H is for HER

This summer I taught a week long workshop on Faces. In the process of researching fabulous faces painted by artists I stumbled across Kees Van Dongen, a Dutch Fauvist who painted in the early to mid 20th century . I had never seen his work before.
I LOVE it.

His paintings are bold, vibrant, colorful portraits that absolutely tell a story about each woman in his paintings. Some describe his work as garish - to me his work is glorious.

I have spent hours looking at copies of his portraits, especially focusing on the way he used color -  green shadows? Cool.

So, I have been trying to learn how he makes this work by copying some of his pictures. Instead of paint, I have been working in pastels to get a feel for the layers of color. Today's face seems to have captured the Art Deco girl (my favorite style), the cool soft coloring, and still let my own style come through.

H is for High Rise

High Rise

After weeks of drawing and painting rural landscapes with trees and mountains, when I sat down to play the other day, I turned my page from landscape to portrait ( or from hamburger to hot dog as my kid students say, ) and drew a few vertical lines. Then a curve and then another. Before I knew it, a city scene began to appear. I decided to just keep making lines and see where it took me.

I find that water is appearing in many of my scenes now, and  I am still fascinated by working flat - without shadow. This drawing was a great way to learn about creating depth simply by placing one shape behind another.

Is this a drawing of downtown Portland, aka Bridgetown? Is this an art deco city? My memories of home in New York?  Maybe, possibly, could be. Wherever this imagined city is, I am very pleased with the result.

I am learning that for me at least, my creativity is unleashed by NOT planning and predetermining what I am going to draw or paint. I regularly structure a project for myself -  by choosing materials and a method, and then just let  something appear and go with it.

Honestly, this has resulted in more than a few garbage liners, but, the more I let myself just draw and play, the more I discover unexpected faces and places and feelings.  And the more I love lines.

This drawing is 9x12. Sharpies and markers on watercolor paper.