Studio Developments

Things are still in the "spring training" mode in the studio.  I've been doing some painting, trying to work the rust out and re-learn all the painting motor skills and instincts.  Most of the paintings have been done from old sketches - some from Afghanistan, some from old life drawing sessions.  Most get wiped out as soon as they're done.  Here's one exception:

You may recognize this from one of the pastels that I did in Maiwand.  I thought it turned out a bit better than most of the others and gave it to an Afghan friend last week.  But this was the exception.  All the others wound up on paper towels in the trash can, where they belonged.

My painting skills are improving, though.  I can see that.  Now I'm getting antsy to start on real paintings.  For the moment, I'm resisting - I'm still in "spring training", and well aware that I'm very impatient, so there are still a few more training paintings to do and throw away.  

Meanwhile, my drawing skills are doing okay.  My last post mentioned that I'd stuck a group of figure drawings up on my studio wall.  Here's what they look like:

Some of these drawings were done as far back as 2000, and two were done earlier this month.  What's interesting to me is that you can't really tell which is which.  In other words, my style of drawing has been pretty constant over at least 13 years, even during a time when I was studying art full-time at UNC Asheville.  Guess I'm an old fart, stuck in my ways ... but I don't consider it a problem.

I had an idea yesterday about re-photographing a lot of my figure drawings and putting them together into a book.  I am going to do the same with the "Faces of Afghanistan" drawings.  Both would be for sale on my website, in the studio, and at any exhibitions there might be in the future.  The price point would be well below the price for a single original drawing.  What do you think?

I went to another life drawing session at Frank Lombardo's studio yesterday.  The model was a young woman with beautiful green eyes and a great head of hair.  Here's one of the drawings:

Sarah

Charcoal on toned paper, 15"x11"

Today, though, is going to be an admin day.  I've got some consulting business to take care of and then work on some promotional efforts.  I'm trying to get the "Faces of Afghanistan" artworks out on gallery walls somewhere.  I've let that slide for too many months and it's time to get moving.