Is the outcome greater than the sum of the parts?

These are the five drawings from Extreme Poses on May 19th which I intrduced in my previous posting. They represent five different responses to drawing a pose and present a sort of summary of some of my current preoccupations. But there is a constant, which is that in each case I have been attracted to more than one aspect of each pose and have then drawn each 'attraction' in a way that differentiates it from the other(s). I have decided not to analyse and describe here each process I went through with each pose and how each drawing emerged, but I will record, at this moment in time in this diary, that I feel that the 'mechanism' (if I can call it that without being too mechanical) which helped to deconstruct then reconstruct the human form, may be found and has been addressed in one way or another in earlier postings.
So what am I attempting to say? Probably no more than: I am on a journey, I am interested in my art, I am a student of both my art and my journey, I want to keep moving/evolving/making-steps/not-standing-still/discovering.

A relaxed and diverse morning

Here are my drawings from the five 30 minute poses this morning by the model Robin up in the ropes at Extreme Poses run by Paul Fowler. I agreed with Paul's comments to me that some interesting developments had emerged but I want to take time to consider these. So I will not enter into my usual posting of instant description and analysis but take time to reflect on the steps being indicated by these drawings in my life-drawing journey.
However, it is clear to me that I have responded to each pose in a different way. There are not five 'similar' responses, which is more usual. So I ask myself why this is. I intend to give some thought to this question. But I do feel that I have shown to myself that I can maintain evolutionary change in my art, which you may recall I was having some doubts about a week or so ago. It may be that today I opened up, suggested, initiated, provoked, within myself a number of future paths. We shall see. 

I intend to post these drawings individually in a day or so, with my observations.

Fulfillment 2

Like my life-drawing experience described in the previous posting I feel a further sense of fulfillment with this drawing of Andrea.
She is in the same pose as two weeks ago. Then I followed my 'anagram' approach and focussed on selected parts of the pose which I brought together in my drawing in a different spatial organisation. Upon reflection I felt that I did not do justice to the beautiful way she held and presented her body. In fact I felt that I had violated something rather special.
This feeling, this understanding, this self-criticism, this concern, came back to me time and time again over the past week or so. My drawings lie all over the place in my house, and every time I looked at this particular one I felt remedial action was essential. Not only to show myself that I could do better, by being more sensitive to the qualitative aspects of the pose, but to announce that I am capable of delivering a drawing which matches the quality of the pose and hence celebrates the attributes of the model.
I wanted to attach the upper part of pose to the edge of the paper (something I have extracted from my love of the works of Egon Schiele) and then to take the figure into the space of the paper. I decided that I would not distract or violate this simple form by adding or overlapping with other body parts. This was going to be, right from the start, a straightforward response to the pose as presented to me (in fact, I had decided to do a drawing of this pose, from the same location, well ahead. This is quite fascinating: usually, if one has a plan, as soon as one starts, the plan goes out of the window. Something is different, there are so many variables which can change to upset a pre-determined plan of work). But, this time, I stuck to my plan! And it was successful.

This is a two-handed drawing, using three layers of graphite pencils, with a fourth mark-making of Derwent tinted charcoal. Here I am using three colours. To start with I use a tissue to caress the pigment which lifts the courseness off the paper, and leaves a gentle wash of tone. Later I push with my finger the colour into the texture of the paper resulting in a darker and more intense tone. A little grease from my finger helps this effect.

Again, I am using 220gsm A1 white cartridge paper. And drawing is exclusively by 'two-pencil-bob'.

Fulfillment 1

Every so often I experience a satisfying and (I must admit) a rewarding sense of achievement. Last evening with Penny the model was one such occasion.  I have drawn Penny, and so have come to know Penny as a real friend, over about eight years or so. Each time, I engage with her not just as a model. I have written, in previous postings, about this amazing relationship that can emerge between model and artist, when a shared and participative engagement produces something special.
This may not be a top quality work of art, but in its making I believe I have celebrated Penny's unique character. The shapes of her thighs, the fullness of her bum, which then engages with the twist of her spine, these are all parts of the theatre of her pose.
The composition was started with the legs and feet in a 'line drawing'. This is what attracted me to start with. I then realised that I could not leave this drawing without bringing in, acknowledging,  and celebrating her buttocks and the body twist. This focus then became a preoccupation, to which I introduced my tinted charcoal tonal mark-making.

Skeleton to the rescue!

One of those, but glad to say infrequent, events when the model does not appear. A frantic phone call to another model, Paul the gardener, resulted in him putting his chainsaw away and legging it in to Stroud to arrive in the studio to give us two hours up in the ropes. In the meantime, the ever inventive Paul Fowler invited his skeleton to pose for us. This he did, then when Paul the model arrived he joined the skeleton to do a duet. After which we had Paul the model to ourselves.

John again.

Two postings ago I talked of John the model and his contribution to the doubts I was having about my life-drawing journey. Thanks to his insight and words of wisdom I am now fully recovered, and back travelling.
Here are my drawings of John from last Monday evening. Claudia obtained a tug-of-war rope which John did various things with.

Is it a myth? Is he a legend? Now, the revelation! Two-pencil-bob is a reality.

My postings since about October 2012 have revealed and discussed my two-handed-drawing. Yes I do use both hands, making marks simultaneously.  You will see here that currently this involves my graphite pencils being held at their ends so making them a true extension of my fingers at the extremities of my arms. I stand at my easel moving back and forth engaging my body and my mind in a kinetic process. In this very spatial and mobile activity I assume that both sides of my brain are called upon. If this is happening then from the left side I bring into play my 'logical, sequential, rational, analytical, objective , and looking at the parts' approach, and from the right side my 'random, intuitive, holistic, synthesizing, subjective, looking at wholes' approach.