Vine Charcoal. 18 x 24. 2021
Art fitness training requires daily use of complex skill sets. From the daily routine of drawing, hundreds of images amass over a short time. If the work is approached as daily exercise, and everything is put on a stack with a mindset that it will not be looked at again- that it is the process of daily work that matters, not the product- then the work becomes flowing and enjoyable for its challenge. In this way the act of drawing itself becomes the internal reward, and the drawings become a by-product of artistic intent. Being an artist is about internal motivation and skilled expression of honed talents existing as an action in time, here and gone. The byproduct of the art object is of no consequence. This is the reason a sculptor must draw, as drawings are quick and ephemeral and invigorate the living quality of creating. Sculptures by amateurs are often lifeless dead objects, and even a master's work can wither and collapse. Living quality is not a technique or trick that can be learned, it cannot be approximated- it is inherent in the intent of the artist or it is not. How art is approached is therefore paramount, as practicing a mistake (in intent or application) only makes for worse practice. In time this mistaken practice will become apparent, and works from the past will become distant in relation to ongoing work. This is why quality in art takes a long commitment, and asks for recognition of personal failures as aspects of achievement. Encouragement by discouragement, and discouragement by encouragement; so thinking about and assessing has to become emptiness, and the destruction inherent in creativity must be given equal attention, and all must become a flow of making with no regard of the end- as there is no end.
Gesture Drawing. Graphite. 2020
These are gesture drawings in 1 minute x 5 poses, 2 minute x five poses, 5 minute x 2 poses, and 10 minute x 1. I reset the group 3 times.
Conte. This is the same timed gesture of 1m x 5pose, 2m x 5p, 5m x 2p reset again. The first set is sienna, second set in white / black / brown.
Blue Pencil. 1mx5, 2mx5, 5mx2, 10mx1. Repeated
5mx6, 10mx2, 30mx1. Repeated x 3.
Graphite. 15 minute.
As an example of how drawing is expressive of the individual artist, and how change occurs over time; the gap between the 2020/2021 drawings above and the 2015/2014 drawings below is a true gap where no drawing occurred- I just stopped, which can happen. Both sets are created primarily from models on the New Master's Academy (NMA) website. In the pandemic I resubscribed to NMA and took up drawing again. I also followed a few of their courses with Glenn Vilppu, Karl Gnass, and Joseph Todorovitch.
Initial 20 minute drawing, expanded with additional 30 minute session. This begins drawings from 2015.
1 & 2 minute drawings, with one figure pulled up with ink pen.
1&2 minute drawings, with two figures pulled up with darker pencil.
1&2 minute ink brush drawings.
Ink brush gestures.
Ink brush gesture.
1 minute ink, modified contour.
Conte, black & white on toned paper. 2015
2015. Ink is unforgiving and has immediate authority; a great media for pushing into dynamic forms exhibiting strong forshortening and extremes in balance. The daring of the pose challenges the daring of the media. Gotta keep your head in the game, accept some fouls, and play to the buzzer.
These last two images are from 2014, they denote a resting level of ability as I hadn't drawn from the figure regularly since 1999, durning my MFA, prior to my committee banning me from figure work. They are a bit labored, but retain some essential gesture.
Graphite. 2014