What I learned today

I've turned this drawing upside down. I thought it was about the sky, and what can fill it up on a muggy summer night, but no; tubers, worms and assorted bacterial elements live here in the hot summer soil. It can be a dangerous place.
I'm playing with charcoal for a change (I usually don't like how messy it is), enjoying the velvety black and light.

 A couple of details: I love how a sharp-edged eraser cuts into the black for fine hairs or grasses (left). And then, there's the beautiful way crayon and graphite drawing resists charcoal, standing out from the background so delicately.

36" x 32" charcoal, graphite and crayon on paper

Two minute drawings

I've been working in series of timed drawings... these are two of 20 made one morning in Durham. They usually start out predictable -- shapes, symbols, language that's all too familiar, that shows up in my work all the time (I won't bore you with them here). But wait a bit -- 15 or so drawings into it I may discover something I haven't seen before. I may actually have an idea worth thinking about. Or two.

10" x 8" paraffin, brass rubbing stick and china marker on paper

Workshop at The Carrack

I spent a few days after the opening working with several local artists in the gallery. It was a time to share my practice with them and hear about theirs. We worked at side-stepping the conscious mind (through meditation, music and drawing exercises) to get at something a bit deeper. Many thanks to Debbie Wuliger, Erin Oliver, Claudia Corletto, Marcy Litle Laura Ritchie and Amy Andorfer for being there and working so hard.

At the top is Erin Oliver working on the floor; Debbie, Erin and Laura discuss a piece; Debbie's large drawing (about 36" x 54"); Marcie's large drawing; Laura's preliminary sketches; Amy at work.

About that show

 

This is me at The Carrack Gallery last month. Great great space, wonderful art scene with vibrant people. I loved the time I spent in Durham NC. Could I live there? Yes yes yes.

Every little thing that moves

I've been working in the yard this weekend. Every leaf on the ground covers up something wiggly, puffy or sticky.
Leaving tomorrow for Durham. Check out my show at the Carrack on West Parrish, Third Friday. www.the carrack.org

Sow thinly, cover with 1/4 inch fine soil

OMG Getting ready for a show next week at The Carrack in Durham NC... I've been working way too much lately, just now realizing I haven't posted in over a month. Yikes. That's what working 60 or so hours a week will do to you; I mean to me.
Today I am framing small drawings for that show, and thinking about framing drawings that I haven't even made yet. So, here's one now.
The Carrack is a very cool space in an old downtown building... brick wall, huge windows looking out over the street. I'll be hanging next week, getting ready for Durham's Third Friday. It's been good getting ready for this show. Since it's a whole new audience for my work, I'm taking a plethora (!) of drawings that have never been shown, sort of a timeline of my last few years. Hal and I did a big edit of the large drawings last weekend (backyard), and I'm sure I'll be weeding out the riff raff even further on the gallery floor. I love working on a show that can unfold in the space as it will.

Spent the day at Newark Airport

At least it wasn't JFK... but it was 12 hours of bad air and boredom, on the way to Ireland. Flying (and waiting) is just not fun anymore. So, I think this illustrates my feelings about it pretty well.

The rest of the trip was as good as it could be and I have a few drawings made in Connemara that I'll post later this week.

Ink pen, china marker, paraffin and crayon, 9" x 12"

It's been a long day

I wish I was sleeping right now.

What really matters

As usual, a drawing never, ever turns out like I think it's going to. OK I can see it's not a great drawing, but what I love (and what I love to discover) is that the interesting bits occur away from what I thought was the focal point. In this case that was a textured, ink pen drawing of a cow, but what's worth looking at are the edges, the organic rope wrapping itself in and out of the legs, the grassy disk where his head once was, and the upside-down man hanging from the sky.

I've got a cold

After a few back episodes of "Saving Grace" (in bed), I found a sketchbook and a crayon.
Wondering where I picked up these feckin'  little germs and trying not to pass any on to my friends, husband and co-workers.
I hate to think of them merrily replicating themselves in the back of my throat, on their way to my everywhere else...

Ink pen and china marker on paper, 12" x 9"

Often on the edge

I woke up this morning thinking about where everything meets everything else ... like, where the dirt meets the grasses that reach up and seem to change into the sky. This happens so easily in a drawing, probably not so easily in the organic world. But I can almost feel how one skin cell might stretch and reach out to become a shadow of a skin cell or a particle of night.

I love first waking, when everything seems possible and OK.

Pencil, paraffin, china marker and crayon on paper. 9" x12"

Watching the game

Drawing while watching the game (49ers beat my beloved Saints). Can you tell?

I love how what I see, what I take in, gets processed, stored and reused. Sometimes almost instantly.

All are about 3.5" x 8" the usual china marker and paraffin on paper.

Drawing after supper

Alternate between animation and stillness. Endow shapes with personality and will.
Encounter stray crayons that stab black water.

All 12" x 9" paraffin, crayon and chinamarker on paper.

Lighting up the night sky

Working fast, dwelling on simplicity. It occurs to me how little command I have of language sometimes - can't get the words out - how much better if I just draw a picture of 'it.'

12" x 9" paraffin and china marker on paper