Ben

Ben   vine charcoal and conte crayon on paper   20.5 x 12

Bassham is an Emeritus Professor of Art History at Kent State University and one of my colleagues at Group Ten Gallery in Kent.  A few Saturdays ago, during our drawing exhibition, Ben agreed to sit for me while on duty.  My drawing, done in vine charcoal, was fairly complete after a couple of hours.  Actually, it might have been finished at that point...everything was in the right place.  I wished, however, to take the drawing to more completion, which is always risky, as too many details tend to detract from, and take power away from, the spirit of the work.  On the other hand, it can also lead to a more creative work, as contemplation allows for more push and pull, as I make decisions about which information is more significant.  (there is an absolute flood of information in the human face).  I also wanted to try my hand at suggesting his horn-rimmed glasses and his tiny-checked wool sportcoat.  Conte crayon was used for those passages.  A charcoal pencil, which allows for more concentrated dark marks, was used here and there for punctuation. A photo reference was used for this final session at home. I am pleased with this work.  Thank you, Ben!

A Place

A Place   vine charcoal on paper   15 x 21

Drawing is a wonderful way to spend time.  Drawings help one to refine draftspersonship, and to explore all of the design elements and principles without the sometimes confusing elements of color and color relationships.  Drawings are faster and can be left for a period of time without fear of the drying up of materials.  As with any endeavor, the complexity of drawing slowly reveals itself, the more we practice it.  Vine charcoal is a softer material which allows for a slower contemplation of the subject matter.  Yet, it is not capable of the darkest darks which are possible with charcoal sticks.  Charcoal sticks are appropriate, in my opinion, for a bold and sure, as well as minimal, application.  Too much stick charcoal without a sure goal, can yield a muddied work, as removal of the charcoal becomes next to impossible.  Conte crayons are wonderful, yet cannot be easily smudged or moved around.  Papers matter as well.  A paper with much texture results in a drawing where texture reigns....good if that is your goal.  And yet a plate surface does not provide an absorption of the pigment. Newsprint quickly turns to acid. One figures all of this out as one continues to draw.

"A Place" was drawn from light to dark, similar to a watercolor process, where whites are cherished and left untouched.  I started with vine charcoal to move around the paper....it is relatively forgiving.  Darker darks were added later with charcoal pencils and sticks.  My eraser(kneaded)was used as a tool in order to achieve a push::pull relationship.  This application, I believe, was appropriate for this subject matter.  My use of materials might change given another subject, another desired effect.  Although I have many drawing papers, I chose a sheet out of a pad of Strathmore 400 series 90# drawing paper and am quite happy with the result.  This paper would not stand up to a more aggressive application.

"A Place" reveals a place at the table, a place of acceptance and of comfort.  I don't think that there could be a more important thing to have...a place.  I wish it for all.

Drawings

Laborer   charcoal/paper   15 x 21

Some artists use drawings only as vehicles in the preparation for subsequent paintings. I do that a lot. But I also like drawings as finished art. By subtracting color from the design mix, the resultant limited palette can carry lots of strength with value changes and creative line work. And I have always loved loved loved drawings done in earth tones....they convey strength and softness all at the same time for me. "Laborer" was done from a live model. John looks like the guys I see at Circle K at the end of each work day buying their high-powered beer to get them through an evening filled with aches and pains just to get up and do it again the next day. I respect their physical labors. An honest day's work. Little in the way of financial rewards. Fatigue. That is what I wanted the work to say. I can relate.

Just Drawing......Not

Centrifuge   conte crayon   26 x 19

Tonight's meeting at The Akron Society of Artists is a program where all artists bring drawings to share.....it's called "Just Drawings". Drawings are exciting, bold (for the most part), and devoid of unnecessary distractions such as color and texture. As a result, they speak simply and honestly. For me, drawings often have more heart and soul than the paintings that evolve from them. Draw, draw, draw. And, since we often treat drawings as a "practice" art, a lesser art, we are often freer to experiment with them. A winning combination. I have lots of awesome drawing tools, and have even set up a different art box in which to house them. My favorite pencils are: the shorty (after years of being unable to get replacement leads, my friend Tom Mullins gave me some from his secret stash); an extremely wide one with a wooden barrel brought from Germany by my friend Shirley Blake; and the newest, another wide from Duluth Trading Company with a metal barrel, a gift from my friend Susan Mencini. Add to that: conte crayons, charcoals, china markers (thank you Sally Heston), and vine charcoal, the medium of choice of my idol Zhoaming Wu. Just Drawing? I think not.

Learning to Love Brown

Jennifer   conte crayon/pastel   19.5 x 25.5

If you asked me a year ago my least favorite color, I would have said brown. I am not sure why......only that I have had the same response my whole life. The same for seafood....I just don't like it. Although, I believe that we are all entitled to our likes and dislikes (after all, that is what makes us individuals), I don't think it hurts to occasionally re-test our beliefs. They change. We change. When I was a kid, all of the days of the week had colors - that is how I thought of them. Saturday is brown.....well, that is a good thing....right? Well, I am starting to enjoy brown....especially in artwork. Thanks to Conte and Winsor and Newton. OK. But I still feel uncomfortable wearing it.