Block of Granite

Study of Cellini's Perseus, Conté on Toned Paper,  18" x 24"

I really like this drawing of Cellini's Perseus in the Palazzo della Signoria of Florence, Italy. Cellini's piece is the only bronze in the square and is quite dramatic to see. When I was in Florence, I was really passionate about drawing sculptures.

After doing a small drawing, I prepped a piece of paper and worked on this larger drawing. I worked on this for two hours at the square. I think my sketch captured the strength and mood of the piece very well.

"The block of granite, which was an obstacle in the path of the weak,
 becomes a stepping stone in the path of the strong."
~ Thomas Carlyle

Take Pleasure

Two Moving Figures, Oil on Paper, 24" x 36"

This is another assignment from my Italian studies. There were two figures and they would take a two-minute pose and then change positions. They did this for an hour. There was no set pattern to their poses and our assignment was to capture their movement.

It is a little trickier than one would think because oil does not dry quickly. So, you had the figure to work with, but you really had to springboard and make something else out of the painting. This was more about movement than capturing the figure.

"Take pleasure in your dreams; 
relish your principles and drape your purest feelings 
on the heart of a precious lover."
~ Giotto di Bondone

Process

Squares, Oil on Paper, 2' x 3'

This is a process painting. The assignment was to work on a painting continuously until you thought it was done. I enjoyed the layering, then had fun creating negative shapes then creating patterns with the negative shapes. I used to do these with tape, but I did not use tape in this one, so the edges are less defined.

"The process will set you free."
~ Chuck Close

Rhythmic Measure

Antella Cemetery 1, Watercolor on Paper, 10" x 14"

This is the study of the Antella Cemetery that I used for a larger piece. I really tried to capture the depth of the hallway by drawing squares. I experimented with colors and I liked the pinks and reds the best. I changed the orientation of the page in the final drawing.

"The same stream of life that runs through the world
 runs through my veins night and day in rhythmic measure. 
 It is the same life that shoots in joy through the dust 
of the earth into numberless waves of flowers."
~ Rabindranath Tagore