Gesture drawings

These are some gesture drawings that I did in a class with at the University I attended, some years ago.

Some are longer, but most are 5 seconds - 10 seconds- 20 seconds . on large newsprint.

I found these exercises extremely useful in learning to draw, and even know accessing that state of seeing when I am creating and drawing.

One thing that my professor said while teaching us, during this extensive 6 hour long classes, was to draw these gesture drawings as if the person or object were falling out of the top of a building, and you had mere seconds to capture its essence as it fell towards earth.. It made for a very focused and very hectic, but also great drawing sessions with him. We would use whole pads of large newsprint in one day, our arms so exhausted, I found myself using both hands to draw the figure as fast as possible in the 10-20 seconds allowed. So much fun :D

whispering into the well

"Surface Tension"

When I try to think of the ways that I find inspiration from, I have to go to a place of wordless movements, and quiet droplets. It is an elusive connection to my deeper self that I try to bridge the gap with in my self. It is a mediation.

Music often time guides that other self, that deeper quiet self of no words, of pure expression, and movement to the surface. Pulling it gently out of the dark depths of which I stand cautiously looking down, into the immense dark swirling waters. Music coaxes delicately that side of me, so elusive to respond and stir and make its languid way to the surface.

Staring down, listening, I catch out of the corner of my eye its forms and quiet nature moving under the dark waters. I feel whispers and droplets of its movements and intent, sliding along my skin. I collect those drops, carry them undisturbed carefully with me, and attempt to create what it was, what I felt, and what I heard, as that elusive form once again slides quietly away in to the dark depth of my self.

two halves

"Duality"- oil on canvas

I saw this lecture online the other day, where this man had this breakthru within himself. He came to be able to access both sides of his deeper self, at the same time. It was a very intense video, where you could see the most intimate and vulnerable moments to this man, as he sat in front of a crowd. He had some feelings of not being worthy, and hence didn't succeed in life. It was the most interesting transformation of a human to watch as he slowly began to accept and forgive himself for being human...with all of his mistakes, and stumbles on his path.

I'm thinking of the subconscious and the conscious selves. When they are not working as a whole, there is strife, discontent, and confusion. My work has always been about a question for me. It can be a question with a known answer, or not, but it requires the creation of a painting, to give it shaky wobbly legs, then I lean back and watch as it makes its unsteady way in to reality, stumbling past others, creating a multitude of different reactions. Hopefully if it is a True depiction, it will be strong enough to stir emotions, be it positive or negative, is irrelative on some levels to me, for growth thru peace, and growth thru chaos, is still growth, just different plants as the end result.