journal

POSTED ON Sunday, July 31, 2011 - 18:39

I've been working on some very active drawings this summer. These four red squares are crying out for names. I haven't discovered them yet. I thought if I put them at my blog I could look at them more and think about names. I also told folks that I would post the drawings when they were finished. So here we go.

POSTED ON Sunday, July 31, 2011 - 05:09

A quick capture of my road kit.

I carry several sketchbooks. Three Molekines, one for ink drawings, a watercolor book, and a journal. Last but not least a Fabriano with multiple color sheets.

I like having the aqueous pencils on the road gives me lots of options. I can use one of my nifty Japanese nylon water color brushes to blend color or I can leave them alone.

This time along I brought a new India Ink brush marker. Love it. It helped me keep my little sketches very loose.

POSTED ON Thursday, July 28, 2011 - 18:56

My plants were weeping when I arrived at my studio today. Four 90+ degree days called for more watering. I unloaded some supplies and drawings I had scanned last week. Then I began to get my road kit together.

I have a pretty serious kit for drawing in small sketchbooks along the beach or in the public places. I carry small Moleskines or spiral sketchbooks; they are best for unexpected bouts with nature. I can control them in the wind or cover them up from the rain. I have aqueous colored pencils, a squirt bottle, and  plastic Japanese brushes that have water wells built in.

POSTED ON Saturday, July 23, 2011 - 05:55

I'm investigating some new things here at my blog.

Working on not being so image centric. I want to get in a place again where I write more about my process. It helps the visual side of my brain.

Please hang in there with me while I make some incremental changes. Let's see where this goes.

POSTED ON Monday, July 11, 2011 - 16:58

Got to the studio after running errands early this morning.

Took awhile to get started but by the time I left progress had been made. I finally feel like work is starting is to spill out. These drawings use an under layer of soft pastel and an upper layer of oil pastel. Some metallic. color. Some scraping and scratching. You can't see the metallic in this quick photo.

Looking forward to getting back in and working more.

POSTED ON Saturday, July 9, 2011 - 21:44

I don't believe it's real. I have four days in my studio when I don't have to think about anything but making art. Today I went into the studio for the first day of my of my art retreat.

I have been working on these drawings for ages. They are 6 x 6  how much trouble could they be? Well, first they started out as pencil drawings. I laid down a grid and began working with a grid of directional lines, In some places you can see the intricate herringbone marks peeking through. The work hung on the wall for weeks. I couldn't see where it was going. I took it down and put it away.

POSTED ON Saturday, July 9, 2011 - 20:15

All of that reassessment, organization, and letting things go — also known as the month of June — is over. Now I'm on an art holiday and will have four glorious days to spend in my studio making work.

New month new energy. Summer temperatures are baking my brain and it seems that I am finally ready to make some new work. The temperatures also make drawing with oil pastels glorious. It's like drawing with butter.

Took out the giant pastels they are inspiring in every way.

 

POSTED ON Friday, June 24, 2011 - 11:04

June has been a month of reassessment, organization, and letting go of things. I'm in the studio now. I have been using tools all morning. Ladders are my friend.

I know that this is just a matter of getting my brain and my body ready to make some new art. Everything is moving around in my head. The me and the studio haven't been ready to accept new work. Soon though... Today has been a day of clearing surfaces and putting things away.

Maybe I will be able to tear some paper and get it ready for new drawings.

POSTED ON Wednesday, May 25, 2011 - 18:22

This is a look at the gallery with my work and Amy Ralston sculpture. Hanging the drawings was almost as much an installation.

Really enjoyed the show.

A single drawing and Amy's sculpture. Well situated in the front northwest corner.

 

POSTED ON Sunday, May 22, 2011 - 19:11

It's been difficult to concentrate on making new work while my show has been happening. Everything I have been doing has been in support of the show —telling people about the drawings writing and telling people about the work — being immersed in the drawings.

It's hard to be in the present when all you do is talk about the past.

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