new web layout up!

the new jennifercuellar.com is finally here!

new new new

i'm currently in the process of revamping my website. new work will be up, including some of these 18" x 24" drawings.

debossed linoleum block print

edition of 17, approx. 6" x 6" printed on chipboard

new work

here are some drawings from the last couple of months, done on this beautiful (yet brittle) vintage scrapbook paper.

shrinking

from senior drawing class - based on the theme of shrinking {black background to show cropped shape}.

neighborhood #1 {tunnels}

this is a reinterpretation project from mark todd and esther watson's illustration for publishing class. for this project, i took an existing song {"neighborhood #1 {tunnels}" by the arcade fire} and reinterpreted it visually while attempting to not make it literal. i tried to push it as far as i could without retaining a sort of general/cliché arcade fire "look" in order to complete the whole reinterpreted package.

friday workshop

i thought i'd change things up a little by working with colored pens rather than my traditional pencils at salvati's workshop today.

john muir

for a tds class zine. {who is john muir?}

It's opening day!

Let's go Cubbies!



In unrelated news, my website has been finished!

"deep red bells"

interpretation - comp 2

here's the second comp from the assignment described in my previous post. i'll be combining a few elements from the first comp with this comp to create the final piece. (5 1/2" x 9")

interpretation

assignment: interpret lyrics from any song and create an image based on them. i will be posting comps as i finish them. this particular one is for neko case's "deep red bells."



who you led you to this hiding place?
whose lightning threads spun silver tongues
red bells beckon you to ride
a hand print on the driver's side
it looks a lot like engine oil
and tastes like being poor and small
and popsicles in summer

deep red bells
deep as i've been done

it always has to come to this
the red bells ring this tragic hour
we've lost sight of the overpass
the daylight won't remember that
the speckled fawns grazed 'round your bones
who took the time to fold your clothes
and shook the valley of the shadow

deep red bells
deep as i've been done

well, does this mean the world cast its cold eye?
who's left to suffer long about you?
does your soul cast about like an old paper bag
past empty lots and early graves?
but those like you who lost their way
murdered on the interstate
while the red bells rang like thunder

oh, deep red bells
deep as i've been done...

mock rolling stone review - finis!

final version of the beck 'guero' illustration. watercolor, 8 3/4" x 5 3/4".

friday workshop

i've been attending salvati's friday workshop where we basically do whatever it is we want for however long we want {i.e., paint, draw, etc. the model}. this is from today... this guy was in his 60s and so badass. he brought his collection of CASSETTES to listen to while we worked, including mc 900 foot jesus, crass, the velvet underground, and wire to name a few. he was tattooed on top of his head, on his back, everywhere. so intimidating but totally nice.

3 hours, approx. 5" x 7"

wordless book project

this is from my illustration for publishing class with mark todd and esther pearl watson... probably one of, if not my most favorite class i've had thus far at art center.

this is a wordless book. my concept was to use the multiple trips i've taken to l.a. from calexico on the greyhound and turn those into one story, roundtrip. this is circa 2000-2005. i originally intended to keep the story black and white but turned in some color comps today. i haven't scanned those yet, but here are the black and white drawings. i may self.publish this book, seeing as i have formatted it to fit into a standard copy machine, much like my last project from this class. this one in particular is 5 1/2" x 4 1/4", single page.

me standing in line, waiting to purchase my ticket. note my beloved sony headphones that have since cracked on me. sad, sad...




this is a double page spread of the ocean as seen from the 5, between san diego and orange county. the inset is of my ipod with "horses in my dreams" by pj harvey on the screen.


this last image is of downtown l.a. {arriving}.


the centerfold is composed of several panels, each of them a different activity i used to do when i'd hang out with my friends here.

mock rolling stone review

the idea of this assignment is to create a mock illustration for rolling stone magazine's review section. i specifically chose beck's album "guero" for this assignment.

the first comp is simply incorporating beck into the 'el musico' loteria card to reflect the influence of hispanic culture on the album.



the second comp was an attempt at drawing out what i would later create as a collage based on images found on the east side of l.a. {echo park, silver lake, etc.} with beck in the center, again taking into account hispanic culture of the east side.



the third comp also attempts to use the same atmosphere, except in a traditional setting with intuitive line drawing. beck was originally supposed to be sitting in the shopping cart with the facial expression/pose found in the image below this one, but after some discussion with my professor, i've decided against it. instead, beck will be placed in the foreground as in the image above, and the same middle ground and background will be used from this third comp.





the final version of this illustration in full color should be up soon.