Jessica Crabtree

Whether it’s no big deal switching over to the next calendar, or you have big plans and ambitions for 2012 – or maybe you’re watching with bated breath to see if this year really does bring the end of civilization – here’s to a safe and prosperous new year.

It’s time to check in on my post from this time a year ago and see how I measured up on some of my resolutions. (I’m being completely transparent!)

• Updated portfolio – In progress as I speak. It’s grown to an inconvenient size for one e-magazine, so I am condensing some of the material and breaking it up into four digital publications of a more manageable size. My current Issuu-based edition will still be available when I publish the new version.

  This year I’m using a fantastic ad-free Flash flip book offered through Code Box which I would highly recommend for any kind of artist portfolio (and it’s free – all it requires is a PDF file to convert, a little knowledge of computer code, and FTP access to your site). It’s not the solution for everyone but in my case it’s a great option.

• More Curtis portraits & wildlife – See below

• Nature photography – Check! Not as much as I would like, but I have contributed to my Flickr photostream. Autumn was gorgeous in this part of the world and I had a fantastic time going for these shots.

• Pastel pencils – Not yet; we’ll have to add that one on to this year’s list.

• Drawing – Absolutely. In fact I am expanding my portfolio to include a line of charcoal and graphite portraits AND wildlife pictures. Thanks to my Flickr contacts for some great inspiration.

  Flickr photostream: Sketches and Drawings

Anything new for this year? You can expect to see more of the work in charcoal and some small-scale pastels. In the spring (spoilers!) I plan to do a bit of traveling abroad so I look forward to lots of fantastic photos to share.

Best wishes to all my readers, and as always feel free to comment with your thoughts and ideas – I’d love to know how I’m doing!


Sunrise over a new year.

Well, I’m back from a bit of a blogging sabbatical (say that five times fast!) and getting into my routine again. I can’t remember the last time I went a whole week without a post!

Many of you will be drawing up the proverbial list of new year’s resolutions: working off those second and third helpings of holiday goodies, quitting a certain habit, or making ambitious plans for a new project. I’ve made a list of few of my own resolutions, goals and ideas for the upcoming year.

Here’s what to expect from 2011:

• A new and updated e-Portfolio. Currently I am using the Issuu platform, but this spring I will be experimenting with some other versions to integrate for my 2011 edition.
• More portraits from the Curtis photos. Of course this is my work staple; I have several sketched out and ready to go. (Spoilers!) Keep an eye out for a profile of a Flathead man, a Zuni girl as part of my Pueblo series, and a full-length of an Arikara woman.
• I’d like to expand to other historical sources for portraits. (Already in 2010 I did my first non-Curtis portrait, Shoshone, 14×24, an experiment in full-length.) Since Curtis’ work documented only Indian nations west of the Mississippi, I’m also looking to feature portraits of individuals from the Southeast and Northeast. I may not get around to it this year, but it’s in the wings.
• New additions to my gallery of wildlife paintings: specifically, portraits of brown bears, bison, foxes, and possibly some waterfowl.
• More nature photography (in my spare time of course). Last year’s summer album was devoted mostly to trees, wildflowers, and insects – that is, largely stationary subjects. This year I intend to add an album of birds and other small animals.

  I recently uploaded some of last year’s shots to my new Flickr profile. Flickr has a great interface and an excellent community of photographers, with the rights information is clearly outlined – making it a great resource for artists. You can check out my photostream here:

  Flickr Profile: Jessica Crabtree

• I’d like to try my hand at pastel pencils. Most of my experience is with soft pastel sticks and Nupastels, and I want to see for myself what the texture of pastel combined with the versatility of a pencil point can accomplish.

  Speaking of which, pencils are my first love, and I hope to spend a little more time drawing this year. We’ll see.

And naturally, I’ll be blogging away with more of the same. So, that’s a sneak peek of what’s in store for my artistic year. Feel free to register or log in and share a list of your own creative endeavors for 2011!

Best wishes to all for a safe & happy 2010!

Below is a link to a video-photo documentary from the Syracuse Post-Standard showing how the Onondaga Nation of the Iroquois Confederacy celebrate the New Year. Highly recommended!

People of the Hills, Part 2: Winter