Life Drawing and learning

"David in his Celtic shirt", charcoal life drawing

1.26.12

'Crissy' in repose

graphite sketch,  during Chris Shackel's class

2002

"Mendocino sketch", thumbnail type sketch for painting

Eric Weigardt workshop, Scottsdale Artist School, 2004

I made a vow recently to start making inroads on my last frontier - life drawing!   I haven't pursued training in life drawing although I've enjoyed it off and on since high school, community college, and Landscape Architecture studio . . .and in miscellaneous moments.  The second drawing down is of our famous dog, Crissy; she was an Australian shepherd who's no longer with us.  The sketch is from Chris Shackel's watercolor class in 2002.    The third sketch is a large 'thumbnail' in prep. for a painting during Eric Weigardt's workshop in 2004 . . . . all excellent instruction but I didn't continue my life drawing.

As a following thought after the Calif. Art Club winter symposium I wanted to take the next step in learning,  and life drawing was it.   Yesterday I returned to Dorallen Davis' Marin Art School in Novato; we had arranged for me to do a dropin in for a life drawing session and for me to pick up paintings from a show in Marin.  I don't know if it was Dorallen's instruction, the Celtic shirt or the Sennelier vine charcoal but somehow I made a turning point!  Some good magic happened; I'm happy with the drawing, and got to know and love charcoal in one session. 

Dorallen's instruction and critiques are crystal clear to me.  She comes from the Henry Hensche school of painting, using warm and cools.  I studied Charles Sovek's book when I began oil painting so it's familiar painting ground . Happy with the sketch!  Now I have to find how to preserve charcoal sketches; more to follow.