I had an idea to help me produce a body of work, as that is what I learned in last summers Art Salon meetings. Build up a body of work. Good thing it isn't build MY body, because I'd never get around to that, it's too hard. Not my body, the building the body part! So, I let my idea simmer for awhile and I came up with a series to draw.
I would draw men in their hats. I love looking at men, I have to admit. I love looking at women and babies and people, but with so many people, I had to narrow it down a bit. So I started at home, with my wonderful husband.
My husband, Michael, has a nice hat, we picked it up at the Irish Shop in Cocoa Village last year. He looks really good in it too. So, I thought I'd start with him and the drawing turned out pretty good.
Originally, I wanted my graphite drawings to have one color in it. Like the Earrink drawing. But colored pencil is VERY hard for me at this point, to mix with graphite, especially on a scale of an entire hat. The earring wasn't too hard, but I didn't want to have pure colored pencil, at least not yet! I might explore that dimension later, for now though, I just want a hint of color.
So, I found some tinted charcoal! Yeah!
Boo! Hiss! Snarl! Charcoal is a beast to work with...it is so messy, it sticks to anything it touches, my fingers, the counter-top, and the floor. It gets on the floor when I have to erase and then whisk it off the paper.
You see, I have to use a whisk, because if I blow the charcoal off, little bits of spittle can mar the surface of the paper, and then it leaves little marks. I don't want that to happen, so I had a challenging time not only with the charcoal, but with the texture of the hat. It is a tweed and I've never duplicated tweed before.
But, it all turned out good. What was I so worried about? I'm finding out that artists worry A LOT about how their work is going to turn out. Sometimes I can get in the zone, and it doesn't matter if it turns out good, what matters is that I am putting down on the paper just what I like. When I'm not in the zone, I worry.
So, getting in the zone, and staying in the zone, that's my goal! My second drawing wasn't of a man, it was of my grandson, in a hat that I got him for winter. I was in the zone the whole time, and I love that drawing so much, I couldn't stop looking at it for the whole next day!
I have a name for the feeling I get when I make something that moves me, like this drawing did, it made me feel more than happy, I was ecstatic and glad and joyful all in the same minute, artgasmic!
Not all my drawings are artgasmic, but pretty darn close. I feel satisfied, proud of my accomplishment, happy. So, I am wondering why do I feel artgasmic with some, and not all? Something I'll be thinking about in the days to come, while I am completing my Men in Hat series.
My third drawing was of a friend of my daughter,Tim Yon. Tim has been over for dinner a few times, and one night he came over and had on his knit cap. I hope I didn't scare him, because I saw an opportunity right in my kitchen, Man in Hat! and I think I probably shouted, "Can I take your picture?"
He was a good sport, and said yes! I could take his picture to use for a drawing. It turned out good and he liked it so much when I posted it, he's using it as his Profile picture now. I think that is a huge compliment.
I saw a gentleman in the grocery store one day, he was wearing a leather cap. I loved it, and I said, "I like your hat." He said thanks and went about his way. Later, in the meat department, he approached me and asked if I knew how to fix some meat dish. I never heard of it, and he went on to explain how to fix it. I found out he was Greek, and he was making this Greek dish for his wife, for their dinner.
I couldn't resist telling him again that I liked his hat, and that I was doing a series of drawings of Men in Hats. "Could I take your picture?" I blurted out. He said "Yes". and then I realized I didn't have my camera. Boo Hoo! that would have been a killer drawing, seriously.
My most recent drawing is of the marketing director and curator at Pizza Gallery and Grill, a local 'not just' pizza place. www.pizzagalleryandgrill.com It is of Jamie Meagher, pronounced Marr, roll your r r r r's, it's Irish. I met Jamie when I answered a Call for Art, a posting in Facebook. He reviewed my skimpy portfolio and accepted my work in the Face to Face -an exhibition of Eclectic Portraits. I have 4 pieces in this show, go take a look before March 6th.
