twosies

Long Days Night

Started my morning hosting the 'art gallery' at Merritt. Two hours go by pretty quick when surrounded by good art, a pretty day and one special viewer, and two other people.

Very few pieces of work have an asking price, including mine. I thought at first, I'm not alone in this respect. Then I thought, why are these pieces NFS? 

I'm going to investigate how many pieces are in this exhibit, how many are NFS, what's the average asking price on a bell curve.

who has time for a blank canvas?

When I get to class I see this NYT's article that keeps me wondering, thinking. 

Hard work thinking. So I lay down in my Tundra.

Drawing

I had forgotten that today was the last day of drawing, AND we had two models. Ack! It's all good, but for me at least, this combo requires twice as much thinking and planning. On a good day that is a really interesting challenge. Today there was a slight smell of burning as moved OUT of my head, into my compassionate mind body hand. This process requires real looking, and SEEING, prep for composition, materials choices, paper size. 

meh

Two overworked. Two twenties.
left paw, graphite stick, watercolor, conte

Better. One 20.
left paw, w.c. wash, graphite stick, neocrayon

Even better, 10 minutes.
left paw, w.c. wash, graphite stick, neocrayon

charcoal/w.c._size: 1/4 sheet

neocolor/w.c._size: 1/4 sheet

Leaving campus, sunset over Mt Tam
reflecting on my Tundra.

Left with SUMI

bamboo and brush

1st wobbly attempt left handed with bamboo pen and sumi ink

Values and line

I hit this with WATER first ~ then drew*

Too much time ~ over done in 3/15's, 
wax, sumi ink & neocolor

Fun in 15

20 minutes works best for me
Wax, sumi w/bamboo pen & brush*

Neocolor in 15

Graphite, charcoal, water and finger in 10

Today was a difficult start and a fun ending. My music makes a big difference in the way I can tune into the work at hand. 

I am working with my left hand, except for one pic, where I'm working two fisted, but now I can only guess at which one was two handed. Materials are hard to manage on my left side when it comes to 'dipping', bamboo brush and bamboo pen into sumi, and into water, neocrayon and charcoal, into water. I took a chance and put the water container on my lap! I've got a super old 'I HEART NY' (1977) denim apron on. It's a mess, but I'm dry.

Part of the fun is not just the abandon which I apply materials, but that moments before making contact that I've visually mapped out the values and shapes, composition. That deliberateness is what makes the drawing.

The model, Irving, along with some of my studio mates, were checking out my work. It is a good experience when the model wants to photograph the artist work. (*)

Results, minus the 1st and last attempt.