A Day in the Life of one Artist

FROM time to time I run across visual images that clearly, whether they were intended to or not, quote from much older sources in the history of visual art.  I’ll categorize them under their visual ancestors.

THE LAST SUPPER

Leonardo Da Vinci, 1495-98, Sta. Maria delle Grazie, Milan, Italy

Ad for Januvia

Not all the disciples are present, but the intent is clear.  Compare the three part window in the background with Da Vinci’s background.  In the advertisement the central figure wears red as does Da Vinci’s central figure.  In addition the shape of the collar of the ad’s central figure is similar to Christ’s.  The central figure in the ad is higher in the picture plane as well as central.  This arrangement is closer to  Jacopo Bassano’s treatment of the last supper.  The halo is the tip-off though.

more to come

Untitled Drawing, 29″ x 23″ (74cm x 58cm), charcoal pencil and pastel on Strathmore 2 ply rag Bristol

Untitled Drawing, 29″ x 23″ (74cm x 58cm), charcoal pencil and pastel on Strathmore 2 ply rag Bristol

Untitled Drawing, 29″ x 23″ (74cm x 58cm), charcoal pencil and pastel on Strathmore 2 ply rag Bristol

Untitled Drawing, 29″ x 23″ (74cm x 58cm), charcoal pencil and pastel on Strathmore 2 ply rag Bristol

Untitled Drawing, 29″ x 23″ (74cm x 58cm), charcoal pencil and pastel on Strathmore 2 ply rag Bristol

Untitled Drawing, 29″ x 23″ (74cm x 58cm), charcoal pencil and pastel on Strathmore 2 ply rag Bristol

Untitled Drawing, 29″ x 23″ (74cm x 58cm), charcoal pencil and pastel on Strathmore 2 ply rag Bristol

Untitled Drawing, 29″ x 23″ (74cm x 58cm), charcoal pencil and pastel on Strathmore 2 ply rag Bristol

Untitled Drawing, 29″ x 23″ (74cm x 58cm), charcoal pencil and pastel on Strathmore 2 ply rag Bristol

Untitled Drawing, 29″ x 23″ (74cm x 58cm), charcoal pencil and pastel on Strathmore 2 ply rag Bristol

Untitled Drawing, 29″ x 23″ (74cm x 58cm), charcoal pencil and pastel on Strathmore 2 ply rag Bristol

Untitled Drawing, 29″ x 23″ (74cm x 58cm), charcoal pencil and pastel on Strathmore 2 ply rag Bristol

CHUCK:  I think about seven of these drawings are from the last two weeks, February 4 and 11.  The rest are from earlier in 2010.  Drawing 5 and 6 are intended as a pair.  These are inspired from the a child’s ladder drawing.

We have a category that we call “Predator/Prey.”  The first and last drawing would probably fall into that category.  The requirement is that something looks like an aggressor, and something else looks like something about to be eaten.  Sometime there is a witness.  In the first drawing, the spiney, tentacular object in the upper right is the aggressor.  The amoeba-like thing at the bottom is the probable target.  Some way, somehow the other thing looks like it can take care of itself.  Perhaps, in the last drawing the predator in the middle is just cruising.  It does have an ugly overbite.

CHUCK: From time to time while we draw, Edna and I toss around a few ideas about the visual arts - what it is we do, why we do it, how we do it, what we do it with and whom we do it to.  In the studio one of us jots the ideas on a scrap of paper.  You may hear from Edna directly.  She’ll add her ideas and comments in this space.

Since the above is not very clear, here is what is written.

Appropriateness implies

correctness in some sense

what sense?

something that impels us (what?

something that we obey

respectful

suggests we think about (it)

not necessarily do it

some observer may want an “ear” at

some place, but we [do] not feel

impelled to put an “ear” some place

Who knew?

EDNA: When we go to a “word” place instead of a drawing place, the words seem to tumble out the way the drawings do. We have to hear them before we can recognize them and decide if they are what we actually mean. It’s another experiment and probably will have some surprises for us if we are lucky.

Untitled Drawing, 29″ x 23″ (74cm x 58cm), charcoal pencil and pastel on Strathmore 2 ply rag Bristol

Untitled Drawing, 29″ x 23″ (74cm x 58cm), charcoal pencil and pastel on Strathmore 2 ply rag Bristol

Untitled Drawing, 29″ x 23″ (74cm x 58cm), charcoal pencil and pastel on Strathmore 2 ply rag Bristol

Untitled Drawing, 29″ x 23″ (74cm x 58cm), charcoal pencil and pastel on Strathmore 2 ply rag Bristol

Untitled Drawing, 29″ x 23″ (74cm x 58cm), charcoal pencil and pastel on Strathmore 2 ply rag Bristol

