Saturday, February 27, 2016

Art & Illustration Thoughts

I started drawing Crystal Cities in 2009 and always come back to the series when I'm not certain what to paint (which is almost always the case). I wouldn't have it any other way.

Before I seriously set out on my peculiar artistic path, I always sketched my ideas out first. Then I would build a stretcher and staple my canvas on it. The sketch would be transferred to the primed canvas and then I would finally get my brushes dirty.

I must acknowledge Caroline Gerardo, a fellow student several lifetimes ago in Claremont, California who made it abundantly clear to me that all that premeditation wasn't necessary. The spirit needn't be mediated and if one actually paid attention, it resisted being tamed --if we would but listen. I think I got the message. I hope I did.

It's odd then that I gravitated to illustration as a profession (magazine, children's books, newspapers, etc.) which is so dependent on the sketch. It takes many sketches to develop a concept and help the client understand what they want. I don't begrudge the sketch, the client, or illustration. They are essential and make sense, but as an artist when I require the most direct path between my thoughts and the support that must contain them, there can be no separation between the sketch and the final work.
Thanks to all my teachers!

02-26-16a
colored pencil, tusche, collage
02-24-16a
paint stick, watercolor, pencil, chalk
02-21-16c
ink, watercolor, crayon resist
02-19-16a
ink, collage, acrylic, watercolor
02-17-16a
paint stick, ink, acrylic

Saturday, February 13, 2016

The Confused Angels

Above the citadel, a flock of angels descend
(Which is quite a feat in itself).
They argue: Love him! Smite him!
They hover
They swoop
They go loop-the-loop
Call headquarters! The commandment comes:
"Love him"

But the varmint is long gone by then
And the angels retreat to the bar
for a seminar.
To smite!
To love!
They raise their glasses to Love
and toast to the work before them.
"Tomorrow is another day!"

The Confused Angels
02-10-16
mixed media




Thursday, February 4, 2016

The Old Church

"Inside the Old Church"
01-31-16
mixed media
Countless, needle-like leaves stole bits of stained glass sunlight and spun them into sugar and roots.
The tree was becoming mature. Each season its leaves sifted down to the marble floor, dried out and decayed and became a thin layer of soil.
A sparrow found something interesting to investigate.
Who would think of looking for acorns in this strange place?!

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...