The Sketchbook...

Have you seen the wonderful Leonardo exhibition in Atlanta at the High Museum? Go to http://www.high.org/main.taf?p=3,1,1,15,1 or go directly to the home page at the High http://www.high.org/ The exhibit is there until the 21st ofr February. Quite lovely, inspiring.... when one walks in, each person receives a magnifying glass and invited to approach the artwork at very close range....how unusual! So here is a page from one of my toned-paper, 14x11 sketchbooks. The work is in brown Sharpie ink, touched with green-grey watercolor pencil, and white charcoal pencil. Why ink? It is a little like those folks who do the NY Times crossword puzzles in ink... makes you think fast, stay on your toes, and build confidence. The next couple of images will be pages from my sketchbooks that are matted and for sale.

Working studio...

Welcome to my working studio.  Of the two rooms, this is the back room where the skylight gives me as much good light as I can hope for in an historic building.  My working wall is full of heightened chacoal sketches that I am using to work out sizes and compositions for paintings.  These three are 24 x 30 and 30 x 36. You can see tables with boxes that have just arrived, a couple of oil paintings in progress, and a large ink drawing on newsprint testing out the size requested by a client for their double portrait...the usual jumble of things that move in and out of the space as I work.

Drawing - college prep class...

Back in Raleigh I met with my college prep class tonight. These are all high school students 14 to 17 years old...all such talented, interesting kids. What a great bunch! I wish I could have more time with them. Tonight we worked heightened charcoal drawings from white statuary with single light sources...a great way to begin good habits. Here is the 15 minute demo I did...and a wall of most of the students' work tonight. Loved it. Looking forward to next week with everyone.