The final draft drawings are complete and I’m ready to scale them to actual size to fit the pre-cut wood blanks.I like drawing drafts that are smaller than the actual piece. Keeping the size so all of the art is within my field of vision helps me focus on the details in relation to the whole. … [Read more...]
These Two Branches Have to Go
There are two branches in this drawing that just bug me.When one or two elements that aren’t part of the focal point of the carving grab all the attention, then they just have to go. … [Read more...]
Drawing Seaweed Trees
Trees are wild things. Their branches grow out in all manner of odd ways that are a balance of supple sun seeking and stable strength stretching. Drawing trees for art’s sake misses most of that wildness. It was only when I began to make drawings from pictures of the trees in my neighborhood that I began to realize just how inaccurate my … [Read more...]
The Power of One Line and Suggestion
I'm taking an art class. It is enriching my world beyond measure. But, more than anything, it is showing me the power of suggestion in carvings and how we make up things that aren't even there. During the first still life drawing class I officially had my mind blown by adding just one line to the piece. It showed me how impressive the … [Read more...]
Carving to Cut Out – Making the Mindset Switch
Mastering a new technique takes patience and tenacity. With this current project, even clarifying the vision has become an exercise in shifting my mindset from carving to cut out. I'm not only changing style, I'm changing mediums. And my first draft drawing is glaring evidence that I'm only half way there with the shift. … [Read more...]