THESE are the drawings we did January 21 and 28.  Yes, they do look a little like flowers or flower parts.  The first and last drawing represent the formal problem (How I hate that word.) so maybe I’ll just say “task” of deciding where to put a shape that is connected to the bottom of sheet.  Where along the spectrum from far left to far right, or even partially going off the sheet.  In the case of the last drawing, we had an idea of what do to from our warm up in the morning.  We elaborated on the morning drawing adding a few more details and expanding the colors.  This image works because there is a certain amount of space needed to complete the visual clues the drawing gives.  Most likely the viewer’s eye begins at the elongated shape with the eye-catching magenta.  Initially the magenta was too demanding, and we erased the color until it fit better with the green, until the viewer’s eye could disengage easily from the magenta.  The eye continues down along the green “stem” to the bottom of the sheet.  From there the viewer’s eye goes back up to elongated shape for a more detailed look at what this thing is or may be.  The weighted end of the magenta and black shape points down to the empty space on the right, making the empty space part of the drawing.  This makes the space in the drawing uncertain and interesting.  The white around the drawing on the left is understood as background to the drawn shapes, but over on the right some of the undefined blank white is a space that is in the part of the drawing on the left and not background.  The effect is created by leading the viewer’s eye from the magenta shape down to the right.

Edna.

Whirligig #54, front view, largest diameter 24″ (61cm)

Whirligig #54, rear view

Whirligig #54, detail

WIRLIGIG #54 has three sets of blades, each set bigger that the one in front.  After having finished the drawings, I decided to increase the number of blades from six per set to 10 per set.

Whirligig #53 (front), 26″ x 20″ x 16″(66cm x 51cm x 41cm), aluminum, brass, steel washers, African mahogany, assorted hardware, sign paint

Whirligig #53 (back)

Whirligig #53 (detail)

Whirligig #53

Four Sets of Rotating Arms

Eight Industrial Bearings

Zephyr Rated*

movement in 3 mph air

see it move

Untitled Drawing, 29″ x 23″ (74cm x 58cm), charcoal pencil and pastel on Strathmore 2 ply rag Bristol

Untitled Drawing, 29″ x 23″ (74cm x 58cm), charcoal pencil and pastel on Strathmore 2 ply rag Bristol

Untitled Drawing, 29″ x 23″ (74cm x 58cm), charcoal pencil and pastel on Strathmore 2 ply rag Bristol

Untitled Drawing, 29″ x 23″ (74cm x 58cm), charcoal pencil and pastel on Strathmore 2 ply rag Bristol

Untitled Drawing, 29″ x 23″ (74cm x 58cm), charcoal pencil and pastel on Strathmore 2 ply rag Bristol

Untitled Drawing, 29″ x 23″ (74cm x 58cm), charcoal pencil and pastel on Strathmore 2 ply rag Bristol

Untitled Drawing, 29″ x 23″ (74cm x 58cm), charcoal pencil and pastel on Strathmore 2 ply rag Bristol

THE first six drawings are from the January sessions, the 7th and the 14th.  The seventh drawing is from last December.  We took a while to decide about it.  What was there to decide?  Having the pointy, pinky things entering the space from the left edge was hard for my eye to accept initially, but, after immature consideration, I think it works. The broken, looping path bulging down to the right keeps the balance.

Edna had visitors over New Year’s.  Several of the visitors were children about 3 years to 9 years old.  They left glorious drawings galore for us to consider.  The top four drawings are based on one three-year-old child’s drawing.  The fifth and sixth drawings are based on theme appearing in another child’s drawing.  The two drawings are below.

Spur Gear for a Whirligig, large 12 tooth gear 4 1/4″ dia. (10.9cm), small 6 tooth gear 2 3/8″ dia. (6.1cm), .032″ 5052H32 aluminum sheet

Detail of meshing teeth

I have spent several weeks studying gears about which I knew nothing. I have succeeded in simplifying fashioning the gear so that it is easy and quick to make and reliable.  In coming weeks I’ll provide information about how to make the gears. (Interestingly enough, my father and his father spent nearly all of their working lives, a total of about 80 years or more, employed in some way making gears at the axle division of Eaton Yale and Towne in Cleveland, Ohio.  The plant made heavy-duty truck axles among other things.  At the time of this photo, 1966, my father, acting plant manager, probably knew the man at the machine.)

The Song of Love Cannot Be Heard on Interstate 10, digital photo

The Song of Love Cannot Be Heard on Interstate 10, digital photo (2nd state)

AFTER considering this photo for a while, I darkened the midtones and shifted the color to less green and more magenta.  I also lightened the street lamp near the center.  I think this gives a more uneasy look.  The dirty haze shows up better.  After all, an unpolluted sky lightens in value as if nears the horizon.

THE past few weeks I have been dealing with the mystery and melancholy of meshing gears, in particular, spur gears, which are sexy and complex.  Wow, those involute curves make me breathless.  Maybe it’s mechanical engineers, blond or otherwise, who have more fun.  Any way, a conquest is in sight.