Hello, my name is Jules, I write for this newspaper, and now my artwork is in it (wowie!). I like to draw portraits and figures mostly, but I also draw still lifes and cityscapes. I am an extremely casual artist. I think perfection is dumb (but also really cool, who am I kidding?).
I focus on the essence of the subject, and oftentimes my portraits turn out really goofy. I drew shitty pictures of Sailor Moon as a kid, but I guess I started “seriously” pursuing art when I was fifteen, doodling ladies and song lyrics.
I mostly draw in my sketchbooks and I think a lot about whether or not that makes me a true artist. However, my favorite medium of all time is the blank sticker. All of the vague creative projects I’ve been assigned at Evergreen have included stickers. I like them because they’re so small, mobile, and ephemeral; I can put them wherever I want and I stay anonymous. I use them to write down my thoughts and feelings, too–mostly the anxious and neurotic ones. There isn’t really much pressure to them and they feel like trading cards that no one cares about, which I like. They’re usually free. I take big stacks of the Priority Mail labels from the Post Office. Is that legal? I don’t know.
Many people don’t think they’re capable of creating art and I think that’s sad. Just because you can’t draw a gothic cathedral or your own hand doesn’t mean you’re incapable. It takes a lot of practice is all. You know how all children seem to draw the same? They grow out if it because they learn! My little brother, who’s eight, draws like a kid, but he draws really well for a kid, and I always tell him, if he keeps drawing everyday, by the time he’s my age, he will probably be a genius. I spend a lot of time thinking about this; five years ago, I wasn’t so great, either. But look at me now, I’m on the cover of the newspaper!
Drawing is a lot like handwriting; it’s all based on muscle memory. Mistakes are all in the mind. I exclusively draw with pens because I don’t believe in mistakes. Painting is also cool because, while drawing works with lines, painting works with blobs and shapes of color. It’s much more forgiving. I’m inspired by the Impressionists, who rebelled against the hoity-toity Salon. The Impressionists’ paintings felt like unfinished sketches, the focus is more on light and color rather than form and control. I enjoy being faithful to the subject I’m drawing, but not too much. Books are also cool to make. I don’t have much patience for process-based work, like photography and ceramics, but I sure wish I did, and I applaud all ya’ll photographers and potters!
I’m going to Germany in the spring, and I aim to work on skill through drawing complicated buildings and portraits of Berlin women. Afterward, I’m still going to focus on portraiture; that’s my jam forever. If you want me to draw you for practice, contact me. If you want me to draw you for an extremely modest fee, contact me. Olympians, I want you!
The paintings that are on the front and back cover are part of the same peice, together titled dialectical self portrait. Jules is an Evergreen student, as well as an artist and writer. She draws and paints herself and those around her creating intimate portraits of bodies and faces. You can find her online at Joule-ry or get in touch via email at julesprosser25@gmail.com
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