Enwrapped

A small drawing on handmade Indian paper, done with soluble carbon (not ink) and a brush. The carbon was much darker than I expected, & is at least partially erasable, so this might work as a drawing medium that gives me the richness of ink but with more flexibility...further study is needed...

Enwrapped, 2017, brush & soluble carbon on handmade paper, 8.5" x 6" approx.

On the scanner: Mexican chocolate bar wrapper

The first in a possible new series of blog postings where I scan something interesting, artistic or otherwise: my daughter was recently on vacation in Mexico, & among the gifts she returned with was this chocolate bar, which I thought was worth the time to scan. On the right of the image is Spanish/English text which describes the imagery better than I could. Click on the image to zoom in for more legible text.

Mexican chocolate bar wrapper

Fun with Glitches

I was just playing around with a glitch generator on this web site: http://jkirchartz.com/Glitchy3bitdither/GlitchCruiser.html
Basically, glitch art mimics various "errors" that can occur on computer & video screens, for example when interference, scanlines, noise, ghosting etc. appear in digital images. It's an interesting way to corrupt & destroy your artwork (virtually) & can bring out all kinds of random characteristics that might possibly be beautiful in themselves and/or lead to other creative ideas (or not). Here are a few I created...I could have gone much further, but felt that I wanted to retain something of  the original image (Asleep in the Abyss). Enjoy.

Asleep in the Abyss, 2002, brush & ink on paper, 6" x 5.5"

The Veiling of the Bride

Two versions of a new drawing piece—the first was done on a circle of cardboard that came in a frozen pizza packet (waste not, want not), the second, more worked version is on actual drawing paper. The first one is simpler, the second much more complex—I like both for those reasons.

The Veiling of the Bride, 2017, ink on cardboard, 10.75" diameter approx.

The Veiling of the Bride, 2017, ink on paper, 24" x 18".

Bruegel

I was in Saugerties today (nearby town across the Hudson River from here) in a used bookstore...there is a very nice one there called "Our Bookshop", where I found this large Bruegel book. The book is from 1987, so the printing quality is a little dated, but it seems to be filled with wonderful images. I've always liked Breugel, with his drawings & paintings packed full of interesting, beautiful & grotesque detail, so I'm preparing to feast on this. And it was only $12. Bargain.

The Rocks of Oblivion

A fairly densely drawn new piece, pushing the number of brushed-in lines to some kind of extreme. I was wondering if it would be too much, but perhaps not...

The Rocks of Oblivion, 2017, 24" x 18"

The Isle of the Cyclops

Continuing the island theme (see postings below), here is a small tondo of the fictional Isle of the Cyclops...inspired in part by Böcklin's Isle of the Dead, but with my own twist.

The Isle of the Cyclops, 2017, acrylic on plywood, 6.5" diameter approx.

Medusa 2017

Ink drawing from this morning of a Medusa—a recurring theme in my work. Kept it simple, which is usually best. Third drawing of 2017.

Medusa, 2017, brush & ink on paper, 24" x 18"

The Island of Winter (drawing)

It's customary to do a drawing first, and then a painting later. I sometimes, such as now, reverse that process. I did the little painting The Island of Winter a few days ago (below), and tonight I did the much larger drawing of the same name & idea. Maybe at some point I'll do another painting, but larger still. Also, my second drawing of 2017.

The Island of Winter, 2017, brush & ink on paper, 18" x 24".

A World Made of Dreams

My first ink drawing of 2017, featuring the god Morpheus (lord of sleep and dreams). Not a bad start to the year, not a perfect drawing by any means, but a good omen, I think.

A World Made of Dreams, 2017, brush & ink on paper, 24" x 18".