Saturday, February 23, 2013

Everything starts with a sketch





















A sketch can be an idea that stays in your imagination or it can find it’s way to paper.

If it finds it’s way to paper it can sit there waiting for years for you to return. Sometimes to follow through with a painting or the final drawing and other times just to remind you of that creative moment.

























Sketch of woman who had just passed. I was in college and working in a convalescent home in Hermosa Beach. I knew her. It was late at night. The nurse on duty called me. I was allowed time alone with her and did this drawing.

























Above a sketch I did during the same time frame, different woman, I call it "Forgotten".

The sketchbook. It is the artists’ journal and is much like a pile of old photos. There is a memory of every drawing. When I pull my old ones out I can remember every memory, emotion, idea and where I was at the time. My sketchbooks are the history of me. I would imagine it might be the same for many artists.


















But it is not always dark, sketch of bathroom in a cool beach apartment where I used to live.

I use my sketchbooks as a reference library for ideas.

























Above was working of hand angles for for a the new series.








































































Above is an example of a transition from sketch/ idea to painting. From painting to prototype clothing. I am working on some California Surfer motif clothing using paintings from my Vacation Series. People we are talking Haute Couture!

The Internet and digital cameras have changed so much the way I work. But, there still is no substitute for that direct transfer of idea to paper through chalk or pencil. I confess. I have become lazy and often these days defer to instant gratification of technology. That said, I do find that the most emotional and satisfying works I do actually start with a sketch. I have been thinking about this lately with the new body of work I am doing.

I am certainly not tech adverse, but sometimes do miss those into the night reaching and getting lost into those wonderful places before the computer made it so easy.

And I write this on my computer. And without the Internet and platforms like Facebook I would not be talking and exchanging ideas with artist friends on a daily basis all over the world. Interesting times we live in. And that is exciting.

And where am I going with this entry? Well, full circle to the new body of work that is in progress.  That will be my next post.

And at this point I will quote the Bob Dylan song; "When I paint my masterpiece"; "...Oh, the streets of Rome are filled with rubble, ancient footprints are everywhere..."

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