First Solo Exhibition in der Kulturwerkstatt Meiderich

The past two months or so have been incredibly full. I have met and gotten to know some wonderful people, and though I do feel like I haven't had a chance to slow down and catch up on sleep in awhile, the art of what I've been doing has allowed me to appreciate each moment, which I won't quickly forget. 

I was asked today what I would take back the most with me from my year here, and the answer was fairly clear to me: I highly value contact to people of many backgrounds and lifestyles. Getting to know them and hearing their stories and, perhaps the part most unique to my current situation, experiencing their life and culture along with them has expanded my horizons through an exchange of ideas and emotions. Ha! How cheesily perfect: here I am, at the end of my exchange year, talking about how exchange has allowed me to, well, exchange things.

As cheesy or not as that may sound, I do feel like I have had something to offer here, though in an unconventional way. The road has surely been lined with countless mistakes, on cultural, language, and personal levels. I have been amazed, though, time and time again, how much interest people have shown to me in response to my own indication of interest in their lives. I am particularly thankful to the members of the Duisburg art community, who have helped me to put myself out there and make a name for myself in this relatively close-knit but active community.

At last, to the central point of this blog post. Perhaps a little delayed, I wanted to share with you all nevertheless a little bit from my first solo art exhibition, which took place in April at the Kulturwerkstatt Meiderich, an art gallery space in Meiderich, a quarter of Duisburg.

The show featured drawings and watercolors from me, all of which had been created since arriving in Duisburg last September. My sketchbooks alongside works on paper were open to the public for three weeks.

The gallery opening, which was well-attended as you can see in the above panoramic photo (thank you again to everyone who came! It meant a lot to me), began with a show of some works from the sketchbooks, enlarged so that everyone could view and briefly discuss them together.

Josef Tobias, who I truly cannot thank enough for all of his help in arranging and hanging the show, opened the show. He introduced me and why I'm here, and explained the background behind many of the works and how they came to exist.

Below are a few more selections of hung works:

Lucky for us, Frank Fischer put together this awesome tour of the show for Duisburg 365, which you can view here or on YouTube. The video shows all of the works that were hanging, along with glimpses into my traveling sketchbooks.

Thank you also to my sister, Kimberly West, for taking all of these photos. It was great to have her there for the experience as well, and she was a great support, especially considering she couldn't understand any of what was being said.

Now I have a little over a week left here in Germany. I'm soaking up every minute of it and looking forward to bringing back experiences to share with friends and family in the U.S.

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Sketches of the workings of the springtime sun

The sun has begun to make her springtime appearance. It's a tentative performance, as she remains a bit shy, but it's becoming more confident. The effect of this on my mood and outlook is incredible. It wasn't that my rainy winter has been filled with longing for sunshine, but when the clouds part and the sun comes out, I can't help but smile.

I love the way the sun shines through the streets and lights up the buildings. As I've perhaps mentioned, I am very attracted to the architecture of European houses and apartment buildings, and the sunlight casts shadows that create interesting contrasts and bring out interesting patterns around windows and along rooftops. I went outside a few days ago and tried to capture with black ink the stark contrasts created by the fresh sunshine.

By the way, the works in this post are on a bigger scale than many of my previous recent works, in this case DIN A3, or 42 x 30 cm/16.5 x 11.7 in. It's good practice to be drawing a bit bigger again.

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Spring has been making an appearance in other forms as well. The plants, like me, have noticed the sunshine and warming temperatures and are sending out their tendrils to test if it's really true, if winter is really reaching an end. 

In my attempt to document life as it's happening around me, in particular right now in the process of my year, I of course wanted to complete a series of blossoms. And I just love flowers and plants and their aesthetic.

I hope, wherever you are, that the beginning of spring has started to show itself in some way and that you can enjoy those little moments! I'd love to hear what the change of seasons looks like in your corner of the world.

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Composition in Winter + Hafenkult Show

In the above sketch, I'm playing with the line between documentary sketching and sketching as art. I feel myself growing a lot through practice, and my abilities are expanding. I am always working to better capture the feeling of the place I'm drawing.

The row of houses in the above drawing are all dark, musky earth tones, and the sky is pale here in winter. These trees jump out at me every day when I ride my bike by them, because they are covered in brilliant green. It's always a show for my eyes despite the winter weather and general lack of foliage.

Speaking of riding my bike, this is a central part of life here, and winter doesn't stop that. Just layer up. Bike lanes will get you almost anywhere you need to be, and probably faster than any other means of transit (unless you have a car, but gas is expensive anyway).

