My studio practice in school quickly developed four areas of focus: oil landscapes, figure drawing, homework, and the bamboo pen & sumi ink drawing series. I suddenly realized drawing is pushing out painting time in the first three weeks. These are all good projects but the masters I am pursuing is in painting, not drawing. Adjustments will be made.
The oil landscapes are from my studio window. Cold titanium white was eliminated, or replaced with a warm unbleached titanium, to use it more sparingly and break the habit of adding it to every color.
City, oil on linen panel, 8 x 10 inches (20 x 25 cm), 2011
Nickel City, oil on linen, 22 x 24 inches (56 x 61 cm), 2011 in progress
I am drawing from the figure nine hours a week in three sessions with two different instructors. In one class I am using graphite pencil, an exacting medium, to draw continuous tone. The benefit helps to see and control the overall light and value structure. The second figure class emphasizes visual invention. Each week we’re presented with a new set of challenges to learn to see uniquely. The black paper and white pencil in the photo below is an example. I’m supporting the figure work by copying a complete anatomy book in ink line.
Figure studies: graphite pencil, continuous tone; white general’s pencil on black acrylic paint
Anatomy sketchbook, fountain pen
The first year group, 12 candidates for MFA, have one class together called Painting Seminar. Our first homework assignment was to create a well developed drawing that was unrecognizable as our usual style and approach to art. My primary work involves direct observation of ephemeral or transient subjects. To do something different, I constructed an image based on photo sources with political content. The result is an image of my house from Google Earth enveloped by the shadow of a US military drone. Doing the drawing felt like recovering lost parts of myself. I had the feeling of violating prohibitions and gaining permission at the same time; in style, content and visual vocabulary. Below are four preliminary drawings and one final image.
Drone Surveillance, sumi ink and bamboo pen with wash, 40 x 24 inches ( 102 x 61 cm), 2011
Drone Surveillance development: sumi ink and bamboo pen; sumi ink and metal tip pen; with wash
