Day three hundred and four: I have a new favorite print by the 16th-century German printmaker, Albrecht Dürer. It’s an early etching, and one of the handful he made in what was, at the time, an entirely new print medium. I saw an impression of the untitled print for the first time at work today. […]
Tagged Dürer, face, pencilDay three hundred and three: When I look out the back window, I see another window across the alleyway. It’s not a stunning view of the skyline or a park, but I like the way it looks: the geometry of the panes, the bricks below, and the patterns of the weather-worn stucco.
Tagged conte crayonDay three hundred and two: Encouraged by the response I received for yesterday’s sketch, I decided to try the same scene in pastel. Ha! It took seemingly forever. Of course, since much of the complicated architecture is mirrored in the water, I had to make everything twice. And upside down. So in the end I […]
Tagged architecture, landscape, pastelDay three hundred and one: One year ago I was in Padua, Italy, and snapped a photograph of the Monastery of Santa Giustina and its reflection in a pool at the nearby park. For lack of energy at the end of a long week, I made only a rapid sketch of the scene. The original […]
Tagged landscape, pencilDay three hundred: In the mood to explore conte crayon again this evening, it occurred to me that it might be a good medium to create a dynamic night sky. Black conte crayon naturally leaves little tiny spots of paper, which I thought might appear like stars. So, I found a photograph of the milky […]
Tagged conte crayon, landscapeDay two hundred and ninety-nine: A teacher from the University of Pennsylvania brought her class of artists to look at a group of amazing drawings in the study room today. I spent two sessions looking at them, and listen to her and her students discuss them in depth. I was inspired to try a fresh […]
Tagged conte crayon, face, figure studyDay two hundred and ninety-eight: I got a late start sketching, so I’m keeping this brief. The dinner party for my friends and colleagues that I’ve been planning was a fun success. I had a terrific time cooking several of my favorite dishes to make a little tasting menu. And it just happened to be […]
Tagged food, pencilDay two hundred and ninety-seven: A busy evening left me little time or energy for sketching, so I wanted to do something simple and brief. But I needed a subject… Gathering up the recycling, I was reminded of two drawings on view at the PMA by The Dufala Brothers, a pair of environmentally conscious contemporary […]
Tagged watercolorDay two hundred and ninety-six: I’ve surrendered to utter silliness this evening after a day of planning, cleaning, and cooking. I’m hosting a dinner at my apartment for a group of colleagues from work on Tuesday, and so I’ve busied myself in preparation. Caprica is not allowed in the kitchen when hot ovens are roasting […]
Day two hundred and ninety-five: Poking about photos I’ve taken in art museums, I ran across several from the Munch Museum in Oslo, Norway. At the time, in 2009, I remember being surprised by his color choices in several of the paintings, and the bold use of brushstroke Munch used to blend the colors on […]
Tagged abstract, face, munch, oil, pastel