Lost in the Freedom...

Rabbit Study   pencil and conte crayon   10 x 13

These days I spend most of my time considering painting the nothingness, the space that connects the subject to the background....that for which there are no plans save intuition and freedom of the moment.  It is very rewarding and exhilarating....breaking up the spaces and letting go of the reality in the places that seem to matter least.  I am not always successful.  I am always up for the challenge.  On those days where success seems shallow and uncertain, I come back to the more honest beginnings, where describing the reality of the subject was the goal.  "Rabbit Study" is such a work, done with finely sharpened pencils.  As I recall, this drawing took over a week to complete.  It was a study in order to get to familiarize myself with the sculptured form of a rabbit, so that I could paint it more freely further on down the road.  It is good to ground myself and my work now and then.  See Rabbit Study at Discovered Artists.

Everyone's a Sprinter

Rabbit Study   pencil/conte crayon   10 x 13

My sons' high school track coach used to say, "Yeh, everyone's a sprinter". What he meant by that is that given the choice, most track athletes consider themselves to be sprinters, which involves training, yes, but is often the by-product of quick-genes. A very short race....then it's over. A minority of runners want to subject themselves to the torturous training and energy output of distance running. It's hard, time-consuming and is commanded by self-discipline. I feel the same about drawing. It seems that most student artists want to paint, and just forego the discipline that drawing provides. Most of the problems I see in watercolor paintings are actually the underlying drawing errors. Many years ago, I knew I was going to be called upon to paint rabbits. Besides, I love rabbits. I took a trip to the pet store at the mall to shoot photos as reference material as I had none, and the wild rabbits in my yard just wouldn't hold still. (I got the permission of the manager first). "Rabbit Study" was an arduous pencil study that took a week but it was invaluable for subsequent paintings. I will admit that I am guilty as the next person of not fully preparing for a painting by studies. Let that be a lesson to me.

living in the present

Rabbit Study   Pencil/conte crayon on paper   10 x 13

Art, to me, is about living in the present moment, becoming timeless and enjoying the flow. In that regard, the only work of art that is important is the one you are currently working on. The problem-solving and endless choices available are a definite remedy to the confines of day-to-day living. Letting go of "things", including past works of art, is, to me, necessary to continue to grow and experience more. An evolution of sorts. "Rabbit Study" is one such work. It took me a week to do and, to me, is so very tender and fine. Most of my current work is large and gestural. I am ready to let it go.