Full ahead into my next Cinefield®. Of course still drawing every day. I do not seek out things with a specific vibe. I would like to think that when not portraying someone from within my circle, I am a sort of spokesmen for those who have slipped through the cracks, the lonely, forgotten and outsiders.
My regular subjects intuitively know I enjoy that sort of convulsive beauty. I am fortunate that they trust me to present me with such honesty.
Poet laureate of the forgotten & ignored or from within my circle, either way, it’s raw reportage. I do not seek to beautify nor take down any subject.
All pieces are quick sketches in my trusty pocket pad.
I am always looking interesting things to draw, email me if you think you have something.
Weather finally allowed me to finish the painting I had been working on. This is good, as I am back on the road Sunday.
I went for a self portrait. With a new year and what looks to be a bumpy road for us all I wanted some positivity. There is a long tradition of painters doing self portraits. I have already done many. This one was just to remind myself that i am a small link in a chain that stretches far back. All those other eras had tumultuous times but despite whatever was going on, culture lasts past it.
My other less lofty inspiration was the face I see in the mirror every morning as I shave. I had given up sweets several years ago. Between that and getting older, I noticed one morning that I was slowly becoming a character out of a Velazquez painting.
I don’t mind as it is interesting to draw and paint.
This piece is 11×17 Watercolor & Tan paper
I did one study beforehand in water soluble graphite.
I had read an interview with a deep thinker who said that a major problem with many people in North America is that “happiness” now means when things go 100% their way, no effort required, no resistance to the desire (s).
Aspiring to this type of thing, It’s like aiming for perfection, which is a sure fire way to misery and missing out. While I am not necessarily akin to an 18th century German philosopher who believes life is merely struggle, I do think it has its ups and downs.
The struggles shouldn’t be avoided, pressure makes a diamond, grit a pearl. The trick is to have enough moments in-between the strife which make it all worth while.
There were definite aspects of the past year which, depending upon how one views the world, were brutal. It was some of these bad moments which made me delve further into my craft, as to keep my sanity. I also continued to explore things which resulted in discovering even more new music and authors along with peers with whom I have struck up friendships.
The stoics probably got it right, live an engaged constructive life while realizing it is akin to a giant wheel upon which we are all bound. Sometimes it lifts you up, while at others you are downward slopping. Here’s to hoping we all feel the sun on our bellies more often than not in ’25
I am in the middle of edits for my next collection (spring release) and weather has stalled the painting currently working on, so here are several of the daily drawings I have been doing in various mediums. (all are quick sketches)
Prob my last drawing of ’24 Quickie charcoal piece:
The tiny paint brush I have used all year (macro shot since it’s tiny) Nothing could be more emblematic of my life & year. Beaten upon thing which ceaselessly created beauty/terrible beauty
I have one brand of multi media paper in pocket pad form I use for my Lyra work. It has become a little harder to find and the price has gone up. With a short trip on the horizon, I decided to explore other companies.
My usual pad has the dimensions of 3×5. I found a new company which was shaped different at 4×4. This company offered features my usual one did not (hard backed, choice of bright colors for cover and matching colored attached elastic to keep it shut when not in use and a built in book mark ribbon also of matching color).
Unless I am intentionally trying to challenge myself in a chop building exercise, I never use completely crappy paper. On the other hand, with pocket pads for regular sketching, it need not be of the highest quality since sometimes an entire pad will be used just for exercise which I will either gift or throw away.
My Lyra work is another story, those are always kept and the paper has to be of a fairly decent quality. Cheap paper will bubble from liquid, shred when I go to blend or just make everything run together. With this in mind I knew I could only go so “cheap” in my search.
I enjoyed the challenge of this new pad having different orientation size wise. In general it is more of a squat square where as usual pad more rectangular.
I first tried the paper with lyra. It seemed to require a slightly different touch which I didn’t mind. I had just finished a regular watercolor painting and still had paint in the palettes. Rather than dump them out, I decided to try watercolor in new pocket pad. My usual pad had never been great with watercolors.
To my surprise, the watercolor painting came out very good. Again, it required a different touch but I enjoyed myself. The main challenge for any artist is not fame but creating and then honing an individual voice.
Once this is done, you notice nuances in the creative process. Equipment flavors a piece. All equipment has its specific voice. The artist’s is ever present but the cadence will be effected. This is why Miles used specific horns just for ballads.
My painting using this paper has a slightly different sound to it than on the usual papers I use. It’s the inherent properties of the paper and the different touch they require.
I will switch back and forth between new pad and usual, pleased to have expanded my bag of tricks.
Watercolor & water soluble graphite pieces 4×4 inches:
This is the painting I had worked on. French cotton paper 7×5 I had started it election day. The next day not finished, I walked away from it until I could shake off the bad taste in my mouth.
When I first started seriously doing visual work I saved every little piece of sketch ephemera. As I became more serious about it all, I began to woodshed every night no matter where in the world I was or what else was going on.
