri...Hey James! It was a real treat meeting you at Trion and hearing you lecture.<br />I have a 7-month old daughter who just mastered the art of crawling and her new favorite thing to do is crawl over to my wacom board and chew on the wire (we've had to block it off!).nailmaskhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12071689235507265786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-22140927300709438232010-12-14T00:20:30.510-05:002010-12-14T00:20:30.510-05:00“Does your dad have a job?”
No, my son replied. “...“Does your dad have a job?”<br /><br />No, my son replied. “He just stays home and draws dinosaurs all day.”<br /><br />LOL!phiqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11424182011653329283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-33333984525657887392010-12-13T20:18:37.396-05:002010-12-13T20:18:37.396-05:00My 'studio' is in our lounge room so the k...My 'studio' is in our lounge room so the kids (4 & 7) see me painting all the time but so far haven't asked if they could paint too. As soon as that show 'Mister Maker' comes on it's a different story!<br />P.S. I bought a copy of your book 'Imaginative Realism' some time ago and still rate it in my Top 5 awesome art books.Holly Hartwellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09598330172260746235noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-66988533485029919632010-12-13T19:37:39.025-05:002010-12-13T19:37:39.025-05:00I'm working as a freelance illustrator with my...I'm working as a freelance illustrator with my wife and two kids in Berlin. I'm mostly selftaught and I remember my father being supportive to me and my sibling's interest in drawing since we were very little: at our dining corner one wall was covered with a huge blackboard, the other with leftover tapestries, which he would regularly exchange. Thus we could draw at any time.<br />We used to have a picture album on wildlife showing a bluewhale in size comparison to huge creatures like a brachiosaurus and elephants which left me wanting to draw these creatures life sized. I was always asking my Dad wether I could draw them not only in our drawing place but all over the flat, to get them life sized.<br />On my fifth birthday we were moving house and as a birthday present he allowed me and my siblings to draw whales and dinosaurs - lifesized - all over the place. It was one of my best parties :-D<br />When I knew I would become a Dad I rennovated an old bookcase, changing it's front to a blackboard plus priming it with a magnetic ink, so that the kids now can both draw and play with magnetic sitckers on it. <br />My elder son will turn five in January and I allready started to read out "Dinotopia" to him - I'm curious whether he will ask me to let him draw dinosaurs all over the place one day. :-)Christian Schlierkamphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14486181495859389834noreply@blogger.com