The Three

I have begun a new project, which can be viewed by clicking the image above.

The Three is a very personal project. This project began when I was stuck in an artistic rut. I was constantly using the same imagery, and I did not know where to go stylistically. I was experiencing writers’ block as a visual artist. I began by looking at the images that I had created, and deciding to leave them behind; to never consider or use those ideas again. After making this decision, I began work on a digital piece that was a composite of significant pieces of artwork that included The Unraveling Man, Void, and The Diplomat all hanging on a wall, framed. Reflected in the glass of the frames, the viewer could see a figure walking through a doorway, away from the artwork. As I worked on the piece, I realized that I was leaving these images and ideas behind in anger, and with a distinct lack of appreciation or respect for the time and energy that had been put into them. I stopped working on the piece. Deciding how to proceed was not easy. I spent a long time musing about what to do. I realized that I was at a crossroads, but I hadn’t figured out where the roads led. I wanted to create new imagery and evolve as an artist without disrespecting my past work. I began by thinking about what the images had meant to me in the past.

Void was the character that appeared the earliest on in my life. She was created around the time of my parents’ divorce, and was dealing with the trauma of her world being completely changed and turned upside down at the same time that I was. As she got used to her new world, she became more confident and assured of herself and her place in it, in the same way that I became comfortable with my changed world. Our arcs paralleled each other. The Unraveling Man was a character that came to me years later, during a time of great artistic stress. He was a figure who appeared in both sketchbooks and finished work, and for a long time seemed to be in pain. Eventually he became more confident as he began wearing suits, and other professional attire during the same period of time that I was becoming more confident with myself as an artist. Until I hit my wall, of course. Finally, The Diplomat appeared in very few finished pieces, but was a character that inhabited the world of my Sketchbooks. He originally came to me not as a single man, but as a race of beings. They appeared as I was applying to colleges, and slowly became one single individual as my choices narrowed. By the time I made my way to East Carolina University, they had become one entity.

When I was at ECU, no one evolved. I became depressed, and fell into the artistic slump described previously. Returning to the University of North Carolina School of the Arts was what kick started this project. By calling upon these memories and realizing their importance and their rich histories, I was able to determine where to go. Instead of writing them off, I recognized them for what they were: elements of my personality, and subconscious mind. Each represented a different side of my being, each of whom come out when they are needed, and each of whom need to be cherished and appreciated. I began journaling on this, and eventually figured out who each of them was on a more personal level.

On the surface, Void is the aggression and confusion in me. But on a deeper level, Void is the survival instinct, and the one who gets things done. Not only does this mirror her personality in the comics, but it also reflects how she has related to me throughout my life, and the entire reason she was created, although I may not have realized it at the time.

The Unraveling Man is the art and the spirituality in me. He is the one who toils night and day, in and out wrestling with concepts of god, beauty, expression, and life. He is always working to create a piece that is more meaningful and beautiful than the last, with a hunger for creation and a greater understanding of himself and the universe that he inhabits.

The Diplomat keeps the group together and moving forward. He is there to ensure that they are all in harmony with each other, and the world around them. He negotiates with others, and frequently places himself in their shoes while being mindful of what is in his and his companions’ best interest.

I am just now beginning my work with these three characters. Each of them has a voice, which must be explored, and the first thing they are going to do is create a self-portrait, and a portrait of the other two group members. Once that has been completed, they and I will move forward together in one fashion or another.

-Ivan Potter-Smith

Click here for Hi-Res

Enjoy!
-Ivan Potter-Smith

-Ivan Potter-Smith

Enjoy!
-Ivan Potter-Smith

Creating Void is now available in the Lulu marketplace! For a limited time you can purchase both Creating Void and Void Issue 1 for 25% off!

Creating Void

Until next time!

-Ivan Potter-Smith

Creating Void

Creating Void tracks the entire history of Void beginning in 2005 and leading up to the present day. The book includes multiple comics, sketches, scripts, short stories and more. In addition to cataloguing this work, it is an autobiographical look at how my life affected what I created, and vice versa.

Creating Void is over 230 pages long and will retail for $25.00.

In other news, I am continuing work on Void issue 2 which should be available in late February or early March. In addition to issue 2, I am working on short stories set in the Void universe to be adapted to a more visual format, though not necessarily comics. I have also added work to my 2D Artwork gallery, which is also visible here:

Unraveling Portrait

◄ Back

Next ►

Picture 1 of 33

Until next time!

-Ivan Potter-Smith

UPDATE: Creating Void has been pushed back to Friday, February 18th. It will be available on Lulu.com. Check back on the 18th for more information!

Here is the cover for Issue 2:

Issue 2 Cover

Additionally, I put together the following wallpaper (1440 x 900). If you want a higher res version, comment asking for it.

Void Wallpaper

Reversed Void Wallpaper

Mobile Wallpaper

Until next time,

-Ivan Potter-Smith

Although my academics have gotten more difficult, my art classes have done just the opposite. Not only did I go through foundations two years ago at UNCSA, but they seemed much more focused and craft oriented. Hopefully that will change, though I’m not terribly worried. I feel like it will be a positive experience to go back through foundations from a new perspective, regardless of difficulty.

As for personal work, I’ve completed two pages from the upcoming second issue of Void, and I hope that my classes won’t interfere with my continuing work, though I doubt they will. Last year I’d been taking the equivalent of 32 credit hours (34 the year before), of which 17 were studio hours. I’m fairly confident that I’ll be able to work them in somewhere.

See you soon!

-Ivan Potter-Smith

See you soon!

-Ivan Potter-Smith

More posts to come!

-Ivan Potter-Smith