Galleries – From the Sketchbooks

I have always enjoyed looking at artists sketchbooks. It gives me an insight into both there working process and there thoughts, etc. Of course, drawing in and of itself is a beautiful expression of art, with as infinite a manner of expression as painting. I often tell my students that their line, (or brush stroke) is their signature. It is the expression of who they are in that moment and is perhaps our most powerful mode of personal expression as visual artists. For these reasons I have decided to share pages from my sketchbooks, (I carry one with me where ever I go). Some of the peices displayed here are quite old, (40+ years), and some very recent. I will update this page periodically as I go through my sketchbooks and have the time to scan a peice that for me might have personal interest, hopefully you will enjoy them as well, so check back every so often.

By far, not all works are “masterpieces”, and they are not meant to be. For me the art process -SpiritRealism- is one of ongoing growth and change, not just reflecting the process of life, creation and the creative process, but hopefully bringing me into greater harmony with it. A process of awareness and awakening and one of the many paths that can lead towards a “Unity of Being”.

My drawing can be broke into basically 4 modes of working and will emphasize either expression, (through line, texture, etc.) or fidelity and detail, (often referred to as a rendering) – and often a combination of both.

Gesture – This is a piece that is done very quickly, usually in under 30 seconds and certainly no more than about 2 minutes. They are either an emotional/visual response to an external form or experience or a similar expression of an idea, visualization, eidtic image or thought.
Sketch – This is basically an extended version of a gesture where I will try and flesh out a little more information about my subject, whether the stimulus be external or internal. Often times focusing on one or two particular elements of interest and will take from about 2 to 20 minutes. Most of my teaching demos are in these first 2 categories.
The Study – This is a more lengthy application of attention and working, from 20 minutes to several hours. It is either done to capture the details and resolve issues regarding an object, environment/experience, etc. i.e. lighting, composition, texture, form, shape, etc. They are done in and of themselves for the experience or as preparation for a painting.
Finished Drawing or Rendering – These are either in and of themselves a completed work, or done to be transferred to canvas, (or done directly on the canvas), in the creation of a detailed painting.

This piece was done in the center of Ashfield, MA during the late summer, (as a tonal study for a plein air watercolor). It was started with a water brush that was filled with a Paynes Grey of watercolor that leaked all over the right side of the piece – forcing me to improvise, (yay). I then used a graphite wash pencil and water to finish the left side. It was kismet that the pencil was a warmer hue and used for areas that were closer in the picture plane.