Its gorgeous outside. My sister and her friend just left yesterday, returning to Colorado. They helped me move my kitchen table and a big storage cabinet into my BKCuny studio. So my apartment is cleared out. I am staving off the urge to buy a loveseat, which is a long standing dream. I have room for it now, but it would be too much lost real estate; I still need space to work here. Plus, having the space around me is nice. The MFA faculty want us to spend as much time there as possible, and the more I think about this prospect, the more excited I get, because I have always found happiness in having a place to be that is not home. No cats. No cat hair. No distractions. Other focused people around. It seems heavenly.
It is funny to me how many people, who do not have an art practice, assume that having one is "therapeutic". I can see why people think that, and to some extent, its true. However, it is only true when a piece is going well (rarely), or has gone well (once a year), or during the initial limerence of the "great idea", which tends to be fleeting. So, not so therapeutic. Its nice that people think that though!
I am working on this piece that is just graphite on illo board at the moment. All this collaging...I wish I could say there has been a learning curve, but its been more like a long road leading to more long road. So for now, I abandon it in lieu of something bare bones. Besides drawing the figure, what real drawing have I done lately? This is called The Bride, and it is inspired by all the bling, baubles, lace, ribbons, chiffon, pearls, diamonds...that make a bride "beautiful". Even though I always knew I didn't want to get married, I always enjoyed thumbing through bride magazines, and admiring all the white rendered in different textures. There is something about it. Just aesthetically. Not making any kind of statement about marriage, aside from the fact that the composition drove me to create figures traveling down a path beneath ostensible arches, but this was not guided by my conscience. Naturally, if I am trying to prove to myself I still know how to draw, there must be depth. Compelled to simplify the process, I draw on my knowledge of what these textures are, and doing my best to translate that through my hand. I do not draw well enough to capture it the way I see in my mind, but I suppose that would be the prize.
I would love to know a better way of editing this in Photoshop, but for now, this is what I have. Not that bridey!!...or is it? Its composition driven. I had an illustration teacheress at SVA (continuing ed) say to me, regarding shadows and highlights, "I just put them where I want them." Brilliant!
This is a study I did for this a few months ago:
Somewhat hilariously, this is a piece I did in undergrad:
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