"Clear In the Air"

This is the freehand sketch, from which will be when straightened, the rendering in 24"x18" on a canvas sheet...  all will be in b/w except the drop, which will reflect a color view...  while at first glance it seems as if the effort is to the textures of the old pipes, contrasted with whatever is to be shown in the reflection in the smooth drop, there is none the less a universalness to be seen and exploited as it were - the trick being not to show the usual, which then removes the trite...

The size is that of in real life, so there is a trompe l'oeil  to this, especially if a background is decided, instead of a blank - which raises the 'what' question...

The Quest for Being Art....

It has been wondered by some over the insistence  of utilizing the word 'themes' over and over on this Society blog, as if omitting the word might, somehow, omit also its importance - namely that if, in all seriousness, there is to have pen and ink considered as unequivocally fine art, then it behooves to elevate it from mere sketches and drawings to something holding more than scenes and studies...   this is not to despair those who spend their time endeavoring over those fore-mentioned studies and scenes, but to extend them to something more in the worldview of art - fine art...   one has to understand that if there are expectations of seeing pen and ink works considered as fine art, a few things needs be done - one is increase in size from the usual sketching sizes - and the other is dealing more with conscious efforts on theming, like it or not...   other matters such as color or not, are basically personal affectations, to be dealt with as one personally wishes - yes, color helps, but is not a necessity, especially as the issue of theming demands more of drama, which is best achieved thru b/w renderings, THEN accentuated with sparse but effective color... when the opportunity arises, as in "My Bigger Back Yard", go full hog on color, as it'd then be effective on showing possibilities if nothing more...   

Further, there is also the issue of minutiae - showing, mostly thru still life, those seemingly lesser aptitudes of life enhancing what in actuality rather profoundly at time affects us, giving greater insight to the complexities of life and the possibilities in dealing successfully...

Still further, the issue of time spent should be a non-issue, as one should spend what is necessary to achieving the desired results, period...  true,. some seem to 'take forever', but ahhhh - the end results, well worth it, rest assured...

Sense-of-Life and Themes...

And then, the contexts in life re-affirm themselves, and all manner of themes glorifying life come to mind...  and it is a wonderfulness to have that affirmation within oneself of the direction long ago begun - 'to hold an unchanging youth is to reach towards the end with the vision with which one started...'  the trick, as is noticed, is to have a vision...

Themes and Sense of Life...

Sometimes I have found that in the midst of many ideas which seemingly flow thru me, not all are of the same sense of life as had always presumed...   perhaps this is a consequence of living alone too much, or perhaps a growing cynicism of how the politics are in this country, or perhaps a jading sense of any of a number of things...   the point is, tho, that these are all moments out of context, not the usual, and pass as fleas dying in the cold...   usually, tho, these less than sterling theme/titles are caught at the outset and discarded without a moment's thought - but now, it seems, an exception came up, tantalizing in its creation, and camouflaged by the bright colors that the composition would have...   it was only on reflection, mulling over a satirical aspect of it, that I came to see the whole as not satire so much as sarcasm, a distinct difference, and which then put this [it was a still life] in the same category as many such of bygone eras as are in museums over the world - anointing the 'frailties of life' , the 'impermanence' of being, of 'destruction' as the norm...

Something so different from my sense of life....

No, I will not name this - and indeed it never got to beyond mental composing, so no paper was wasted over it [I will, however, keep the theme/title, and seeing if later can constructively turn it to its proper, life-enhancing venue], but it has served as a wake-up call to complacency, and a need I see of being more careful of what flushes forth as fruit from the apple tree, that some have worms in them...

and life, lesson learned, goes on...

The Grander View...

Sometimes things turn out a wee different from what had been originally mentally viewed - not that the difference is less than the original, just that it is an altered showing...  usually, as in this case, the viewing is thematically the same, just that some of the components are not as originally conceived...  in this case, it is the sky - where, after so many breaks and delays in the ongoing adventure of rendering this, there was no interest in furthering it, preferring to utilize the original sky idea for another work...  it is fine - the grand view is still here to see and ponder over - and that is what, all in all, counts...                                                                 

Tabby on Sofa Pen and Ink and Wash in Progress

Sorry I haven't been around much. But I wanted to show you all my latest pen and ink with watercolor pencil wash of a Tabby Cat on the Sofa. This one is taking me a long time for the sheer about of Ink detail in it. Only about 3/4's of the way done.

Finally found some time to work on this painting! Have started on the toy she is laying next to, adding more and more layers of color wash. Adding more and more detail to her face and body. The close up below, is pretty close to the color she will be when finished.

And I think I have figured out a name for this painting, "Urban Jungle", kind of just popped into my head.