On the Move...

Sketchbook Study    Maine Coon

Drawing from life involves patience, much patience, and a bit of luck.  Our son and daughter-in-law have two beautiful Maine Coon cats, as well as a beautiful balcony that overlooks a wooded area and stream in their apartment in balmy North Carolina.  One lovely morning, I sat, watching and sketching, while Gus spent his time catching bugs and admiring the woodland activity.  In this sort of endeavor, I try to have three or so sketches going at one time.  Over the years, I have found that beings of all kinds tend to return to comfortable postures time and time again.  If one is lucky, extremely lucky, some sort of artful drawing results....and sometimes I prefer these small works to more calculated paintings and drawings.  There is a freshness from errant lines and the searching of the pencil. 

A morning well spent.

Classmates

Mo and Farina   conte crayon and pastel   27.5 x2 0

Mo is my friend and a fellow artist.  Farina is her dog.  Both have been attending our Monday night class for some time.

Farina was dropped off at Mo's house a few years back, possibly the victim of some kind of abuse, as she is highly distrustful of men in general.  Mo swears that she is truly the "best dog ever", as she is kind, obeys, doesn't stray....in fact, the two of them travel practically everywhere together.  Farina has gradually gotten used to the men in our class, and more than a few artists have been seen giving her a biscuit now and then.  As she is a herding dog, she only rises from her resting position when fellow artists visit the restroom or nab a cup of coffee.  When all have returned to their seats, she is happy again.

What a pair!  They both add richness to our class, and to our lives, especially those of us without pets. As we begin another Monday evening fall session, we all look forward to these very special classmates!

Elsie

Elsie's Winter Coat   charcoal/pastel   17 x 10.75

is a simple drawing.  My challenge:  using toned paper.  Using toned paper is something that appeals to many artists...it adds a twist to the usual black and white.  What we must keep in mind is that its inherent value must be considered as part of the drawing itself.  I started with a light midtone....values went up and down from there.  A band of ruptured color was added for excitement.  I tried to understate the spots while concentrating on the form of the cow.

Also a plus:  using a piece of paper that I had been hoarding for many years...its original intention completely forgotten.  That added some excitement to the mix.

While I'm in the neighborhood...

Cow (on yellow ground)   watercolor/mixed on paper   10.75 x 15

Rooster (on orange ground)  watercolor/mixed on paper   11.5 x 14

I thought I would try a couple more.  Actually, there was a pig as well that I attempted before a trip.  Alack and alas, I was far too distracted with details....tried to hurry....and, as we all know, ART can never be hurried!  Creative minds yearn for novelty...that is what keeps our engagement so focused.  Yet, there is nothing like the first attempt into the unknown, where disaster is at our heels each minute, to make the experience explosive.  I read somewhere sometime, that the death of all art forms comes from over-ornamentation...it becomes too perfect, too polished.  I am satisfied for now and will come home to my paintings with renewed energy.

My current read:  Rapt:  Attention and the Focused Life by Winifred Gallagher.  Wonderful!

Drawing Animals

Fawn...a sketchbook drawing

was the subject for our drawing class.  Animals are adorable.  They capture our interest.  But drawing them is just as difficult as drawing the human figure.....I believe that one has to truly understand the skeletal and muscular structure in order for the drawing to convince.  Using photos is inevitable unless, of course, the animal is asleep or innate for a long period of time.  We have to learn how to fill in the gaps....the legs that are not shown in entirety in the photo.  We also need to understand how to use the photo only as a reference and to alter the composition to the benefit the work, thereby avoiding the collision of body parts that makes a drawing visually confusing.  In this case, I used a photo that was cut off at the bottom.  My solution was to complete the work with strong, yet vague, line work.  In this case, I believe it works as the story is at the top, in the forward bend of the neck.  Details must be deferred until the end, as tempting as it is to focus on the spots.  In fact, class time was coming to an end even before I had a chance to consider the spots, so I brushed across the fawn's back with my kneaded eraser in the direction of the lay of the fur.  That would have to do.  Drawing allows for many discoveries and leads to even more questions.  Subject matter is always, for me, much deeper than the time spent in the primary consideration.  Everything takes longer than we expect.  Everything provides a possibility for more study.  Anything worthwhile deserves careful consideration as well as devotion.

I would like to carry this one further.....into a painting.

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.