Monday, January 31, 2022

I'm okay, really.

 It's been cold lately. And it's very cold this morning. I may wait until afternoon to venture out to see what the birds are doing. Either way, the cold enforces an economy of gesture and attention as I create drawings based on what I see with my eyes. The drawings below are meant to be examples of this basic reality.

As I think further about it, I have to inform you that these are finished works. I may fantasize about turning my sketches into paintings but painting (oil on canvas for example) is the farthest thing from my mind as I draw. So, if you're waiting for something serious and collectible, something that goes up against masterworks by the great artists of Asia, America or Europe you might be disappointed.

I don't rule out painting. But for these types of studies, it just adds another layer that I'm not ready to tackle. Besides, it's really cold outside and I struggle enough with my simple materials: sheets of paper which the wind blows mischievously and ink which freezes and charcoal sticks that smear because I'm wearing clumsy gloves. Maybe in the warmer weather though, you never know!


01-30-22-robins

01-27-22-ducks

01-22-22-squirrel

01-21-22-crow

01-19-22-ducks01

01-16-22-goose

01-16-22-ducks

Friday, January 14, 2022

Similar but Different

Similar but different: The images below seem similar to me. They share linear structures festooned with bits and bobs.

Speaking of bits and bobs: the whole of art history is crammed into the nooks and crannies of my head. When I draw pictures, that knowledge is the radio station that plays like Muzak, somewhere deep in the background. It's a good thing altogether.

But how to reconcile the chalkboard diagrams of Joseph Beuys and the intricately perfect drawings of Ingres or Escher. Or the sun-filled space in front of Monet's Rouen Cathedral and the impenetrable depths of Rothko's darkest paintings. And then there are the sincere striving of John James Audubon versus the problematic irony of Jeff Koons.

This is just the tip of the old iceberg. All things in some measure and some definitely more than others, I'll leave it to you to suss it out. As if you care!


01-07-22-sycamore

01-02-22-starlings
01-02-22-drops
01-01-22-wires