Foot under sheet and Waiting for Dexter. Pencil sketches using a 6B. St. Francis was drying and I was in need of another outlet. I sat down in bed beside my wife with a blank page and 6B and wondered what to sketch. I often find nothing in architecture areas or everyday objects. God instilled in me a passion to try and capture life. So I saw her foot and attempted to draw it. Using my laptop as a mirror, I also sketched her working on her laptop, waiting for Dexter to run. I went fast and kept the strokes very rough and messy. I let the 6B follow my eyes and held no control in my hand as these pieces came about. I love sketching like this. I need to do so much more.
The Horror. Ink on canvas, self portrait. This portrait was finished in October of this year. A good friend was visiting for a short while and introduced me to the quill. He was very kind to carve me a pen and here is the result after using it. I find this piece very powerful... and hope you do to.
Attitude. Oil and HB portrait on Cold Pressed 140lb paper. In this photo of a good friend, she's sucking her lips tightly shut, which proved to be a huge challenge. It's hard enough to get to know the valleys and mountains of a face but when there's an earthquake and everything shifts... it proves a greater challenge to create a piece that is readable to the viewer. It almost looks as if she's chewing gum and while staring right at you, asks, what? What do you want? Attitude.
Asleep. Portrait study of a friend. Though the original shot was of a very beautiful and feminine woman, this study has developed to appear quite masculine as I used a thick ink pen and stayed very angular. (It almost seems as if you are staring at 1 of the Hardy Boys asleep on the TTC, Elvis?) I'm always amazed how these straight lines add up to give an appearance we can recognize. A face that is having a happy dream. A face that is content.
A man lost. A man not wanting to look. Self portrait. I just finished this piece with an HB. I loved the emotion it evoked at this point so I stopped. It's been far too long since I've let go on a pad of paper. Too long.
