Meer and Far, 12.03.12

Second Autumn has found its way to New York with a near 60 degree day or two.  I’m getting over a cold but found the willpower to hasten my way down to the meer after a few weeks “off”*.

Kathleen gave me a bunch of cold-press single sheets and i’ve changed gears a bit.  This highly textured paper brings more painterly surface as you can scumble with more flair.  The above i think to be my most successful drawing to date at the meer.  Love the composition.  You may recognize it as the sole tree on top of a rocky hill.  In other examples it’s usually flanked by larger trees in the foreground.  As the trees at the meer are now mostly bare, the compositions have changed.  The thick line at the bottom is the water’s edge and the noise to the left is a thickness of reeds growing there.

Below is a pairing of trees on the south shore that i’ve grown in love with.  They too have been illustrated before.  I like what i’m doing with the background here.  I’m not sure what i liked about the symmetry in the lampposts now that i look back on it.

This hollow below should have been more successful.  As interesting as the trees are, the noise in the thicket on the ground cover had this Andrew Wyeth volume to it.  That was the part that attracted me to this.  Just not quite there yet.

And finally, a drawing that i love but i’ve failed.  It’s the Bad Tree on the point on the south shore.  The rocky ledge that borders it is shown now that the leaves have pulled back.  The tree, the rocks and the bareness are all wonderful.  It should be great.  However, I didn’t avoid or augment the pyramid shape of the composition.  A lateral wash would help this or if i’d just thought more about the tangents.  It’s a great failure.  And an important lesson.

So, my Off* time would be a quick trip to Salt Lake City for Thanksgiving.  The view from my parent’s home is this canyon above Memory Grove.  The first go at it is a nice approximation of a painting.  Really a drawing but not unlike how i’d want it in a finished piece.  Very happy with it.  And what i quite positively refer to as reaching my mediocrity.  I think with this i’ve finally returned to where I was when i last was working with drawing.  Still a long way to go but i’m progressing along a path that’s familiar and i’m not letting my head drop.  It is as foreseen.

I should also note that it was so cold that day that the ink refused to dry.  This was in the Stillman and Birn book…

Another shot on one of the cards that Kathleen gave me.  Maybe notable for its differences rather than better or worse.

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving.  Cheers.