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I was lucky enough to be asked to be present as a guest artist in the first of what will become a monthly event at the Hafenkult, a studio and gallery space in Duisburg. Das Hafensofa will take place the first Friday evening of every month. Visitors can stop by and chat in the living room atmosphere, view the studios, and talk to the artists. I had a little table for my sketchbooks, and I was around to talk to anyone who wanted to hear more about this concept and what I do.

Photo thanks to © René Hafkesbrink. A friend of mine who has since moved to New Zealand, I encourage you to visit this talented and growing photographer's blog to see more of his work: Westsee.

Here is a TV spot that appeared on a local channel. Bonus: I'm interviewed, so you can hear me speaking German!

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My current project: Books that fit in your hand

I've touched a little bit on my current project, which has been filling my blog posts of late, but I wanted to go further into detail to describe the idea behind these sketchbooks.

These books are small (an open book with both sides is 14x18 cm); a closed book is about the size of your hand. I carry my current book with me most everywhere I go, to draw in it when I find a scene I want to capture. Passers-by can share in my process of documenting places and life when they stop and watch me draw for a little while, an interesting side-effect of making art in public spaces.

However, there is something particular about this size. It allows people to be quickly drawn in, and serves as a center of conversation with the people who page through it and look at the drawings. With its small size, the viewer can observe the entire drawing in one glance without having to distance themselves from the work. It is the perfect size to hold in your hand before you. These sketches are finished pieces of art in and of themselves, but they don't need to be hung on a wall. They need to travel, like me. They need to be flipped through with human fingers, however quickly or slowly the viewer likes. The book, when filled, will be a finished work of art as well, one that slowly spells out a cumulative story with each turned page.

I also, of course, enjoy sharing the images here for those of you who can't see my sketchbooks in person. Here is a little chronological three-page taste for you. (I must also say, I enjoyed eating this banana so much after drawing it for half an hour)

There are more books to be filled, more places to be drawn ahead! Please subscribe if you would like to stay updated!

Lines and Midpoints

I'm thinking about the power of simple line drawings. I am doing a lot of quick drawings of people around me. The watercolors will come back soon, I predict, but for now, I just can't resist the way my pen cuts through the buttery Moleskine paper of my new travel journal with such rich precision.

The above was drawn above in an Eiscafé in Köln (ice cream café in Cologne) where I drank hot chocolate and Emma ate a scoop of ice cream and we talked and were grateful for our health, considering most of our friends were out with a stomach bug (more on that below).

We had our midyear orientation in Cologne this past weekend. I am now slightly over halfway through my year in Germany! This is a little weird, but only a little. My thoughts: I still have five more months, and if I base it on the last five, a lot can happen. It will be weird when the time comes to return to the U.S., but I'm mostly enjoying all the time I do have here. Better not stop too long to think about it, I need to keep at my drawing and documenting! There's so many stories to tell!

This is the Münster Kirche in Bonn. This was a less-than-ten-minute sketch, but I was just struck by the building.

It was good to see all of the American friends I spent a month living with in Hedersleben. However, it wasn't so good that some sort of stomach virus caught about two-thirds of the group before the weekend was over. Somehow I was one of the few who didn't get it!

Basti, my host brother, alongside some flowers.

A lazy Sunday afternoon with my host mom, a friend of ours, and her dog.

The flowers make a second appearance, this time outside of the sketchbook.

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Belgium in Urban Sketches

2015 has gotten off to a really good start, one fitting my current life here in Europe. I spent Silvester, or New Year's Eve, with friends, and we rang in the new year setting off fireworks in the street and dancing together. I was smiling and laughing for the first hours of 2015.

I then spent four days with Lydia in Brussels, staying with a family friend of hers who very generously offered us a place to stay and tours of Bruges, Brussels, and Antwerp. Only a native could show us around so well! The weather was, for the most part, unusually sunny for January, which was perfect for spending hours outside exploring.

I was struck by several things in Belgium. First, the mix of cultures and languages. I think this is distinctly European, but we don't have it quite as much where I live, though certainly more than in the US. Pre-20th century Europe consisted of many kingdoms and empires, and the modern-day borders haven't existed for so long. What is geographically today Germany, however, has long been populated by German-speakers, whereas Belgium, though a small country, consists of different communities that speak different languages. Brussels is predominantly French-speaking, and Antwerp Dutch (though they are less than an hour apart). Most everything throughout the country is written in both French and Dutch, sometimes with German as well.

Lydia and I were immersed into this multi-cultural world as soon as we arrived. We were picked up by friends Bruno and his daughter Celine. Bruno and his wife are both Belgian, but he grew up speaking Dutch and she French, and they speak French at home. We went to an audio-guided museum in Bruges on our first afternoon, and Celine took her audio guide in French, Bruno in Dutch, Lydia in English, and I in German. Needless to say, the woman helping us was confused as to how we could be one group!