From a practical point of view, I could not possible save every sketchbook. Philosophically, I have sea changed. Now it is about serving the process and the joy in doing so. I need not save every hand or body part achieved during a session. In some ways I have always seen myself as a musician. A sax player has their horn but what they play is an intangible. The power of their art is bolstered by the freedom of knowing that they (and the audience) can maintain the memory and emotion of a solo but it also is ever dissolving. I started to approach my woodshedding pieces akin to this. The memories, pleasures and process stack up and become an integral part of me.
I work hard to make it easy. few hours every day drawing so that I can peel things off when I want to or when I slow my roll to do a painting, it’s easier.
There is always a pocket pad on me or scrap paper. I also utilize more formal sketchpads of higher quality paper. These I tend to hold on to and will put in drawings that are more than woodshedding. Often, especially when on the road, I combine text (by me) with drawings. These are my jazz, my bop, spontaneous and in reaction to what is going on around me.
Here is a quick sketch I peel off using a lead holder. Immediately upon finishing came text. 5×7 Hardbound French paper. Not for use without permission.
Took a break mid-painting. Rallied myself, getting back to it, back to life.
If one doesn’t agree with something about a company, chain store, product or social media platform anything short of not interacting with it is meaningless. If you hate watch a show, the network doesn’t care about motive for watching, they just go by the count of eyeballs on it. For a platform it is the same thing. The worth of any platform is the number of people on it. If you are on a platform for whatever reason, you are contributing to its worth to advertisers et al. (this is support. whether you are in agreement with ideology or not. Same can be said for a fast food chain that contributes to a cause. Saying that you are against cause but like the food, it’s money they receive and spend as they want, not you)
There is a saying which is sadly apt for today:
If you are in a parade and there is a nazi float, then you are in a nazi parade.
I am in middle moving one my social media pages to Blue Sky
@waynehwwolfson.bsky.social
And of course, I remain here.
Here are just random quick sketches and photos as I finish painting:
As my next idea for a Cinefield® slowly forms, I have done another painting. It is a self portrait.
On my last trip I had a photo taken at an odd angle. So many people try to present an idealized version of themselves in photos or art to the point of almost being artificial, it’s not really the person but rather a sort of two dimensional wish fulfillment.
It was the exact opposite of this concept which made the photo appeal to me as an art source. I looked as if I could use a kip and maybe a bit of sun light. The fatigue keeps me from looking overly menacing or brooding. The bags and bruises a beautiful truth.
Despite my mien, as is usually the case, I was nicely turned out. Witness me, staggering through the hotel lobby growling “Fire bad” but in a crisp shirt and jacket.
I am well underway with work on my latest Cinefield®. When I first finish a piece, I definitely need to take a break as I reach the point of seeing tiny pieces of cut out paper in my sleep. After a certain amount of time, my batteries recharged, I feel ready to do another.
Upon the start of a piece I am immediately reminded of how labor intensive the work is, and how much space it takes up.
I can’t do paintings at same time as a Cinefield®. The Lyra medium allows me to keep up my painting chops but takes up no more space than my nightly drawing woodshedding.
Getting the painterly (although monochrome) effects with Lyra sticks makes it “easier” to achieve when using my regular paints.
I do view this medium with equal seriousness and enthusiasm as painting. Never a second class citizen, here are some quick pieces while I work on current project.
Always looking for interesting things to draw, email me if you think you have something which might be of interest. Worst case scenario, I politely pass.
Well, still have not been able to take photos to serve as raw fuel for my Cinefield® work. Ironically, I have managed to do my fine art photo work, but that’s a different animal.
I am fortunate though, I have enough other mediums to work in as to stay out of trouble. I have been doing paintings, switching styles of paper. The loose knit theme behind the pieces is the portrayal of flesh.
This piece is white * French Cotton paper 5×7 inches.
* I had a buddy in Paris who worked at one of my favorite art stores. I am lucky that right around my place are many, each one has different purpose for me: “my pencil place” et al. We would chat & he would give me employ discount, sometimes even more than that. I would load up on equipment.
I was reorganizing one of the tabouret in my studio. This block of white cotton paper he gave me had been hidden under yellow legal pad on which I had written an idea for a sculpture.
I realized that it had been many, many years ago he had thrown a bunch of landscape sketchpads into a backpack and pursued a boho girl to Ibiza. A few postcards and then even people he had worked with for years stopped hearing from him. I don’t know if he ever got the girl but I still haven’t used up all the stuff he gave me.
Still in painting mode. I am literally hours away from short trip which in theory will provide me with photographs to use as raw material for my Cinefield® work. Having had an enforced break, initially I chafed, since I was not controlling the tempo. I now see a positive in having had wait what feels like a long time before creating my next one.
The wait has allowed me to have some new ideas and allowed me to approach my Cinefield® work feeling refreshed.
It will be interesting to see what next one is like as photos dictate the flavor of the piece.
In the interim, here is new painting.
Reflex 11×17 inches Watercolor & Tan Paper. I did a study for this which I don’t do with all my paintings.
Annnnnnnnnnnd I am off. Always looking for interesting things to draw & paint email me if you think you have something to offer.
Paper Life Painting 