Monday, January 30, 2012

Trapped motion

Some more drawings showing models in active poses on the "box". In these the support has been erased and I'm playing with the studying bodies in positions of trapped motion.

Sunday, January 29, 2012

More drawings from the archive

Some more drawings I'm documenting from the archive... Most of these show models leaning or stretching on the "box", a 4ft. X 4ft. PVC cube, that works like a jungle gym in the life drawing studio. Great for observing the body in active positions without furniture obstructing the view.


Sunday, January 22, 2012

Working with color and the live model

Here are few drawings from the fall of 2010 where I was specifically trying to talk to students about using non-local color when drawing from the model. I think the results are a mixed bag...
its certainly something to work on, along with life painting. Lucian Freud, I am not.

... and some life drawing portraits

More life drawings from the archive

Working on documenting more life drawings from the 2010 / 2011 archive.... Of special interest here is the drawing of the pregnant model. We were very fortunate in my weekly life drawing sessions to get to work with a model who was 8 months pregnant, several sessions in a row before she delivered. A wonderful experience; I highly suggest that any artist with a true interest in the body and all its magnificence grab the chance if it comes.








Saturday, January 21, 2012

More "Impostors"

Here is a recently completed addition to my "Impostors" series, started in summer of 2010. This body of work will be part of my contribution to the App. State faculty show, opening in the next few weeks. To see the whole series, check out the "Portfolio II" page on my regular website:
http://www.jwatsondrawing.com

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Work in Progress

Starting some new work in the studio this week... and thought I would document one of these pieces from start to finish. The first image is my initial sketch / idea development for the drawing. Some reference photos for the drawing's main subject matter (the chubby cherub vs. the battered saint) are taped to the wall off to the left. Possible collage material is mingling into the composition on the bottom, and there's some very faint line work in the center. The next image is after a few more hours of sketching and contemplation. The cherub and the saint are now firmly in place and I've shifted the arc above the cherubs head (I almost always start pieces off by responding to found objects or found imagery, and that flattened rusted piece of metal is the true origin for this piece). Also, I know there needs to be some sort of secondary arc-like form to breaking the rectangle on the upper left. For now I'm just using bend coat hangers to test out the idea.


Friday, January 13, 2012

From the Prado, Velazquez Portraits

Yesterday I was having lunch with friend and colleague extraordinaire Vicky Grube, and sharing stories of the recent trip to Spain. Of all the sights, what stands out the most from the whole adventure are these portraits of the "men of pleasure" as they were then called (court jesters) from the court of Phillip IV by Velazquez. I would have to say these are the greatest expressions of figurative art I have ever encountered, anywhere, ever. Words fail so I thought I'd post some of the images here.

Life Drawings from the Archives

Looking back at some older life drawings yesterday, and realizing how much of a backlog I have to archive. I draw with my students on average two sessions a week, and the paper really accumulates as the months drift by. These are all from late 2009, new posts showing the best of 2010 and 2011 are on the way...



Pink Silk and Dead Carrots

Yep, that's it folks, pink silk and curly dead carrots, on my scanner bad and presented for your viewing pleasure. At times, the pressures of making art and making life become too much and you just need to throw some vegetables on the old scanner bed. Sometimes these moments of whimsy do spawn actual studio products... who knows, anything could happen.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Museum fur Kunst und Gewerbe

... and here's a couple of images of what the whole piece looks like when installed.



close-ups

These are some close-up images of the latest BIG piece coming out of my studio. The title is "Museum fur Kunst und Gewerbe" (Museum of Arts and Industries) and it will be part of my contribution to the upcoming faculty show at App. State. An artist statement for the piece is in the works...
Materials include: colored pencil, graphite, goauche, acrylic, walnut ink, pastel, water-based enamel, rope, linen thread, paper mache, and some very fun white and gold found fixtures from a thrift store in rural Maryland.



Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Witch-Scarers!


More ideas I have been noodling over from the Spanish trip... These are all photos from the roof of Casa Mila in Barcelona (also called "La Pedrera", the Rock Quarry). All the Brancussi like sculpture shapes are air dcuts and chimneys. The whole space is like a playground by Yves Tanguy! My guidebook says that these structures are called espanta-bruixes (meaning "witch scarers") by the locals. No wonder I got vertigo up there...


Sunday, January 8, 2012

Futbolista!

On the plane back and forth from Spain (hey that kind of rhymes!) I had a chance to do some travel drawing. Picked up a copy of the Spanish soccer magazine "Futbolista!" and worked from the action photos of players on the field. Why do people in sports magazines always look so angry? Can life for Euro-soccer stars really be that hard? !