I was also amazed by the architecture I saw on our trip. Honestly, I didn't have very much of a picture of Belgium in my head beforehand. I knew I had to go to the place to get a better feel for it, but everything really was so much more beautiful than I've seen in any photos. Really, if you get the opportunity, go see Brussels and Bruges!

The drawing at the top is a part of the king's royal palace in Brussels. Below is the old stock exchange building, which is now used for exhibitions. I drew this from down the street a little, because I liked the way the one grandiose structure is bordered by the other buildings on the street I'm siting in.

Also fitting well into the spirit of the city was the classical trio of violin, viola, and cello that we came across. The music was beautiful to listen to as I looked around, watching the sparse winter afternoon sunshine catch and illuminate the crowns of the buildings against a blue sky. Each house is unique, which creates a pictures that fun to look at and imagine the history of all of the people who have stood where I am standing.

With that, I've completed my little red sketchbook. It tells a lot of stories, and I can already see that I've developed since I started it less than two months ago. I'm ready to see where my next one will take me!

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Kaiserswerth & Weihnachten

Today I rode the U79 to Kaiserswerth, a district in Düsseldorf, and eventually found a dry bench to sit and draw. The result of two snow falls was snow-covered ice, which began to melt after a short light rain this morning, so everything was pretty wet and mushy. But I think it was meant to be that I found this bench, because I really like this little scene! Looking at it now, I can see myself developing on my quest to document life here in the Ruhrgebiet. 

It's nice to have the time right now, even if it's cold, to hop on basically any train and look around. That was my idea after the above drawing. As much as I love the buildings, the people might be more important. Hm, tough decision. They are two really different stories! So, I got back on the U79, direction Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof, where I stood around a bit until taking another train back home. Throughout the journey I made quick sketches of the people around me. Some of them are more realistic, some more impulsive. It's an interesting scene to picture: I am sitting or standing in a train or bus, depending on how full it is, staring at people, then looking down at my little red sketchbook. Some people notice, some people don't. A lot of people are uninterested, but sometimes I get comments, which makes it even more fun.

I intend to continue using my SchokoTicket, which allows me to use all public transit in the Ruhrgebiet, as an art tool.

In other news, we celebrated Christmas last week! Weihnachten in Germany is a three day event. Heiligabend is Christmas Eve, but celebrated more like Christmas day. We opened presents in the early evening, then ate a big dinner together. I made two types of hummus; Bodo, my host dad, made two soups; and we had lots of tasty breads and spreads. Perhaps not "traditional German," but suits all of our tastes quite well. Afterwards, Lydia and her host family came over.

There are then two days of Christmas, the 25th and 26th. These were both lovely relaxing days, including long walks with the dog and lots of movies and, of course, more food.

Part of the holiday celebration here is the Advent, which is celebrated by lighting a candle each Sunday leading up Christmas. Candles have become a central part of my winter. It's okay that the nights are so long, because the candles are cozy. They make me want to stay home and drink tea and be warm. 

Here is a quick drawing from the fourth Advent as we enjoyed tea and home-baked deliciousness and candles.

Our Heiligabend candle show:

 And, of course, a family photo on Heiligabend. Love these two ladies and this stinky Hund.

Our Great World

11. Dezember 2014

I have been busy filling up my red Büchlein. I am developing a better understanding for why I love keeping little journals like this. Part of it is practicality. More than that, though, is that I can always have it with me and show around, and I've gotten a lot of cool reactions from people who've flipped through her pages. The little drawings inside become more than just sketches. This book, a work in progress, is also a complete work of art. It tells stories and creates images of people and places.

The Duisburger Weihnachtsmarkt. It's here for a month and is open every day, and you can buy the best food and other things. It smells incredible from all the roasted almonds and crepes and potatoes, etc. As I was drawing this, a little boy came by and watched, then went on with his grandmother. A little while later, I looked up and he was there again, observing.

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I am building a picture in my mind in which I understand the German culture, and through that process am slowly filling in gaps in my definition of myself. I’m meeting as many people as I can, and trying to learn their stories and who they are, so that I can take the most interesting parts and apply them to myself or try to use my own means of communication to share them with others. A culture is a system, and its traditions are valid. I want to understand them. I want to get inside them and look at them with my fresh and foreign perspective. I want to meet people and document their stories, because life is short and I won’t be here forever and neither will they. That's one reason why I'm drawing.

