Male Nude

This fall I have begun doing life drawings of live nude models. It takes me back to my college years when I had the opportunity to draw nudes several times a week for all four years. . .an experience that I, for the most part, took for granted at the time. 

Our sessions begin with a series of action poses - each pose lasting only a minute. I try to capture motion, the energy flowing through the body, stretching and straining of the muscles in my gesture drawings. 

After doing several gestures drawings we settle into longer poses, such as the one here.  I begin with a simple contour drawing tracking the edge of the figure with my eyes, while simultaneously drawing the contour very slowly, in a steady, continuous line as if I am tracing my pencil along the contour of the body. I then develop the drawing by focusing on the interplay of light on the body and the areas around the body using conte crayon on the toned paper.
Mixed media drawing. 18 x 24 inches. 2016

Poppy Dreams

The California Poppy responds to the sun - opening and closing in response to the radiance of light and is found in open, sunny meadows. When the early Spanish settlers of California arrived, they saw vast fields of the California Poppy lighting up the coastal hillsides.  The sight of poppy fields was a landmark by which they guided their ships.   They called the California coast the “land of fire,” and the plant the “cup of gold,” (“copa de oro”).  Long before the Europeans came to the New World,  Native American peoples used various preparations of the California Poppy plant for toothaches, to relieve headaches and stomach aches, and as a sleep aid for children.

 I call this painting "Poppy Dreams" because "the poppy is a symbol of Morpheus, the Greek god of dreams. Just before blooming, the bud hangs its head - heavy with the promise of blossom. In fact, the cocooned bud seems to droop in somnolence, as if enchanted or perhaps the bud is pregnant with floral dreams.Most of us are familiar with the hallucinogenic/narcotic properties of the poppy.  The ancient Greeks understood this, and so we see another link to Morpheus and poppy symbolism. Morpheus lived in his own world - a world of dreams, fantasy and complete nonadherence to traditional reality. He was destined to live here and rule the realms of dreams."
 Oil on canvas. 16 x 20 inches. 2016.

Blooming Magnolias

Magnolias were first discovered on the island of Martinque by a French botanist named Pierre Magnol. It is an ancient genus - appearing before bees. It is thought they were pollinated by beetles. Fossilized specimens have been found dating to 20 million years ago and the family dates back 95 million years ago. It is found in east and southeastern Asia, southeastern U..S., Central America, the West Indies and some species in South America. It is said to be the oldest flower on earth.

They are a symbol of long life. In Victorian times they were thought to symbolize dignity and nobility, poise and pride. Self-respect, self-esteem, strength and pride. The most common Magnolias are pure white, but variations are found in pink, mauve, purple, violet and yellow.  It is the state flower and state tree of Mississippi and the state flower of Louisiana.

Whippoorwill's singing
Soft summer breeze
Makes me think of my baby
I left down in New Orleans
Magnolia, you sweet thing
You're driving me mad
Got to get back to you, babe
You're the best I ever had
You whisper "Good morning"
So gently in my ear
I'm coming home to you, babe
I'll soon be there

~ J.J. Cole 

Blooming Magnolias. Oil on Canvas. 11 x 14 inches. 2016

Herons

 

 

We live in an area along the west coast of Florida where herons of all sorts are plentiful. These are Great White Herons, the largest heron species.  It is easy to distinguish the Great White Heron from a similar bird, the egret.  Herons have yellow legs and egrets have black ones.  

Herons are primarily solitary, free spirits, preferring seclusion and privacy.  They hunt alone rather than with a mate or another bird.  Alone in the world. Surviving.

Despite being fiercely independent, there are times when herons come together to work together building nests, feeding and caring for their young.. . .the time when they begin to raise a family. The coming of their young brings them together. No longer alone.  

Coming together after standing alone in the world. . .coming together for the good and love of their child. . .setting aside a solitary approach to life for a common purpose, a greater good. . .the care and nurture of one's child. . .the child brings them together.

Day at the Beach

 

 

 

 Saying good by to this commissioned oil painting of a friend's brindle Pit today. She's a real sweet dog, a rescue who found a wonderful home. She loves to go to the beach and for boat rides with her family.
 Day at the Beach. Oils on canvas. 11 x 14 inches. 2016

"And if you look intensely 
at the pure blue of a serene sky, 
you will see that there is a variety and fullness 
in its very repose. 
It is not flat dead color, 
but a deep, quivering, transparent body of penetrable air, 
in which you trace or imagine 
short, falling spots of deceiving light,
 and dim shades,
 faint, veiled vestiges of dark vapor; 
and it is this trembling transparency 
which our great modern master 
has especially aimed at and given." 
~ John Ruskin

Whiskey Dog

Man's best friend, a dog named Whiskey. This dog doesn't bite. He just wants to play and have some fun. He may look like a mutt but he's a good and loyal dog.

Watercolor on archival paper. 11 x 14 inches. 2015.