And suddenly we had three models!

Transport problems caused a delay in the arrival of the model; one of the artists who had also modelled in the past took her place; and then a third model arrived to take over. Eventually the transport problem was solved and we had the original model for a final pose. So three poses from three different models, and for me an amazing outcome.

Three drawings which reveal a significant exploration of my pre-occupations with Picabia's 'transparency, overlap and superimposition', with Cubism's 'simultaneous multi-viewpoints', and with my own challenge to myself of 'differing scales and perspectives in the same drawing'. Each drawing, I am claiming, touches on some aspect of all three of these current interests of mine, together with an element of 'ambiguity' and the 'morphing of parts' which I seem to enjoy.

The first and third drawings I am using fine-liner pens, and for the middle drawing I am using 2B/3B graphite pencils. All are with my two-handed drawing technique, on A1 220gsm cartridge paper.

I am not sure why I reverted to portrait format as recently I had turned to landscape format for a few drawings which I felt had introduced a freshness into my art.

Prior to this session with Tony Tribe at Peak Arts (formerly Arts Alive) in Crickhowell, Powys, from 10.00am thro' to 3.00pm on Saturday August 24th, I had taken a good look at my fifteen or so drawings from the three day double model sessions at Extreme Poses at Pegasus Art in Stroud run by Paul Fowler (see previous set of postings). I was particularly pleased with those involving the plinth (Nos 3 'the plinth comes into play').  And through the activity of studying these and going through a process of self-analysis, as has happened on previous occasions I seemed to have drawn a line on a particular identifiable and describable stage in my life-drawing journey.
So, having drawn the line, and having posted my drawing on my blog, which kind of takes them from within myself to the outer world, I was ready for something new. And along came a session with the freshness of three amazing models, and me raring to go. No sooner had I engaged with the essence of the first model and her pose, we were then challenged with a completely new situation with no time to rest, no time to reflect, no time to anticipate how the drawing may evolve. It was a most enjoyable and satisfying session, very intense, and stimulating.

Double Model at 'Extreme Poses' August 7/8/9 Nos4

Double Model at 'Extreme Poses' August 7/8/9 Nos3 [the plinth comes into play]

Double Model at 'Extreme Poses' August 7/8/9 Nos2

Double Model at 'Extreme Poses' August 7/8/9 Nos1

Penny July 27

Shelley: July 11th

I've talked in the past of 'continual change' in that which appears in my drawings from one session to the next. 'Evolutionary change' I believe describes the phenomena best. Most often small and perhaps imperceptible to the beholder. Yet significant to me.
After my break (during May and June) for my foot surgery I picked up my fine-liner pens and the outcome can be seen a few postings ago. My response was that nothing fresh was apparent, so in the next session I picked up my graphite pencils and the three superimposed (part) poses of Penny suggested something challenging to me. The feeling and ideas I had are best described in the quote I recently referenced by Jenny Saville
"If I draw thro' (and I would add 'and/or over') previous bodily forms in an arbitrary way or a contradictory way, unexpected forms emerge from the nature of the drawing...……..and it gives a visual shock"
For me, the 'shock'  is often that the resultant drawing 'reflects', 'encapsulates', 'enhances', 'holds the essence of', 'summarises', 'extracts' and 'provokes' the character, the quality, the gesture, the fundamental form, the spirit, the feeling, the engagement and the connection with the pose, i.e. 'the muse-artist dialogue'...……
OR
Is the true perception of the artist being revealed?
I am asking myself "Is this how I am seeing it?" Is this my inner self being brought out from the process and finding an expression and a format of communication thro' drawing?

Jenny Saville talks of unexpected forms emerging. Whilst is the past I have experienced the surprise to myself when I stand back and look at what has arrived on the paper, I do believe in that in my latest drawings I can apply her concept of a visual shock. Yet the shock does not remain purely a visual one from what one is looking at in the drawing. It is also a psychological shock to actually see some evidence of one's perceptual processes, presumably ones which are deeply sub-conscious, in operation during the making of the drawing.

My interest in the overlap and transparency of Francis Picabia is also playing a part in helping me gain insights into my art. When I draw one part of an anatomy on top of another I am not designing the drawing, I am much more allowing an experiment and exploration to take place, the outcome of which I will view (and perhaps analyse) when I stand back from my easel. I am liking the challenge I am setting myself to see if I can draw one thing on top of another, whilst avoiding any difficulty and confusion in my own mind, but in fact sometimes I am drawing behind and beyond that which has gone before. To me this represents a truly 'spatial enquiry'.