7/12, Lost in translation...

...the translation of nature.  Today's Zoo sketchbook outing ended accidentally two hours later than planned.  It was quite nice losing track of time.  Two young kids passing by promptly sat next to me while I was drawing, and they ignored their parents attempts to lure them away with cotton candy or popcorn.  Their mom said she felt they were hopeful that I would let them delve into my big bin of artist markers and draw, so there was a little bit of extra creative excitement for all of us.

Sketchbook page, Riverbanks Zoo for long term drawing #12, marker, 

 and pen on paper, 9" x 12"

Sketchbook page, Riverbanks Zoo for long term drawing #13, marker, 

 and pen on paper, 9" x 12"

Sketchbook page, for 7/11 long term drawing (below), marker and pen on paper, 9" x 12"

We are the children of our landscape; it dictates behavior and even thought in the measure to which we are responsive to it. - Lawrence Durrell 

7/11 the PM, The afternoon rain may be keeping me indoors...

...but life is not without color.  Another radical shift in color on a work.  Here is hoping that it will all go well when taking the work to the next level.  Like when drawing the figure, the proportion within the torso seem work itself out quite easily, it is the addition of the length of limbs and position of the head that seems to provide the most difficulty.  And likewise, the middle of almost everything in art (and life) is the easiest - its what is on the other sides, the top and bottom, or the beginning and the end which are the most difficult, risky, and complicated.

Untitled work in progress, marker, ink, and acrylic on Yupo, 30" x 40"

detail of work in progress, marker, ink and acrylic on Yupo

This is a detail of the drawing prior to the work 

conducted in the studio this afternoon.  This detail

originally appeared in a 7/1/13 blog post.

While the river of life glides along smoothly, it remains the same river; only the landscape on either bank seems to change.  - Max Miller

7/11 the AM, The green today

...is cool enough to make me want ice cream.  Grasshopper ice cream that is.  The perils of being a painter - dietary cravings.  The morning was spent again at the State Capitol.  I am feeling uncertain as to the affects of the Yupo paper on my linear marks.  The synthetic paper suspends material and transforms the materials - thus making each edge smoother.  It has made me question artist intention and chance - how much of the marks are mine?  or are they now the residue of a "filter" which is an inherent property of the support, the Yupo?

State Capitol painting, acrylic ink on Yupo, 11" x 14"

Life is like a landscape.  You live in the midst of it but can describe it only from the vantage point of distance.  - Charles Lindbergh

7/10, More Certain Times

Sometimes it is important to remember when a drawing is just a drawing, and let it go.  When color comes into the mix, there is the urge to make it a painting.  However today, I decided that this is as far as I want and should go with this drawing.  Keeping it loose - the lines, the forms and the features.  It is based on one of my favorite maquettes, and I think that maquette deserves more exploration through other drawings before proceeding to a more long term work.

Don't wait for ideas, they come with production. If you prepare yourself too much, you might never be ready. Creation is itself a preparation. I have been producing like a madman ever since I was 16. Don't be afraid to do inferior things, the first fruits are always small & sour. You must work a lot, it clears the brain.  - Chagall

7/9, Uncertain lines

This drawing progressed today (see previous 6/21 post) with a radical addition of more color, particularly green and yellow and a radical change in the outer shape.  It is almost complete and more linear work will be added later this week.

Every child is an artist.  The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.  
- Pablo Picasso

7/8, the PM: Almost

This is finished, or I should say almost.  It is finished, but as with all of my works, I will leave it hanging in my studio for a bit as there may be an area or color for me to revisit.  The State Capitol sketchbook drawing (posted below) helped to resolve the blue light on the right side of the work.

State Capitol painting, acrylic on canvas, 30" x 40"

ALMOST!

Within my reach!

I could have touched
I might have chanced that way!

Soft sauntered through the village,

Sauntered as soft away!

So unsuspected violets

Within the fields lie low,

Too late for striving fingers

That passed, an hour ago.

by Emily Dickinson

7/8, the AM: Pragmatic and practical

The morning was spent outdoors, onsite making practical sketchbook choices that will facilitate a finishing of some long term studio work - a landscape painting and the large, long term drawing.  Back to the indoors to apply the insight.

Sketchbook page, State Capitol drawing, marker, 

watercolor, ink and pen on paper, 9" x 12"

Sketchbook page, State Capitol, foliage study for long term drawing #11, 

marker, watercolor, ink and pen on paper, 9" x 12"

Live to paint, don't paint to live.  - Darby Bannard