Step Four: When in doubt, pull an old one out.

Sorry everyone I've been so busy at work. I have had no time to paint or draw, even on the weekends. I've been working on this new competition for a skyscraper and smaller buildings next to it in Paris

. Soooooooo, I figured I would post something. I hope after tomorrow I will be able to paint.

signing off

kingly

p.s. this is a painting that I mimicked from another artist named Hung Liu.

Step Three: Let it run. let it bleed.

So I'm finally really painting again. There is something that I will say up front... my painting skills are not as bad as I thought they were going to be, BUT don't get me wrong they still need a lot of work. Painting these particular pieces of work made me realize something that apparently I had forgotten, that I can make a really bad drawing look better by hiding it behind layers of paint, that’s no excuse for me though, I still need to improve the drawing side of becoming a better artist. I was sitting on the couch staring at the wall for probably a good 30 minutes the other day and realized that I'm going to divide this challenge into two parts. There is the painting side of this challenge, as well as, the drawing side of the challenge. I realized that if I broke up my problem into smaller pieces then it would be easier for me to approach it.

I just realized that I've been hiding literally behind layers of paint. Hiding behind the inadequacies of my own ability to draw the way I want to. I use the paint to hide my screw-ups and flaws.

Second Step: "Just put the pen to the paper, and BINGO, bending moment max!!!"

So the title of this new post, is actually a quote from my old architectural structures professor, Dr. B. (full name Dr. Benjamin Bezaleel), an Indian man who weighted about a buck 11 (slang for 111 lbs). Your a

ll probably wondering how I know this???? Well, because he showed us one day in a lecture. He took a picture of himself, on a scale, with his pants at his ankles and the camera was pointing right at the numbers on the scale... It said 111.3453245325 lbs (something). He is this super intelligent little man! He quit KU as a professor right before we all graduated. He taught there for 35 years or more??? Don’t quote me on that… He now works for NASA where he is pursuing his invention of anti-gravity space boots AND a suit that goes with it, called the “Benjamin Suit” hahaah!! I really admire this, old in age, but vibrant and youthful spirited man. His accent was great! It was this mixture of Indian and British English. I was always mimicking him and quoting him everyday. I miss him a lot… He was one of my favorites.
Anyways, the reason I quoted him and made this quote my second entry title is because one day in class we had an exam on bending moments of trusses, and he yelled this out, "just put the pen to the paper, and BINGO, bending moment max!!" He said it, I think, because he knew we were all intimidated by finding the numbers and do all the correct calculations for the bending moment of the truss... I think life is kind of like this, you just DO IT! Just put that pen to the paper! And Bingo! Life will just happen. My work as a painter will just happen. I just need to get over my own fear of being disappointed by my own work and just do it. Let it be messy. Let me fail. I think we have to fail over and over and over again with everything. This allows us to learn from our mistakes. You will write your own life, but only until YOU PUT THAT PEN TO THE PAPER…. Then BINGO life will just happen an explosion of creativity! It's a spark that occurs. The hardest part is always starting. Then after it commences, it’s easy. It flows.

So… obviously as you can tell, I have begun drawing again. It feels good but at the same time its really frustrating. I find myself struggling already. I'm upset with myself for not drawing everyday because I'm so rusty!!!! I can’t get proportions right like I used to. I’ve just lost, my touch. Also, I'm having a hard time deciding what to draw. Do I draw objects? Do I draw weird random stuff thats in my head? Do test myself and try to copy other peoples work (for technique studies)??? Do I draw people (but only figures no detail)? Or do I draw faces, hands, feet, building, and cars??? The list goes on... I started drawing Marilyn Monroe yesterday and this other abstract piece of work (it is a mimic of Oliver Vernon's great work). Why… Well because Marily is so beautiful and classic, and the abstract piece is a mimic of Oliver Vernons work. I look up to Oliver Vernon and his wonderful work! For Marilyn, I just "googled" her, and found a striking picture of her and went to town. I had these moments when I was drawing the photo of her, I felt good, then hated it, then fixed what I hated and then messed up... This went on for about 15 minuets. Then I just quit and went onto something else. I then went back through and just started critiquing my own work. Circling areas and writing notes. So you will see all of that when I upload the drawing. Well sorry for such an abrupt ending, but I need to go to bed.

