More Words + One Image

Today I need to change the subject, or subjects, of the world that presses on us in these strange times. I am putting aside news of the pandemic and of politics. For a moment I need to look away from the wrongs, the injustices, the unkindnesses, the cruelties, and the violence directed towards others. Kindness, beauty, gratitude, and joy are on my radar today. And love, of course; however it shows up. 

As part of today’s practice, this morning I picked up a book that I had set aside for a bit, The Book of Delights by Ross Gay whom I came across on an episode of On Being. If you aren’t familiar with him or his writing, I encourage you to look him up; he and his writing are remarkable. The Book of Delights was begun as a daily essay about something that struck the author as delightful. He writes as though he is speaking casually with the reader over coffee or on a long walk. He might be meandering around a mundane idea or topic when a profound truth or bit of wisdom quietly slips in unannounced, as if conjured through some alchemy of the writer’s words. 

This morning I turned to Chapter 14 “ ‘ Joy is Such a Human Madness’ ”  which Gay begins with a reference to the essay “Joy” by Zadie Smith. It would only be in quoting the entire essay that I might convey the full beauty and power of the writing, but I want to pull out a small favorite bit here. Towards the end of the essay he writes:

“Among the most beautiful things I have ever heard anyone say came from my student Bethany talking about her pedagogical aspirations or ethos, how she wanted to be as a teacher, and what she wanted her classrooms to be: ‘What if we joined our wildernesses together?’ Sit with that for a minute. That the body, the life might carry a wilderness, an unexplored territory, and that yours and mine might somewhere, somehow meet. Might, even, join.

And what if the wilderness…is our sorrow…. It astonishes me sometimes – no, often – how every person I get to know – everyone, regardless of everything, by which I mean everything  – lives with some profound personal sorrow. Brother addicted. Mother murdered. Dad died in surgery. Rejected by their family. Cancer came back. Evicted. Fetus not okay. Everyone, regardless, always, of everything. Not to mention the existential sorrow we might all be afflicted with, which is that we, and what we love, will soon be annihilated.  Which sounds more dramatic than it might. Let me just say dead. Is this, sorrow… the great wilderness? Is sorrow the true wild? And if it is – and if we join them – your wild to mine – what’s that? For joining, too, is a kind of annihilation. What if we joined our sorrows, I’m saying. I’m saying: What if that is joy?” 

Again, I have to say that one should read Ross Gay’s essay in its entirety for full effect, for that punch-to-the-gut feeling that his words offer up. For me, this essay illuminates my understanding of the bittersweet of life and touches on thoughts of no light without the dark – thoughts that cover the distance from metaphor to the reality of the physical world. 

No light without the dark. In drawing and painting, light and dark are critical; value/relative value (think grayscale) is everything! In making recent drawings I am constantly reminded of this. Color is important but the value, the light or darkness of that color, is what makes the most difference to the drawing. It is not unusual for the most subtle value shift to make a drawing sing. I am sharing here a recent soft pastel drawing for a consideration of light and dark and the relative values of color.

Last of the Birds

Almost all of the birds have flown the nest. I am writing of the abstract soft pastel drawings that were based on bird coloration. There are only these two framed pieces remaining from the original series. In addition, there is one framed drawing, Dove + Crow, from a series of larger drawings. This was the only one of that series to be based on birds, and it followed on the group of crow drawings which you can see in an earlier post. Most of the crow drawings are available still, although unframed, and many of the larger drawings are also available unframed. Check back here to see some of the larger pieces later in the week.

Making these soft pastel drawings is all about color, the medium, and the process. I am interested in the laying down, layering, and sometimes lifting of the colors, as well as the color relationships. The lush colors and the materiality of the pastels (primarily Schmincke and Sennelier) are very appealing; color becomes both subject and object in these abstract drawings. The pastels, fragile sticks of colored dust, have their own way of behaving, and much of the process involves welcoming in the unexpected and being willing to be out of control. Even if fixed with fixative, the finished pieces are somewhat fragile and will change, however imperceptibly, over time, as particles of color release from the surface. I love that these drawings have a life of their own once I am done with them.

Let me know if you would like more information about any of the work…or if you would like to see it in person. You can comment here.

Dove – soft pastel, 6″ x 6″

Jay – soft pastel, 6″ x 6″

Dove + Crow – soft pastel, 12″ x 21″

An Assortment of Abstractions

In a shift from working with landscapes, I love exploring the color possibilities offered by soft pastel. When working with these pure colors (nothing more than pigment and a bit of binder), reducing the image to abstraction allows the focus to be more simply on the colors and their interaction. When I am working on them, these pieces have a life of their own and require me to be fully engaged with what is happening on the paper.

