Drawings
Drawing has always been a central part of my artistic efforts. It requires a lifetime of effort. I have two series to show you, which I hope you enjoy.
Mayan face
I had not done a face from the past for some time (see series below) and so was ready for a new one when I went to the Royal Ontario Museum to see their Mayan exhibit in spring 2012. While there, I was drawn to a stucco head. The texture of the surface and the expression grabbed me right away. I knew I wanted to draw it. But I also could imagine the feeling of its surface and wanted to capture that. Somehow it came to me to bring it all together. I have some amate paper, which pre-Columbian civilizations used in Mexico. It's the light brown frame on the image. On top of that I painted the image area in black paint, using a brush and thickening the paint so that the brush would leave its trace. Then, what nobody ever suggested I do, I drew in pastel on paint. Trouble is, it comes off extremely easily, it does not stick at all. So I knew I would have to seal is. After three attempts at the sealing (and re-doing the drawing), I got it. It raises questions for me that cannot be answered - What do we really know of the maker, model or civilization from which this sculpture came? I hope to continue with some Mexican inspired imagery in future - just have to make the time for it.... Multimedia on amate paper.
Building by the Lake
In 2009, I took a Toronto School of Art course that made us focus just on lines - no colour, no shading. Took me a while to get it and then I focused on the frenetic building that is taking place by Toronto's waterfront. I would go down to a park and spend time painting with China ink on cheap paper. Lots of fun. Here are a very few images from that series. The photos are not good either, but that's OK, it was all rough and ready.
Faces of the Past
I love visiting museums, so it's natural that I draw there too. For this series, I wanted to improve my drawing of faces and masks are perfect. They don't move, the lighting is always the same and they are distorted to begin with. In a variety of museums in Toronto and Montreal, I have spent many evenings capturing some faces that became my enigmatic friends. I did these with pastels.
