Something new? I feel it is but not sure what.

We've had a break for over a week from life-drawing. Always an expectation after a break. It's February 23rd at 'extreme poses' with the amazing Shelley suspended in Paul Fowler's studio at Pegasus Art in Stroud. Shelley is now exploiting the potential of the ropes. Here she presents amazing poses. In each of these I started with a close up of engagement with the anotomical complexity before my eyes, then I superimposed a suggestion of the overall outline of the pose. Then I returned to each of these to emphasise clarity in the composition. I have also resisted the heavy line, the value and intention of which I have spoken about many times previously.

Five 30 minute poses

At 'extreme poses' in Stroud on February 9th 2017. No conscious approach to the morning. However, in my deep subconscious I am engaged with 'superimpositioning', 'transparency', 'morphism', 'ambiguity' and 'anagramism'.

On the plinth

I lowered my easel and sat so that I could look up at this pose and explore (a) the monumentality of the legs, and (b) the gravitational journey of the head resting on the hand, resting on the knee, resting on the foot, resting on the plinth. I included only one eye. Deliberately. 

Nothing too serious here: just playing around with some quick poses

I'm feeling good, with my art.

My art has become fundamental in my well-being.

Sue and Michelle

Yesterday evening we had Sue and Michelle to model for us at Claudia's class in Monmouth. I have had the pleasure of drawing these two 'larger' ladies many times before. I know them well, and to such an extent that I feel I have well explored, on many occasions, their overall composition as they pose adjacent and usually 'blending in' with each other. So, here you will see that I was most interested in continuing with my some of my current set of issues, which I have been describing in recent postings.

process 5: morphism

I'm very pleased with these three drawings which illustrate how I am playing with parts of a pose by juxtaposing them in a new relationship which then presents something very different to a direct representstional drawing of a nude figure. Its almost a new sort of creature. Organic with clear human anatomical origins. I'm really enjoying this aspect of my life-drawing process.

process 6: abstract, counterbalance and complexity

This is really a very simple drawing. There are two parts of the pose which I have superimposed. One is the triangular view between the upper arm and the thigh and the other is the curved lines of the back of the model which extend from the top to the bottom of the drawing. Here there is no need for a reconstruction of a deconstructed pose as sufficient interest is generated by the view between the limbs. In other words I have not needed to challenge myself to make something of interest out of a 'normal' pose, because I was immediately attracted by an aspect of the pose and then set about exploring its potential on the paper. The line of the back was then included because this also just had to be responded to.

process 4: anagramatic

'Anagramatic' maybe the one issue which links these drawings but their content deales with the superimposed, and there is overlap and complexity. With regard to mark-making I have utilised the heavy lines of an 8B pencil to introduce a boldness and extrea contrast.

process 3: tentative

I have placed these five drawings in a 'tentative' category as I feel (at the moment) they don't make a specific point and are not worth keeping. However, at some future date they may assume a relevance. We shall see.

process 2: tonal

process 1: 5 and 10 minute quick responses

From the last 10 days these are all with the wonderful Penny.

A reflective moment

My latest postings (January 2017) have revealed an attempt to stand back and describe what is currently taking place in my life-drawing process. Yet I feel somewhat uneasy with myself when doing this. Why am I not content with the straightforward act of standing in front of a model and drawing what I am seeing? Why do I complicate my life by analysing, describing and questioning? Why do I spend time researching the work of artists to seek parallels?
How long does it take for an 'artist' to not be concerned about how the drawing will finish, to not have a 'picture' in their mind of the end product? But to just draw, and to stop drawing at a particular moment, and to say - "Here it is!"   Then, the drawing is simply the outcome of the moment of looking and drawing. It's all about 'confidence' to draw, whatever the subject, where ever the location, however one feels, whatever the outcome.

I'm now going to post my drawings from the past ten days from about January 23rd thro to February 2nd. Three different venues. But like my recent postings I have grouped the drawings. The difficulty I am finding is to come up with a singular 'heading' which is succinct for a particular set of drawings. For me, each drawing takes on a number of issues and develops them in different ways and to varying depths. So , what are these issues? Here are some of the terms which I have recently used in describing my work. What I am saying is that whereas a particular drawing may have a principal engagement with one of these issues then it will also be addressing a number of other issues.

Ambiguity
Morphism
Abstract figurative
Deconstruction
Anagram
Counterbalance
Distortion
Provocative
Transformation
Journey through the composition
Process art
Overlapping

Transformation

A drawing is a record of the making of the drawing
Contrasting mark making - weight of line.

I will use a standard heading for these latest drawings: 'process 1, 2, 3.....etc.'