The Paper at the Back of the Closet

Kick   mixed/paper   27.5 x 18

was given to me many years back.  Forgotten. What is it?  Giant roll.  Heavy heavy.  A bit of texture.  Feels like watercolor paper.  No label.

And so, given our current circumstances, I decided to give it a try. What was meant to be a tender charcoal drawing morphed into the unintended...strong, aggressive.  No pigment could be moved around.  The blending stump was useless.  Watercolor stayed put and immediately sunk in.  No ability to wipe off splatters.

I must say that in the past, I have been quite excited and stimulated by the feel of a new ground as it allows for a bit of chaos, providing a novel experience.  In fact, I have prided myself on this flexibility.  But here I reached my limit.  The struggle was almost unbearable. 

Nevertheless, I took the work to finish. While I am pleased with the result, I am not anticipating using it again. 

Lesson to be learned:  label all papers when you can. I believe that it was unsized. 

Nightshade

Nightshade   conte crayon   19.5 x 12.5

is a drawing done with conte crayon on an unknown kind of paper from my storage box.  I am trying to remember to label all of my papers, but am not always good at it.  As previously written, these sessions with the young dancers from Ballet Excel Ohio have provided the opportunity for me to break out of my usual routines with some experimentation...for me, having a few unknowns pushes my boundaries and provides stimulation in my R-brain.  The lighting, the pose, and yes, the model herself in her ability to relate to the artists provide variables to which we must adjust.  I look for lights that lead into each other in a sort of pattern.  Likewise with the darker shapes.  I like spontaneity as well as its polar opposite, deliberate refinement.  This particular drawing works for me.

The costume for this young dancer is that of a nightshade, a dark dancer that is a kind of minion for the queen, as I was told...a nightshade plant being that which is poisonous.

Darks.  Lights.  Makes for a good drawing.

Words Can Hurt As Well

Words Can Hurt As Well   charcoal and watercolor   16 x 10.75

is the result of a class drawing project.  I find that drawing things inside a glass jar helps to be able to draw what you see, rather than what you know to be there.  The paper:  an unknown specimen from my stash....always a risk.  (Note to self: remember to label paper.....there is nothing worse than investing creative time and energy using a support that doesn't jive with your intent)  I chose sticks and stones.  It was rendered with a Derwent charcoal pencil.  The color:  slate.  These pencils allow for a softer rendering than pure black....and come in several earthtone flavors.  When getting my setup ready, I was disappointed that my Ball jar was a turquoise one....thought I would have preferred clear.  However, while completing the work at home, I added a light watercolor wash in a turquoise mix and was pleasantly surprised....and quite happy that the paper held up.

My usual process is so much more complicated.  This simple project allowed me to get back to basics...drawing from observation.  Discipline before freedom.  Here.  Here.