Horse Skeleton

Horse Skeleton 09/02/2015, Ink on Paper, 9"x 12"

September 2, 2015 - Day 2
 
So when I saw the horse Skeleton in the sculpture room I was unsure what to think.

"They made a big deal out of this you know," a classmate told me. "Did you go to the open house day?"

I shook my head.

"Yeah, I went and they made a big deal out of it." He then said, " I don't really get what the big deal is."

So today I had to wait around after anatomy class and I decided to sketch the skeleton. A friend of a friend wanted a drawing of a horse skeleton for a literary magazine she was working on. So I figured this was a great opportunity. 

 As I was sketching, my ear bud blaring, someone came up to me.

"It's hard for me to look at that thing," he said as I pulled out my earbuds. "It keeps getting destroyed," the man said looking intently at the skeleton. "I spent all last year working on this. Maybe I should just stop checking in on it."

The man paused in front of the skeleton and scanned it quickly, exhaled once in a gruff disgust and continued on his way.

I continued to sketch.    

After Asia By Daniel Chester French

After Asia by Daniel Chester French, Ink on Paper, 9" x 12"

After the orientation meeting for school I had some time before I wanted to head home, so I decided to go back to the National Museum of the Native American and draw another of the statues.

This one is Asia.

I had a lot of fun with this drawing. Coordinating multiple figures in a scene is really challenging and these kind of statues offer some really good practice at these skills.

I like that I was able to add the wash behind the figures and the architectural element on the right.

"Knowledge of divine things is lost to us by incredulity."
~ Heraclitus

After America by Daniel Chester French

After America by Daniel Chester French, Ink on Paper, 9"x 12"

So I'm calling this sketch sightseeing. I think that is the term I will use to describe my copying famous statues in areas. I think it describes the activity well.

For some setting. There are 4 statues in front of the National Museum of the Native American or the Alexander Hamilton US Custom House as a quick Wikipedia search of the location and statues informed me. The Statues were done by Daniel Chester French, who also carved the statue of Lincoln and was called the "Dean of American Sculpture in the 20th century."

I really like the four continent statues. The kneeling male figure in the foreground really caught my eye. It looks really stylized and almost art deco to me. Just the structure and the exaggerated heroic pose.

I spent a while drawing this, I think I will try to do at least parts of the other sculptures.

I really have been debating going into the symbolism of this statue. It is worrisome and dated in the "grandma's racist" sort of way. The other ones are notable worse.

I still had a lot of fun with this drawing. I am mainly enjoying the challenge of multiple figures in a scene interacting to each other. I also love how French's chisels rendered the fabric in these statues. While not the most realistic. It is really stylized and dramatic. It was also a lot of fun to render. 

Jimmy and the Brooklyn Library

Jimmy 08/29/2015, Ink on Paper, 9"x 12"

I have been keeping up with my sketch booking when I met up with a friend who has been living in New York.  This is Jimmy and I sketched him as he smoked his e-cigarette.

He says my sketch doesn't have much of a likeness.

On his left I drew a portrait of a woman I saw reading on the subway.  I like how quickly I was able to capture the odd shape of her hat.

At the Brooklyn Library 8/29/15, Ink on paper, 9"x 12"

I was exploring a bit and wandered into Brooklyn.  I was having a good time walking until the heat got a little unbearable and I took refuge in a branch of the Brooklyn Public Library. The place reminded me of home and the libraries there.

It was a weird collection of prominently used dated technology, "Read" posters, strangely worded signs, kids quietly enjoying themselves, and some kids goofing off in the corner-- obviously there against their will.

I began drawing the kids playing on their phones before their mom took them home. Mom was carrying a large stack of books. Talk about a flashback. I have been in the same position as those kids many a time in my childhood.

"Books, the children of the brain."
~ Jonathan Swift

Self Portrait - Fountain Pen Ink

Self Portrait 8/28/15, Ink on Paper, 9"x 12"

August 28, 2015

So on my first day in New York, my landlord was gracious enough to show me how to get to the Art Academy on the subway from the house. It's an easy trip, the ferry is nice, and both the bus ride to the ferry and the subway trip are super simple.

While I was out and about I decided to do some art supply shopping. I brought both my fountain pens, but I had no ink. I felt really uneasy packing my 3 oz glass Noodler ink bottles. With my luck, and the way baggage is handled, I would landed in New York with two broken bottles of ink and a suitcase full of ink stained clothes, I figured I could buy ink in New York.

So for a few hours I went to art supplies stores and asked the workers for fountain pen ink. Then this process would repeat itself: 1) They would look at me oddly 2) Bring me to their ink section and finally 3) suggest a bottle of ink "they think" would work with fountain pens. Being unfamiliar with the ink, I would google "X brand use with Fountain Pens" and then it would link to to a forum where there is all capital letters saying "NOT FOR USE WITH FOUNTAIN PENS."

This literally happened three times before I thought to just google "Noodler Ink NYC" and I got the location of the "Fountain Pen Hospital." The store is impressive (And really fancy) and they had every variety of ink for my pens.

I spent a bit before deciding on the colors "Antietam" and "Walnut." Antietam is a red that is darker and bluer then the more orange red ink I have been using, The Walnut is a pretty nice and rich brown.

The lady who rang me up was really cute and reminded me of my mom.

"You need a bag?"

 "No," I said pointing to my messenger bag while placing it on the glass display case, I unfastening the clips and looked up.

There was a look of  knowing worry in her face as she said simply, "Use the bag, you'll make me feel better."

I nodded yes for the bag. I saw that I had no choice but to obey.

"They're gonna be banging up against each other in your bag. They're glass and if they break..." She paused as I placed the two boxes of ink in the bag, "At least if they break in your bag the plastic bag will keep it"

With that I raced out of the store.

So with a new sketchbook, new ink and new City I decided to do a self portrait.

It was pretty quick sketch, It's kind of unflattering and my lip is a little off.

I look tired.  Packing my life and moving 4000 miles was not easy. It's been a long couple days.

"If you must live in a city, New York is the only city in the world."
~ Katherine Neville