The enjoyment

Inspiration may be gleaned from numerous and diverse sources. Below a drawing by Michaelangelo.

I have just been absorbed in Petr Wittlich's 'Art Nouveau Drawings'. In this book he discusses the life and art of Mucha, Beardsley, Redon, Rodin, Klimt, Schiele and others. Yet it is with the drawings (particularly of the female nude) of Rodin, Klimt and Schiele that I find a home. However, here are two pieces of text, from the book, within which I also find a home. For me, they help my understanding of what it is I am experiencing in my process. I have often referred to 'art as process' or 'process art' in order to emphasise that for me the outcome, the final drawing, is of secondary importance. My art is meditative, it is therapy. It is personal. It is enjoyment.

These two paragraphs are with reference to Auguste Rodin:

"The main thing for him was, apparently, the enjoyment derived from the source of the drawings themselves, the general psychic response of his personality reacting to the stimulus of natural reality (the naked figure): the moment in which he mobilized all his subjective faculties - the perceptive power of his eye, the nervous excitement, the skill of his hand to grasp and give expression to something that sprang from his emotions"

"The act of drawing, which is here practised on the intimately-known shape of the female body, involves the total concentration of all his abilities, knowledge and energy of its performer, who, in experiencing a sympathetic balancing between his personality and the female as representing 'human nature', moves from the dead calm of the academic pose to the inexhaustable wealth of living expression and movement. At the same time, the artist goes beyond a traditional work of art with its limits of accepted meanings. Art thus becomes an aid to raising the intensity of a positive attitude to life in quite a new, modern, dynamic and practical sense".

The Process 3

This is the third of my attempts to say something about my 'process art' with reference to my four drawings at Tony Tribes life-drawing day on November 26th at Arts Alive in Crickhowell.
I so much enjoy the challenges of exploring 'perspective', 'foreshortening' and 'exaggeration' in the context of the lying pose, particularly when I can adjust my position in relation to the model. This often requires me to lower my easel and to sit down. Here we are resuming after lunch so have had nearly three hours standing, and sitting is welcomed. The disadvantage is that my usual kinetic drawing approach is inhibited, in that I cannot easily move back and forth to and from my easel to judge how the drawing is developing. This is essential with most drawings but particularly where the challenges noted above are to be addressed.
Penny is lying on her tummy, with her head on her arms. I can see the lower part of her body over her head. I rarely measure these days, i.e. moving my thumb up and down along my vertically held pencil, but I did on this occasion as I was uncertain as to where to place the top of the head on the paper. In other words how much of the composition would be taken up by the length of the perspective of her body in relation to her head and arms. I was very surprised to discover that the former was about one third, if that, of the later (to start with these two parts appeared that they could be more equal, but I intuitively knew this could not be the case). I also felt that some foreground should be included to give her arms and hands something to rest upon. (Something has just struck me: in composing this process description it is very clear that at the time of this drawing I was fully embracing issues of 'composition'. And one thing that I know I do not consciously address is the placing of the drawing on the paper. Years ago I had tremendous and frustrating battles in getting the drawing on the page. Now, it is the exception when an arm shoots off the paper, unless it is intended. Now, issues of composition are dealt with within my skilled subconcious).
I have included below a drawing of a different model from a few weeks ago, just to view the two together. I enjoyed both explorations of the issues involved. The foot allowed for a fuller engagement with the fun of 'exaggeration'.

The Process 2

This was the second pose of the day. About 2 hours with Penny sitting on a stool. My thinking: I have drawn Penny in similar seated poses many times over the years. So let me challenge myself. I know I get a lot of satisfaction in exploring 'overlapping drawings'. I also have also followed a process recently in which I react to that part of the pose which fascinates me for one reason or another, so I start with this and this initiates a process which then can almost have a life of its own. This first drawing starts with the head, arm and hands, as this was the part which really interested me. But then I became aware of the outline from the neck, down through the beasts and including the tummy. Could this drawing take anything else? Can I challenge myself further by superimposing on top of the two parts already included a third part. I like feet, and the inclusion of a foot would give a base to the composition. Refining each part, giving emphasis to certain aspects, and ensuring that not too much uncertainty and ambiguity remained, were aspects I consciously focussed on. I made a decision to stop. I felt I had covered the point of this drawing, and felt like doing something different.
I had about 40 minutes of the two hours left, and this desire to do something different was quite strong. I hade done a lot of pencil drawing recently with very little use of my tonal tinted charcoal approach. The arm, and particularly the two hands clasped together, had already been my starting point with the pencil drawing and my desire to explore this part of the pose further excited me. So without any hesitation the arm and hand were introduced to the paper, they moved around a bit with the elbow particularly gradually moving down the drawing  as I attempted the slight foreshortening of the lower arm. Looking down into the cup of the right hand was a challenge. But I like drawing hands (as well as feet). A principal question was 'how far to I go into including the rest of the pose?'. And this question was answered by my feeling that the hands should be the focus of attention.
Tinted charcoal has attractive qualties: when applid to the paper it can be stroked with a tissue which picks up the grainy particles and leaves a 'water colour like wash' appearance, or it can be rubbed into the texture of the paper with the finger so leaving a darker tone. It is transparent so that earlier pencil marks can still be seen, enabling the history of the construction and the making of the drawing to be recorded. Having a charcoal base allows graphite pencil marks to be placed on top (Derwent also do a tinted grahite block in the same colours. This has very different qualities). I do enjoy exploring the differences between the graphite pencil and tinted charcoal, both when used apart, or within the same drawing.

