Great Idea

Italy Self-Portrait, Oil Pastels on Paper, 18" x 24"

I spray painted this piece of paper first, then added the oil pastels. It created an interesting effect. I was wearing a blue shirt, so I carried the color into my hair. It was a nice spill.

I had some fun placing the mirror. I was tempted to place it above, but decided to try it at eye level.

"A good idea will keep you awake
during the morning, but a great idea
will keep you awake during the night."
~ Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

All True

Dark Nude, Conté on Paper, 18" x 24"

This drawing was done at the Windward Community College class. I used one of my favorite techniques here. I covered the page with conté that I rubbed on its side to get this textured effect. I did the highlights using an eraser, then filled with black charcoal.

This technique gives a wonderful mood to the piece when I use it.

"There's no one thing that's true. It's all true."
~ Ernest Hemingway

With Life and Heart

Florentine Lady, Oil Pastels on Paper, 18" x 24"

This is not one of my favorites, but I drew it in Italy and the drawing is pretty true-to-life. This was an assignment for my pastel class and this was our model. I like the necklace in this picture.

"One day, with life and heart,
is more than time enough to find a world."
~ James Russell Lowell

What Is Love?

Standing Nude, Oil Pastels on Paper, 18" x 24"

I do really like this figure. I was trying to elongate her and her torso is a bit too much, but it does look good. I like her hands and it is impressive for a 20-minute pose.

"What is love?
It is that powerful attraction towards all that we conceive,
or fear, or hope beyond ourselves."
~ Percy Bysshe Shelley

Silent Poetry

Antella Cemetery, Watercolor on Paper,  11" x 14"

This is a cemetery that I walked to in Antella, a small city outside of Florence, Italy. This was a multi-story cemetery where you walked into the basement. I was fascinated by the place. The graves dated back to the 1600s and the cemetery was still in use with recent burials.

I do like the yellow and blue transition and I had fun with the light, which went from dark to sunlight. It felt cold in there, but it was beautiful. The marble reflected everything, so the light areas glowed golden light.

"Painting is silent poetry, poetry is eloquent painting."
~Simonedes

Art of Art

Gesture Trio, Ink on Paper, 18" x 24"

I love this gesture drawing exercise and I drew this one using the tombow pens that I love. I like the two figures on the right with the extended arm and the shading. There is movement and flow. On the central figure, I like how the front leg is created from the negative space of the back leg.

"The art of art... is simplicity."
~ Walt Whitman

What's It For?

Gestures Drama, Oil Pastels on Spray Painted Paper, 18" x 24"

Another gesture drawing from Florence, Italy, but I am happy with the effect of the figures on the spray painted paper. There is a flow of movement here. Although some of the figures are not my favorite, they seem to work together well. I really like the lower left kneeling figure.

"To be human is to keep
rattling the bars of the cage of existence
hollering, 'what's it for?'"
~ Robert Fulghum

Called Content

Sleeping Nude, Conté on Paper, 18" x 24"

This is an exciting piece because I nailed the perspective. Both hands look great and the face looks good. Everything works for me. There is great movement because of the way I applied the Conté.  The pattern from my scribbling vibrates and moves the eye around the drawing.

"My crown is called content, a crown that seldom kings enjoy."
~ William Shakespeare