Sketch Book
Stonehenge. P4.
Stonehenge is a colossal mystery. This architectural feat was on my list to see since my freshman year in college. Inspired by Professor Sasser who showed us photos of her standing at the base of several of the wonders of the world, I dreamed of someday seeing such places. I finally saw Stonehenge in May of 2001.
Stonehenge is so awesome. It minimizes man. Around 2500 BC, 82 large, rough-hewn bluestone monoliths were moved from southwestern Wales to design an alter or calendar. It confirms the will and determination of mankind. Anything is possible. Each stone weights about 5 tons and was placed approximately 6 feet apart.
To draw Stonehenge from several angles gave me a great deal of pleasure and inspiration. It is austere, magical, mystical, and mysterious.
Cacti. P12.
As a result of growing up in Abilene, Texas, I have painted hundreds of prickly pear cacti. I appreciate their form because of their sculptural shape. I love to paint cactus with flowering nopalitos. They remind me of a woman. They're rounded and fragrant, but there is a prickly feature about them, too.
Today, most of my paintings are still abstract. I still enjoy drawing landscapes and bringing the miles of distant planes to a small page of paper. The herringbone-textured lines push the cactus forward.
Conquering Rome in a Day. P2.
I drew this on a ship not far from Rome at the port of Civitavecchia. The drawing is a quick sketch of an accordion player and a violinist. It's very dashed off with blurring lines and a little bit of cross-hatching. the expression is there, the music is there, and the energy is there. It reflects the pace of the day and helped to slow us down after a whirlwind day with new friends met at the train station.
We saw the Vatican, St. Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, the Spanish Steps, the Coliseum, and all of the fountains. We even stopped for pizza and a beer! It was a blur of fast-forward video-- port, taxi, train, taxi, metro, train, and back to port. We actually saw it all. It was an exciting day, but it was too much. Kitty and I have said our day in Rome was a snapshot and we want to go back and spend more time, but it was a great experience.
Tangier, Morocco. P14.
Tangier is a city with its own foreign mystique. By day, its a busy, lively city of merchants selling wares and beggars everywhere. By night, it requires visitors to be street-smart as it can be unsafe, but if you're relaxed, it can be quite intriguing.
Its architecture leans more toward a fortress style with a strong sense of survival and endurance. It's mostly white as though the sun has blanched the color of night out of it.
Kitty and I visited Tangier while cruising and we hired a guide and a taxi driver, both dressed in traditional attire. They led us through twisted little streets and back shops where we bought exotic oils, pungent herbs, and intricate hammered silver. Without our guides, we would still be there.
I drew this from the observation deck of the ship as I looked back and felt its international aura and its powerful magnetic pull of all that's out of the ordinary.
Base Romance. P17.
The bass instrument, the moon, and vino all contribute to the night's romance. It's a composition of textures and two people blending together. the abstract textures and shapes merge to become one.
The Pond Outside Our Bedroom. P23.
This koi pond drawing is a composite of various plants and leaf shapes that are a microcosm of a world at peace outside our bedroom. The koi live securely in this lush landscape befitting this gorgeous fish. They exist without danger of racoons or possums finding them. The gecko rests securely on a rock as dragonflies hover like ceiling fans cooling this rich, serene world of many colors. Water flows, giving life and movement to this garden pond.
The painting that came from this drawing is a vision of serenity that silences viewers as they take in a world at peace.
Vision Quest. P30.
After a Colorado art show, I decided to spend some time camping on a mesa in the northwestern New Mexico desert. A friend of mine had 6,000 acres in which to get lost or found. What started out as three days turned into 27 days of solitude and painting. this retreat provided me time to be alone with myself and my painting. During this time, I faced fears and joys. The sketch reflects this time in that it represents the three parts of me that I encountered: my past, present, and future.
It was a marvelous time when I afforded myself the privilege of crouching over my campfire and gazing into the hot red embers or dousing the campfire and leaning back in a chair to watch a magnificent meteor shower in total blackness. It was a simple time of cold cuts and cowboy made coffee, and it was a treasured time for expanding my art and myself.
Girl With Her Hand In Her Hair. P6.
This woman sits in the lap of luxury on a cruise liner enjoying herself and a fish dinner with wine. On the horizon, another ship passes in the opposite direction. Fluffy clouds cross the sky heading east and a school of fish swims west. Even the wind moves her hair and she tries to hold in in another direction. Motion and movement surround this woman as do detailed straight and curved lines.
This whimsical drawing of textures, with time and focus on line work, reflects how many different kinds of lines and spaces surround her and enjoy her, as did I, sketching her.
Just Sax. P36.
This drawing has become a painting because you can hear the powerful, rich, mellow music from the saxophone and guitar, as well as, feel the ambiance they create. She's beguiling and beckoning. He's seductive. Their music-making is magical. Even the cat stops to listen.
Like good jazz, I want my art to be a surprise: improvised compositions expressing feelings and atmosphere. As these musicians play their notes, the art plays on the canvas to captivate you.