The Process 1

This is the first pose of the day run by Tony Tribe at Arts Alive in Crickhowell on November 26th. The model is Penny. This is a 10 minute pose.
In these 'Process' postings I want to try and relate the essence of my thinking at the time.
Here I was immediately attracted by the back of the head appearing over the shoulders as they curved away from me, and the curve of the back. These I explored on the A1 220gsm cartridge paper with a graphite pencil in each hand with fairly gentle flowing lines. Also the triangular gap/space/view formed by the arm, leg and torso through which I could see the folds of the tummy and the breast, was essential to emphasise in the drawing. I picked up two softer pencils and strengthened these components of the pose. But then I also wanted to let my drawing tell that I had appreciated the form of the whole pose, yet the scale I had already used to respond to the parts which had attracted me at the beginning meant the bottom, legs and feet should be off the paper. So this is where I employed my 'anagram' approach, which is when I include all the parts but deconstruct the pose and reconstruct the parts in a new relationship to each other. I then picked up a 7B or 8B pencil in my right hand and introduced heavy marks/lines at points of tonal contrast. Then time was up. Not sure what else I would have included with more time. I often say that it is important to stop before ones gets to the end, so knowing when I have reached a point in a process of mark-making, after which unnecessary/redundant and often damaging work can often be added, is for me a critical skill. For me this drawing holds the essence of what I was experiencing during the ten minute process.

'A new path?' ?.........continued.

This posting follows on from my posting of November 11th in which I included my drawings of the model Robin at 'extreme poses' in Stroud. That was my first life-drawing session after my Africa trip, and I suggested something different was occurring. With Paul Fowler, my mentor, we hinted at something different, and attempted to describe/define it. But I believe unsuccessfully. So here are my drawings from the next two Thursday morning sessions at 'extreme poses',   again Paul and I had conversations about them, and again he expressed interest in changes he was detecting. I am not sure what he is seeing and I am unsure what is happening, but I have a feeling that (dare I say) a fundamental move is on the way. In fact, and completely unrelated to my conversations with Paul, I was talking with Robin during our coffee break and she commented "There you are Bob, busily drawing away, as you always do with a pencil in each hand, and yet when I come to look at your work it always seems to be changing, subtle small changes but constant change". Let's waite and see if it is revolutionary or evolutionary change ........ I sense more of the later.

In the past I have regularly revealed my fascination with the tripartite relationship of 'the model...the drawing.....the artist'. I have talked before about the artist-model relationship and how both contribute to the success of the life-drawing session. However, I have just come across an exhibition catalogue 'Drawology' by Deborah Harty whose research is into 'Drawing is Phenomenology' see:       www.drawing-research-network.org.uk.   and here are two quotes which I feel may help me focus on what I feel is currently happening with my art.
   "drawing has the ability to record both its own making and the movement of the thoughts and body of the drawer"
   "(the process of) drawing unlocks the door between what is in the mind and what comes out on paper"
Whilst the emphasis here is on the artist-drawing relationship, which in the scientific process is being isolated so it can be studied, we should not forget the role of the model in the multi-directional interplay of the processes of interaction between the three contributors to the trilogy.

An enjoyable day at Arts Alive, Crickhowell.

A ten minute pose followed by two long ones, with Penny. Felt like getting the tinted charcoal out after a few weeks away from this medium.

Two-Pencil-Bob

Just a reminder that for over eighteen months now my drawings are the outcome of my having a pencil in each hand with simultaneous mark-making taking place during most of the process of making each drawing. Always at the beginning, but as the drawing nears its conclusion and selective lines need to be made I tend to revert to my former dominant hand. I include below an instance in which I used two pencils together in one hand. I am sure we have all tried this at some time. This photograph is by Judy Harington who joined me and a number of other artists on Laurie Steen's memorable course 'The Nature of Drawing' held at Coombe Farm Studios in Devon in May 2015.

In the second photo I am using two woodless graphite pencils. I like them long as they feel more like a true extension of my arms and there is lightness of touch.

Just found a friend.....

...........for my drawing of a male model from a few years ago. It is from a Pinterest site dealing with 'foreshortening'. Together with drawings of Robin included in my previous posting this is a further insight into how my art has changed over the years.

From life-drawing to an 'alive' drawing

I know that over the 8 or 9 years of my drawing the nude my art has changed. This blog records my journey, and I have regularly attempted to describe my approach and my evolving philosophy. In my last posting I recalled Paul Fowler's observation about what he saw taking place during that morning. I have reflected on his words and now feel that probably a significant moment or period has arrived or is emerging.