Hopefully to those who are genuinely following, please submit ideas or thoughts. See you soon.

King,
Signing off.

First Step: admitting you have a problem

Dear World,

As you may know, my name is Adam Perry King; I just graduated from college with a Masters in Architecture about 8 months ago from the University of Kansas, yes, I’m a Kansas boy (born and raised). As cool AND crazy as this will sound, I now live in Paris, France.... Yes, I know, I

know please do stay in your seats we are experiencing some turbulence... Its really, ummm what’s the word I'm looking for... rare. Not only that but extremely random for me, I never even planned this; it wasn’t even in my wildest dreams… it just happened. I went from shitty to chic in just 8 hours you could say. So, the reason I'm here is for work. I did an internship about a year ago through KU and it went really well, well enough to the point that they wanted me back after I finished school. (Also, one of the other main deciding factors why I took this job is, well... back home there are not a lot of jobs, especially in my profession, but that’s a whole other blog/post. So I'll leave you with that.

Okay, so, that was just a little background history to know where I'm coming from, so then we can see where I'm going. I'm starting this blog, lines&layers because, well, I need the therapy of my own work to cure my slowly progressing insanity. The vitamin B deficiency (Beauty). See, deep down I’ve missed painting A LOT, I love architecture, but, I also love painting... I need to have a balance of these in my life.

It’s just that… AutoCAD can’t give me what I need all the time… We go together like George Bush and great speeches or mullets and Chanel No. I’ve missed the expression and messiness’ of painting and drawing. Just doing whatever and not caring about codes and regulations. Not having to explain this line or that one. It just is.

I've worked very hard to get where I am and have sacrificed a lot, mainly my social life to obtain this degree. Then after I graduate I was given this awesome opportunity to come to PARIS and work!!! Hard work does pay off kids. A place where every famous artist and architect has spent time in his or her life, a place that is filled with mystery, magic, and will inspire you to no end... I can't waste it. I can't throw away this opportunity to, to thrive here artistically... See I'm just more of an artist, a painter if you will than an architect, you could say I’m 60/40.

I have become very rusty at drawing and painting due to being dragged through the daunting years of Architecture school. I lost a piece of myself back there in all those years... In all the late nights and coffee runs. Feeling like your tripping balls on acid, because you haven't slept in 72 hours. Then swearing up and down that you DID see a little nome take your 5 dollars and cancel your rendering, or have a bat fly in at ONE in the morning and kamikaze your friends, and have to watch your Arabian friend (Osama) army crawl out the door because he is apparently terrified of bats, and then hear the yells of Peter over and over again, "oohhhh shit, its a bat man its effin bat man!!!"

Yes, of course after nights like these you then have to wake up or, stay up for the ridiculous critiques of professors the next day. Spouting off BS just so they can hear their voices reverberate through the halls. "Oh, Adam where is your fire stair?" "Adam, can you walk me through this section its so awful." "Adam, this looks like shit." "Adam, you know how much money this f&^king school owes me, when I used to work for Louis Kahn..." blah blah blah blah IIIII KNOOOWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My GOD!...

So, this is my attempt to awaken the beast from within. To lead a more balanced life, to fulfill the other part (there are more parts than just these) of Adam Perry King. I'm here to sort out all the mess of my life, on paper. All the pain the confusion the frustration with the externals and the internals. I'm here to cure myself. To... sort through the layers of my life and draw some lines... draw lines around what I want and layer up the good that I discover through all of this....

I have set three rules for myself.

ONE: In order to cure myself, I MUST draw everyday... people and things that I see while I'm at work or on lunch break on the streets; and on the weekends, I MUST go to the Louvre or other art museums and draw the great works.

TWO: I have to start a new painting every week. (Preferably from what I've drawn during the week in my sketchbook).

Three: I will post all of my work on the blog each week, so you can follow me and see my good work, and yes, my bad work as well.

So follow me through this journey... or not. Whatever.

Adam Perry King, signing off.