"You Don't Know Me"

Nobody has questioned my art work since my college days when Sr. Cor Immaculata wanted to know the reason behind every piece in my portfolio. So when he asked me what the deal was with the "You Don't Know Me" drawing on my website, I got a chill. I know, I know. But, really...when someone asks why you drew what you drew, it means something. It means that that person was struck by your drawing. It means that person actually took the time to look deeper then the surface of the picture. I often like to bounce my drawings off of people as I'm drawing them. A not so sensitive person once said to me, "Why do you want me to look at your drawings? Do you need my approval or something?" No, dick, I don't need your approval, just a little feedback. Does it evoke any feeling? That's what art is meant to do. Sure, some art is meant to be private, only for the artist, but most isn't. And since college, I haven't really been able to bounce it off anyone. I guess I asked the wrong person that night.
So what's with the "You Don't Know Me" drawing? I saw him on the train one night. I was feeling pretty low and I looked at this guy. He looked how I felt. We made eye contact and shot each other the same look - the "You Don't Know Me" look, the "What Are You Looking At" look, the "My Day Was Worse Then Yours" look. (It's a great defense mechanism when you make accidental eye contact with a stranger in the city.) Immediately our eyes averted and I just had to draw the eye contact we held for that brief moment, because I did know him. I knew what he was feeling without exchanging words. Am I looking at this too deeply? Maybe, but sometimes looking too deeply at things is what drives my art. It's just who I am.

Where?

For the past month I've been working on an assignment for one of my old roommates. She's attending masters classes at Pratt Institute. In her class, she has been grouped to work on a book design project. Her group choose to deisgn an Airport Activity book for adults to help pass the time. Being Graphic Design majors, none of them can really draw. So she called upon her favorite illustrator - yours truely. ;-)
My job was to create the "Where's the TSA Agent?" page. Modeled from the well-known "Where's Waldo?" series, I had to draw an airport scene filled with activity with a TSA agent hiding among the crowd. After filling an 8"x8" square with 96 people, I thought I was through! I sent the Jpeg of the colored drawing and I got a email back - they loved it! Just what they were looking for. They also sent a list of additons, for example, "Suspicious trash with drug dogs smelling it & police cornering it off...maybe some CAUTION tape, Prissy woman in high heels carrying nothing....being followed by her husband carrying ALOT of luggage, College student w/big laundry bag and a sweatshirt from "Univeristy of somewhere"?". Aghh! I love my old roomie, but I'm getting awfully tired of drawing teeny tiny travelers with their itty bitty suitcases. I also got a 2 week extension. You can see the first draft on my website: www.karengilmour.com. I really shouldn't complain, I am actually enjoying it.