So its a good time to bring in a piece of writing by Hugo Colville (2013), which in fact I downloaded about 15 months ago when I first came across it and at the time it resonated with me but now the words seem very relevant by helping me externalise what I am currently doing and thinking.

He says, "I want my drawings to go into directions that enliven me. Let's have an 'alive' drawing rather than a life drawing". I have said in the past that I want my drawings to provoke. Not necessarily to provoke the beholder but to provoke myself to continue my journey. I believe I have been pursuing this approach for some years now. Here for example, from perhaps five/six years ago, are eight drawings of the reclining Robin made on the same day. In them I am stretching myself by exploring various media in a lively way. I would also claim they are 'alive' drawings in that in them I am consciously dealing with such issues as perspective, exaggerated foreshortening, composition and in some cases anatomical sensitivity. But above all I believe I am experimenting and searching for a way (perhaps a technique) of externalising an experience. However, there is much in Hugo Colville's writing that says so much more about where I now feel I am, so I will now recall those passages which I feel I closely relate to.

"I start with no preconceived plan" in fact I now tend to start with the part of the pose which immediately catches my attention for various reasons. Then, "As the drawing takes form, it dictates how the drawing developes to completion."

"So when I work, I do not know what I am going to do at all"  This is very difficult to follow, but I am working on it. "The idea arises from the working itself. There is this unfoldment which I participate in......to let it reveal itself. The whole problem is one of becoming sensitive to its intention, its unfolding". Here I recall my recent descriptions of my 'art as process' as one in which my drawing, my mark-making, is an externalisation, a realisation, a product or outcome of my feelings and what I am experiencing as I stand at my easel and engage in the emerging dialogue between myself and the pose and myself and the model.

"I discover the meaning, what it's about, through the doing. I don't have a meaning and then draw it - but draw it and the meaning comes through and tells me what I want to say."

"It's all about a truth to feeling rather than appearances."

"Adding line to line, they have an accumulative value whereby, hopefully, they enlighten and enhance one another."

"I aim to simplify the lines and articulate the image with a structural simplicity, constantly grasping what I think is essential and shaping it by trying to reveal its essence compellingly. I must try to draw the essence of things - eliminate everything unnecessary."    (this does not mean using an eraser to remove that which has already been drawn, but it means exactly what Paul Fowler is referring to i.e. the essence is brought to the paper through the artist, the essence is that which the artist has selected/responded to, is sensistive to, has a feeling for). 

 "Refine and spare down forms in order to arrive at their essence. Somehow it can all be said in a few lines. Lines that keep looking for truth and beauty, mystery of life. The expression of the drawing comes from the relationship of the lines togetherness, their linkage, the way it all binds together. The lines have to feel right together, they have to belong to each other. Its harmonising shapes. Its getting lines to greet each other."

"I want my drawings to go into directions that enliven me. Let's have an 'alive' drawing rather than a life drawing. I want to put peace and assurance and vivid stillness in every line."

"To-day, like most days, I shall draw a line."

So, many thanks to Hugo Colville, 2013


Now, when you have looked at these drawings refer then to the first two drawings from my previous posting, and compare. The question I ask is this 'Are they sufficiently different to be called 'drawings of the essence of my experience?'

A new path?

November 10th 2016, and I'm back at Paul Fowler's 'extreme poses' with the model Robin, after a break from drawing the nude of five weeks, and the extraordinary set of experiences in Africa. And an expectation within myself that I could expect to witness something different happening. But I had no plans, no intentions, except that I would attempt to free myself from any thoughts about what I might do. My bag contained a wide range of materials any of which I could pick up. I was still 'floating' within the aftermath of Africa.
So here are my five A1 drawings from the five 30 minute poses, and here are one or two immediate observations:
(I)  no use of my tinted charcoal pallette which I commented on in my last posting. I had no desire to use this medium as I entered the process of responding to Robin in the first pose. As the morning progressed I felt a satisfying excitement that I was engaging with something simple and straightforward, I.e. the mark of the pencil expressing my experience.
(ii) I did make a connection with my Africa drawings (yet to be posted on this blog) in that I felt a desire to be selective in the parts of the pose I put on the paper. I describe this as being able to have an 'awareness of the essence of my experience'. I ask if this is the same as 'the essence of the pose'?  But, probably not, as we all see and experience differently.
(iii) Paul Fowler commented at the end of the morning that I had left behind much of the complexities of my process. I like this, and it provides much food for thought.

Experiencing Africa through drawing: 1

On page 22 of my Africa drawing book I wrote a note which recorded for me a sudden insight into that which I had been observing for about eight days. It was about the colours. The colours of the soil, the colours of the flora. They were so similar to the colours I have been using in my life-drawings over the past months. The colours and the tonal values I was travelling through echoed the pallette I had been enjoying using and exploring. This I felt was an amazing connection between my art of the past year or so and my Africa journey. It was a sudden realisation. A kind of eureka moment.

( so, no drawings in this first of my Africa postings, a number of which I shall be posting over the coming weeks. Sylvia and I travelled for 4 weeks over 3200 miles across Botswana and Namibia then down through South Africa to Cape Town)