Manuel

Linden Street Figure Drawing

Artist Statement

April 2019

Influence:

During the Summer of 2018 my artwork took a turn towards mixed media collage. Building on my figure drawing at Merritt Community College, with artist, Art Professor & Chair, Shiela Metcalf-Tobin, (Aug2015-Dec2017). My friendship (est.Jan2016), with professional artist, and fellow HS of Music & Art Alumna, Bella Feldman contributed to my art exposure as we painted and talked about art and artists. Continuing figure drawing at Linden Street Studio(May2017-present).

I had the idea that I’d like to put my drawings into something new, upcycle accumulated work, and began looking for instruction, guidance, asking artists if they knew of anyone, looking online and on bulletin boards at art stores.

Participating with the SF Urban Sketchers at The Main Branch of the SF Public Library to view the annual exhibit of the Friends of Calligraphy KALLIGRAPHIA show and workshop, July 28, 2018. I could see how I was beginning to pull together a lifetime of art experience while viewing the exhibit.

I had been a calligrapher and active member of the FOC in the 1980’s.

“Kalligraphic, Not Precious_Protest Poster Series” came out of this confluence.

Studio Time: Besides work in my Studio

August 2 2018, ArtVale Gallery was my first hands on exposure to mixed media collage. Shoshana Zambryski-Stachel, artist and owner, provided supplies and space to work, and music, too. Gesso board, with ink and acrylic medium collage, was a first, and it was what I was looking for.

December 2 2018, AutoBody Fine Art Workshop was my next discovery, Dickson Schneider, Art Professor, CAL EAST BAY. Dickson's work reflected what I was looking for, his skill as a teacher is extraordinary, as is his work.

My work is autobiographical, intentionally processing events that bring joy, my hiking, relationships. Events that were traumatic and that I am still angry about, the financial crisis, corporate lies. And events that make me sad, like CA wildfires taking out whole towns. Sometimes I make pretty art as a transition between the heavy work. I continue to participate in weekly figure drawing studio, as well as sketching in watercolors.

my view

Skys for a week

Paradise in Oakland

Original Photos, Digital Art, Film Transfer, 

Mixed Media Collage on Plexi

This is not a photo of the finished art but the art before creating the transfer. 

I've taken pictures of all my art as I create, and as my work gets more complicated the finished piece is more difficult to capture with a camera.

Contact me to see the diptych, the best way to view it.

'Paradise In Oakland' is a photo, from Oakland, of the hazardous air from the Camp Fire , 170 miles north of Oakland. 

Friends that barely survived that inferno with their lives and dogs, losing their home, and their town of Paradise, took a photo during their escape. I collaged Margaret's photo with one of my photos of the smoky sky looking west out our bedroom window, digitally painted, printed then made the film transfer.

go figure

nothing simple

Winter Clouds

UP Cycle

Upcycling, also known as creative reuse, is the process of transforming by-products, waste materials, useless, or unwanted products into new materials or products of better quality or for better environmental value.

Mixed Media Collage: Clouds Upcycled from bond paper removed from photo transfer process.

Fibonacci! Figure Drawing

1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34,55