Paper and Threads

My favorite flowers of the season are the Dinner Plate Hibiscus at Battery Park City Wagner Gardens.  I hadn't been to the Art Programs for several weeks because of the weather, and was thrilled that they were still blooming everywhere at my next visit. 

After drawing the flowers, I walked to South Cove for Figure al Fresco - our outdoor figure drawing session is close to NY Harbor and the Hudson River as it reaches the Harbor.  Our model was Regina, an old favorite of mine because I've been drawing her, at several different venues, since 2012.

2 Minute Poses:  I'm still playing with the line of action method - drawing quick lines to establish the pose, and then "fleshing out the body."  I think this helps me with the short poses, and the complicated positions.  Drawings were done with a General Sketch and Wash pencil and then spread with clear water and a waterbrush.

5 Minute Poses:

10 Minute Pose:   

Posted by Shirley at 6:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City has a Delacroix Drawing Exhibit this summer.  He is one of my favorite draftsmen and this exhibit was wonderful.  These are two patrons at the exhibit.

I took many photos so I could do a few ink drawings at home.  Here is one head, from a big sheet of head drawings.  I used a dip pen and walnut ink.

This was one of my favorite drawings because I love his drawings with a loose style.  It isn't one that I would attempt to copy as drawing practice.

The Morgan Library and Museum has a Wayne Thiebaud exhibit this summer.  I regularly see his oil paintings at auction previews, but never previously saw his drawings.  I did several sketches from his graphite drawings and then painted them at home.  I'm also including photos of several of his works on paper that were a surprise to me.

Thiebaud's watercolor of his famous candy apples theme.

Thiebauds beautiful graphite drawing of an Ice Cream Cone

Posted by Shirley at 6:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Figure Drawings from "After Breakfast:"  These are my 10 minute line of action figure drawings that are done on scraps of used copy paper while sitting at the kitchen counter as soon as I finish breakfast.  I began to do these when my dominant hand wrist was broken, and still enjoy the challenge.  These were drawn from photos from a second hand book entitled:  The Human Form is Action and Repose by Phil Brodatz amd Dori Watson (1966).  

After I cut out the figures from my 4.25 X 5.5" pieces of scrap copy paper, and lined them up on a sketchbook page, they reminded me of a photo from our family archives. This photo was taken from my college newspaper of the modern dance group, as we practiced for a performance.  I'm the dancer kneeling in front.

Dance is a big part of my life:  Tap from age 4-14, Modern in high school and college, and Classic Ballet classes beginning at age 32!  I still go to a weekly ballet barre class here in NYC (at Steps) to maintain discipline and flexibility. 

I'm not sure if the used book listed above is still available, but these are nude photos of a man, and a woman, in MANY separate photos.   

Posted by Shirley at 6:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

We are having almost daily rain and threats of thunderstorms this summer, and I didn't go to the Wednesday Adult Art Programs in Battery Park City for several weeks.  These were the newest blooming flowers in Wagner Park.

Figure al Fresco is also held in Battery Park City on Wednesday - in South Cove.  Our model was Sophie and I enjoy drawing her.  I do rapid sketches with a General Sketch and Wash pencil, and then use water in a waterbrush to add the gray tones.

5 min poses

10 min

Almost 15 min

Posted by Shirley at 6:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

On July 21st there was an Opinion Column in the New York Times called "My Left Hand vs. My Right Hand" and friends sent me links and copies of the article.  It was a fun read!

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/21/opinion/sunday/my-left-hand-vs-my-right-hand.html 

Readers of this blog might remember that I had a Colles Fracture of my left wrist (dominant hand) on March 23rd.  Artist friends from several online art groups suggested that I should draw with my non-dominant hand while I was in a cast , and I DID!  It was wonderful planning each day's drawing and I filled my sketchbook wirh ink drawings during the 6 weeks.  My cast was removed on May 3rd and I had significant limitations in movement and moderate pain.  I began physical therapy the following week and was just discharged on from PT.

The author of the article, Liza Donnelly, is a cartoonist, and she worried about her arms - the broken one and the now neglected one.  She thought that drawings with her non-dominant hand were much looser, and looked more like her drawings from childhood.  She wondered if these drawings were tapping into her original creativity.  She has other wonderful questions and emotions, and compares the drawings done with each hand.  I agree with her that straight lines and especially printing was VERY difficult with my non-dominant hand.

After reading the article I wanted to compare the drawings done with my two hands.  Here are both drawings for comparison:  

April 19, 2018  Non-Dominant Hand Drawing done 4 weeks after being put in my cast.

August 1, 2018  After 12 weeks of physical therapy.

I'd be interested in people's comments or experiences.  

Most of the non-dominant hand drawings I did in my cast are in this folder on my blog: 

http://www.paperandthreads.com/nondom_hand_drawings/

Posted by Shirley at 6:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)