Figuratively

So after slogging my way through all manner of traditional subjects, I have finally made my way back to the human figure. This time with a sumi brush. I feel like I'm back in my first drawing class.

Still, it's not like there's no progress. I include a pic of this baby sketch because it reminds me of that freakish dancing baby vid that started circulating the net in the late 90's. That memory still makes me cringe.

So color *does* make a difference

I wasn't sure how well this would turn out, but I recently added color to this painting which was previously just in shades of grey (right). The addition of color has made a huge difference. I now ready the flowers as white instead of grey, and I think I'd like to frame it and hang this somewhere I can see it daily.

A little abstraction

A little abstraction is a good thing now and then. I'm not a big believer in abstract expressionism, but letting go and freeing the arm to do as it pleases can be very theraputic.

Although I might wish for better ink control, I was actually pretty pleased by the outcome of this piece. It gives form to the energy of the moment, whatever that might mean. In the end, I felt it sort of reminded me of a peacock's tail and a tornado at the same time.

How does it look to you?

Dabbling in Mamals

I was fairly pleased with how this turned out.

I know it's not entirely anatomically correct,

but as a mental image of a horse,

it's not at all bad, wouldn't you say?