Bee Curtain

She repeatedly stuck her tongue out for almost every piece that she posed for. It was not my thing and I believe that she was thinking of someone else.

With every person that I draw/paint/sketch I aim for a truth but only a truth of that moment. What they look like, their likeness there and then.

The same person appearing over the course of several (or many) pieces may look slightly different each time.

This is a phenomenon naturally occurring in real life. Me sitting next to you in a car going down the highway will look different than me sitting across from you in a cafe etc etc.

This has to do with the effects played upon the subject by mood, health and ambient environment.

I avoid photo realism which to me can be flat, in favor of it looking like the subject but as occurring in art.
Where once this was the de rigeur , in the digital age this is all too often forgotten. We want an exactness that is the camera’s job not the brush nor pen.

The dynamics between artist & model is as if the artist is talking about the model using their own words (words being their style) and hands.
W.Wolfson

Bee Curtain watercolor & cotton paper 10×14

 

beecurtain

Against the Glass 2

Watercolor & cotton paper 7×10

One of the greatest pleasures in painting for me is to be able to show volume & mass on what starts off as a flat white square.

Portraying flesh allows for the suggestion of warmth in subtle, organic ways. And the sense of motion, even if only in that of the subject having become still to be portrayed also holds value to me.

Close up pieces appeal to me for their ability to teeter on the edge of possible abstraction while still conveying emotion.

 

againstglass2

Poem

Watercolor & 7×10 Cotton Paper

Compelling works of art regardless of medium, allow one to return to them again and again without diminished enjoyment. Another point of pleasure is in the ability to find new things in a previously enjoyed work.

In painting, especially the representation of flesh, this opportunity is ever present.
I get pleasure from portraying not just volume and mass, but also creating a sense of depth on what started out as a blank white square.

While I could accomplish similar feats in representing say a piece of fruit, skin allows to for the suggestion of heat as in a blush, motion as in composition of limbs and what is hinted at in the purple-blue of veins.
For the viewer to come away with any sense of this after looking at my work is the greatest achievement for me.

 

Poem

 

 

 

Witold Lutosławski

Watercolor & Paper 5.5×8.520180304_144412

Music is my main source of inspiration. I do not limit myself in regards to what I listen to. There are some definite favorites but I am constantly exploring, pulling new things towards myself.

There is the desire to always be evolving as an artist, I want my voice to be recognizable but I do not want mere mannerisms. Aside from challenging myself in what & how I work, expanding what I listen to is another part of my method. I do not embrace something only to down the line drop it for something newer to me but rather use favorites as navigational points into where else to explore.

Stravinsky has led me to Witold Lutoslawski (1913-1994). I instantly enjoyed everything i heard by him. Like some of my other favorite composers, it is not something I can put on at just any time but when I do put it on it deeply resonates with me.

When I do a portrait of a musician or composer, it is interesting to consider if, someone viewing the piece not familiar w/the subject would see it in a different way than someone who knows their work.

 

End of Night scrap paper work

Very end of night, quick sketch on the back of grocery list (5×4) using waitress pen. I mix my subject matter as i never want w/my work to become the “. . .” guy.

 

For any artist, the actual work is a souvenir of the inspiration & process. The true joy & battle lay within that, with the tangible result akin to the ripple  radiating outwards.

 

20180303_080741

The Perch

Watercolor  Paper 5.5×8.5

 

Every time I return to Paris I find something new to treasure. To just walk the now familiar streets or look out at night over the rooftops while Zoot Sims plays is a pleasure I never tire of.

 

This is view of Left Bank I haunt. 34963289155_c98e846dc2_o

Candy Wax Lips

watercolor & paper 9×12

I think some of the best work, regardless of medium allows for one to repeatedly go back to it and find new things within. With that in mind, in this piece I utilized my preferred delicacy of detail while also incorporating a solidness of the body. I show the contrast in aspects of the subject in this piece by combining her sense of playfulness with an aesthetic eros. The actual candy wax lips were grabbed on the way to the session by me in a moment of whimsical improvisation.

 

wax Candy Lips

Lina

Watercolor & Paper 5.5×8.5

I found different aspects of Lina’s personality all showing at the same time upon her face. It allowed for an organically occurring sense of playfulness & beauty. Everything about her is natural without ever any sense of intentionally trying to make something happen visually/aesthetically. The best portraits offer up something that is real even if only for the moment caught in the work, with this piece I find it a success.

The dimensions of the piece I chose as a way to allow art to be enjoyed by someone who does not necessarily have a large living/working space. The modest size also allows for easy moving from one spot to another. As much as some of my favorite paintings are large, it can be a worrying commitment to someone just starting their collection or developing their aesthetic taste. My smaller pieces allow for an easier cohabitation than might occur with a large scale work.

 

lina