Here are a few small (4″ x 6″ color studies) done in preparation for larger pieces. If you are interested, you can see them as well as other soft pastels at the Open Studio this Saturday, December 21, 1-5:00. Comment here if you want more information.

Small to Large

The newest landscapes are the smallest ones, only 3″ x 3″, oil on paper. Here are three (the first is not available):

The largest landscapes I have posted before, but I will share them again here. The one below  is  the largest:  22″ x 30″ (image size), oil stick and graphite on paper, framed.

Edge of the Day

This one is 18″ x 18″ (image size) also oil stick and graphite on paper, framed.

Still Place

If you would like to see these and more in person, stop by the Open Studio on Saturday, December 21 1:00-5:00. Comment here if you need details!

New Flock

Crow #3: How Much Light Do We Need Against the Dark

 

I’m playing a bit of catch up here, posting recent drawings that haven’t yet been out in the world. After a break working in other media, I got back to soft pastels last spring and decided to begin by returning to drawings based on birds and their coloration. As I have written before, I begin the drawing using colors based on a particular bird and also keeping in mind other characteristics of that bird that might be helpful. But the demands of the drawing take priority, and the finished work may not be such an obvious reference to the bird that inspired it. For this new batch I decided, with some initial hesitation, to work with the crow. If you check out crows carefully, you will see that everything about them is black: feathers, beak, eyes, feet. The color comes in with the purple/blue gloss on those shiny black feathers. While this was a bigger interpretive challenge than my other choices, I was curious about what might happen. Black is not a color I use often or much of, but with the first drawing I was immediately hooked on the blacks in my box, the variations, and how I might create subtle shifts and relationships by adding in other darks and, in some instances, even soft graphite. There were six crow drawings that arrived all together in that flock (perhaps more to come). And they led in their own way to the next series that I will begin to post soon.

 

While I was working on these, I picked up my copy of Sean Scully: Resistance and Persistence, Selected Writings, as Scully has been a big influence on these pastels. His thoughts (page 36) on color and darkness resonated with me, so I want to share this bit here:

 

Thinking about the colour in my work, and its darkness…I often think about how the light in my work – the light produced by this colour, which is so emphatically attached to its own body weight, it own gravity – has a tendency to fall back into the painting. The painting has to be opened up.

             The colour, of course, could be opened up. Red could be bright red. Yellow could be the colour of flowers. And green could be leaf green. This would make the painting more immediate, more obviously communicative, more readily available…and less burdened by the issue of interior content.

            My painting, however, is a compression: a compression of form, edge, weight. And colour participates in this density. The painting is immediate since it is painted aggressively, by hand; yet it is difficult because it is compressed. The light in the painting has to be opened up, pulled out.

             And it is exactly this difficulty that gives the work its interior life. It is an incarnation, not an explanation.

 

The Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C. is showing Sean Scully: Landline until February 3. Hopefully the doors to the museum will be unlocked in time to see this powerful work before then! But, that’s another subject…

 

To wrap this post up, I want to share a more poetic name for a flock of crows that I learned this morning; it can be called a ‘murder of crows.’  Who has heard that before?!

 

Manakintowne Workshop

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please join us at the farm for the

 

MANAKINTOWNE PLEIN AIR WORKSHOP

 

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 9:30-3:30

(rain date October 6)

