Snow and Stalkers

Considering the wintery abyss that has become our new home in the last few days, I found it imperative that I at least reference snow in my weekly blog. So, as I browsed through websites of my sister’s Ringling friends, I was lucky enough to stumble upon the image above. In this drawing, Brooke Olivares, has depicted a snow-covered alley with tints of warm colors to brighten up the scene. In the upper right hand corner, the rustic orange color of a building seems to draw out the warm hues dispersed throughout, as the snow melts away at its touch. Instead of the typical foreboding alley, Brooke has turned this image into an almost welcoming abode. Although the stairs lead to the ajar doors at the top, the viewer, as they would in any shady situation, follows the 'light at the end of the tunnel.' One cant help but wonder what they might find if they walk beneath the shadows to the sparkling snow in the distance.

In addition to this winter wonderland scene, Brooke’s website contains many other quick drawings. My favorites were those of people caught in everyday actions, such as snoozing in the airplane, eating a leisurely lunch, or zoning out in math class. Although each piece isn’t perfectly proportioned or completely colored in, the viewer gets just enough to know what she is trying to depict. My personal favorite is a pen drawing of a student slouching in his chair. He is obviously trying to be focused but at the same time battling a sleep deficit. Because of the more intense shading used to depict him, the viewer gets the illusion of a photo in which the up close shot is in focus while the rest is blurry. As I browsed through her drawings I began to realize that art is somewhat of a stalker hobby – I bet most of people in her sketches are still unaware that she ever drew them. So word of the wise for those traveling this holiday season: beware of the figure scribbling away in the corner because you may just be the target of a sketch that a high school student uses on her blog.