I have also changed the name of this blog, as you may have noticed. I won't always be "abroad," plus I don't even feel like I'm "abroad" anymore. Germany is quickly becoming home. Really, the world is my home, and she's so beautiful. "Our Great World" is a much more fitting name for why I'm writing this blog... and why I'm living and making art in general.

Sometimes, it's just too cold to sit outside and draw. Then I tuck myself away into a cafe and drink some tea. I met four old men who meet in that bakery every morning and drink a coffee together. I think that's good friendship.

I love the houses and buildings here. There is generally less space in Germany than in the U.S., and more people who live in that space. A certain beauty comes from the use of precious space.

Below are two friends of mine. On the left is Bernd, my art teacher on Tuesday evenings. He is 84 years old and has so much input for me, and I feel like I'm missing something important when I can't understand him. Fortunately, I can understand a lot. These portraits came after we talked about reducing images. On the right is Josef, who is also in the same art class, and we often sit and draw portraits of each other.

Two weeks ago, Daniela and I were in Möhnesee for the weekend. We stayed in a youth hostel up on a hill right above this Staumauer (dam), which is old and relatively well known. It was a very refreshing weekend: I biked around the lake on Saturday and again on Sunday, on slightly different routes. It was about 35 kilometers both times. Bike touring is a great way to see new places, even if it hovered around freezing temperatures and I felt like I had ten little popsicles in my shoes afterwards.

View from the Staumauer.

Here are a few photos from my bike tour. (As much as I love using drawings to tell my stories, photos can be good, too)

Can you see the frost?

I fell in love a little bit with this house when I saw it, and it fits in perfectly with the colorful trees and plants.

Happy Thanksgiving and More Sketches

27. November 2014

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! We celebrated Thanksgiving early here, together with Lydia and her family, because we don't have time on a Thursday. I spent most of the day cooking (with inspiration and recipes taken from the wonderful Oh She Glows) To get a feel for the experience, cooking and eating included, watch this video that Lydia and I filmed together. She did a wonderful job of editing it and expressing how we celebrated our "American" holiday. 

Below is a picture of me and my host mom on, Daniela, on our Thanksgiving evening. I want to take a moment here to express how deep my gratitude is to have her as a central part of my exchange experience. She is the best and most supportive German mom and friend, who is somehow always willing to take a moment to talk to me about whatever is going on. Her honesty keeps me aware and thoughtful.

I started a new sketchbook a little over a week ago, and have set right to the task of filling it with images drawn from the world around me. I won't let the cold weather stop me, even if it does mean that my watercolors start to freeze while in use...

The houses down the street from my school. There is something so distinctive about the buildings here that I'm attracted to.

Landschaftspark-Nord. An old industrial factory was closed down and turned into a public park about thirty years ago. Interesting how plants are slowly invading the space...

Oh, and we were in the newspaper!

Translated, the article is called "An American Adventure in Ruhrpott," which is a name for the area we live in. From left to right in the picture: Susanne (Lydia's host mom), Lydia, me, Ghandi (our French Bulldog), and Daniela, my host mom.

The article was featured in the Duisburg section of the WAZ, a major west-German newspaper. On the cover of the section you can see in the upper left where our article is, but, if you look a little lower on the left side...

"Zitat des Tages" means "Quote of the Day," and it's from me! Translation: "I have learned to laugh at myself and my mistakes." Abigail West (19), exchange student from the USA, on the pitfalls of the German language.

Needless to say, things are going pretty well.

Forest Vibes

17. November 2014

November Fruchtstand. Charcoal

I've been drawing a lot lately. I highly recommend drawing as a solution to whatever mental block or difficulty you might be facing. It helps me think. I'd like to say I'm getting back in touch with my creative self, but that creates the wrong image, as if it had gone somewhere. I think I've just spent a lot of time putting emphasis on other things, and now I have time to really refocus on drawing and art (and photography and videography, in which I have dabbled a little bit with Lydia, who shot the video from which I took the bottom two stills).

A bit of honesty: the rapidly shortening days have me stuttering a little. I'm not ready for the sun to be setting at 4:30, and I know I still have over a month of shorter days to come before the solstice. BUT I am not about to let that get me down! Sunlight may be a bit precious around here, because it rains a lot too, but when the sun shines, it has a beautiful glow that lifts the spirits. We've been really lucky to have several weekends of beautiful sunny weather, and I've used it to go outside and look around and think.

There is a lot of nature around here, not too far with a bike or a bus or my two feet. The air in the woods is refreshing and clarifying.

Go draw! Go outside! Breathe in the fresh air! That's what I've been doing, and I feel like it's a good direction.