 

~~~

 

BRING YOUR FAVORITE MEDIUM

 

or

 

TRY OUR OIL PASTELS ~ ALL SUPPLIES AND BASIC INSTRUCTION PROVIDED

(perfect for beginners)

 

 

TUITION $115 ~ BRING A FRIEND FOR $10 DISCOUNT FOR BOTH OF YOU

(INCLUDES A GOURMET FARM LUNCH)

 

 

Enjoy a restful day working among the fields of Manakintowne Specialty Growers in Powhatan. Instruction for plein air drawing and painting is offered, or you can try oil pastels with beginning instruction and all supplies provided (a great opportunity to try a new medium!). We break mid-day for a delicious lunch and good conversation. Space is limited, so sign up soon! (Contact me here.) 

                                                            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Last Nests…Rare Sale

Nest of Possibility  (SOLD)

 

Space is finite in the studio, and there is little room remaining on the walls and boards; so I am reducing the price on the last seven nest images to make room for the new drawings in the works. There are five framed oil stick drawings and two oil paintings on wood panel. Most will be reduced  by half. Let me know if you are interested, and I can send pricing information. Come by the studio to have a look in person! Please note, sizes are the framed sizes, and they are approximate.

The image above is the largest:  oil stick and graphite on paper, 22″ x 25″

 

Terra   (SOLD)

oil stick on paper, 13″ x 15″

 

Sure

oil stick on paper, 10″ x 10″

 

Elemental   (SOLD)

oil stick and graphite on paper, 18″ x 18″

 

Eclipse

oil stick on paper, 18″ x 18″

 

Where to Begin   (SOLD)

oil on wood panel, 11″ x 11″

 

Winter Nest   (SOLD)

oil on wood panel, 11″ x 11″

Landscapes

I haven’t posted any landscapes for a while, so here are three relatively new ones. The top one is oil stick and graphite on paper (15″ x 15″), the second is oil pastel on paper (11″ x 9 1/2″), and the last one is a small oil (paint) on paper (6″ x 4″).

 

 

 

Spring Workshop + Classes

please join us at Huguenot Springs for the
 
MANAKINTOWNE PLEIN AIR WORKSHOP
 
SATURDAY, MAY 19, 9:30-3:30
 
~~~
 
BRING YOUR FAVORITE MEDIUM
 
or
 
TRY OUR OIL PASTELS ~ ALL SUPPLIES AND BASIC INSTRUCTION PROVIDED
(perfect for beginners)
 
 
TUITION $115 ~ BRING A FRIEND FOR $10 DISCOUNT FOR BOTH OF YOU
(INCLUDES A GOURMET FARM LUNCH)
 
 
Enjoy a restful day working under the old shade trees or in the garden of peonies and irises at historic Huguenot Springs in Powhatan. Instruction for plein air drawing and painting is offered, or you can try oil pastels with beginning instruction and all supplies provided (a great opportunity to try a new medium!). We break mid-day for a delicious lunch and good conversation. Space is limited so sign up soon (contact me here through comments). More information will be sent with registration confirmation. We hope you will join us for a peaceful day in the country!
 
 

TWO MORE MAY CLASSES:

MAY MORNINGS PLEIN AIR DRAWING CLASS

Thursdays, May 3, 10, 17, and 24, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM  (rain date is May 31)
$120
 
I will be offering this plein air class again this year on four Thursday mornings in May. Pack up your supplies – oil pastels, paint sticks, or the medium of your choice – and come work out in the  fresh air. In past years we have visited Pony Pasture, the Wetlands, Maymont, and Virginia House. I’m scouting out new possibilities and will let you know where to meet beforehand. Be prepared for a little walking. Please sign up with me by April 27.  You can reach me here for sign up or more information. If you are new to working outside, I am happy to answer any questions you might have regarding supplies you will need. More information will be sent upon registration. Enjoy the peace of working outside! Sign up with a friend!
 
 
 

DRAWING IN COLOR INTENSIVE – VISARTS
 
 May 21 – 25, 1:00 – 3:30
(registration only through VisArts)
 
Work with either oil pastel or paint stick or use the two together to make rich, colorful drawings. We will focus on discovering a range of possibilities for these materials and developing a personal approach to using them. Both are easy to clean up and highly portable making them a good choice for summer travels! Tuition information and sign up here.
 

 

For the Birds

 

Cardinal

 

Jay

 

 

It has been too long since I posted new work here, so it is time to catch up with what has been going on in the studio. A while back I gave in to the seduction of the beautiful Schmincke soft pastels and made a series of abstract drawings influenced by several favorite artists (including Richard Diebenkorn, Sean Scully, and Christopher Wilmarth) and coming out of earlier work of my own, both two and three dimensional. Earlier this year, something about the soft pastels called me back to work on an earlier unsuccessful drawing and then to pick up a tiny (3” x 3”) prepared paper. For some now forgotten reason, that small square led me to think of songbirds and the goldfinch in particular. So began a series of small drawings (ranging between 3 and 8 inches square) most of which are based on a particular bird. Ultimately the drawing took precedence over any strict reference to the birds, and some went off on a completely different direction departing from any notion of birds at all. Some of the drawings incorporate some characteristic of a particular bird other than its coloration. To spot this, the viewer will have to spend more time than a quick glance and draw from his/her own birding experience. I’ll be posting images here every day or so, and hope you will come back to check them out! And, with luck, a few readers will be moved to have a closer look at the birds populating their environment.