Drawing Away

Working on the sketchbook today. I took a drawing that I made at the Met - of an architectural bas relief of two animals fighting - and stuck it into my sketchbook (for the sketchbook project). Then I just continued the animals - the bas relief was just a fragment of something much bigger. Then, Little Betty Jane(s) wanted to get into the act. One is sitting on the dragon with a spear in her hand. The other is in the lion's claw. Lastly, I pasted some drawings of leaves from a medieval tapestry fragment around the figural grouping. The drawing was done with a graphite pencil that becomes a wash when wet. It has a really deep buttery black that I really like. There is a detail shot under the full image. The theme of my sketchbook is "Danger, Danger."

Uccelo Dragon

As you know, I am working on a sketchbook for the Art House Coop. The link to them is in the previous entry. I was working on that this morning. I made this dragon out of the cut away paper from the printed Little Betty Jane paper dolls. I love the feel of the printed paper. And, black ink is so yummy. There are so many different shades of black. These prints were done in two sessions - one black was much more blue than the other.

I was working from a Uccelo painting - "St. George and the Dragon." As you know St. George was forever slaying dragons. At least in paintings that is. Well, I just LOVE this dragon. I am not sure the collage is finished....

sketch-age

I have been working on my sketchbook for the Sketchbook Library project for the Art House coop. I know - if you go to that link - you will see some sketchbooks that make mine look lame. But, I really like mine. So much so, I don't know if I want to send it in - when the time comes. I had such a good time working on it. I have been collecting things for a while - things that I find interesting visually and conceptually. I have been somewhat inhibited about putting them to use. But, today - it just flowed. Here are three of the spreads I like. There are detail shots. I could post them if anyone is interested.

Chain of Paper Dolls

Today, I decided to attach the dolls by their hands. Duh! That's pretty obvious. Not that I did it, but that I should have thought of it sooner. Now, I have a million ideas about how to dress them. But, I think....she wants to be a geisha. I feel like she is leading me - I think that is how novelists feel - like the characters are really telling them what will happen next.

Today's work

These LBJ collages are not what I set out to do at the studio today. I had other work I planned to work on. But, for some reason, I find it irresistible to stick Little Betty Jane onto whatever - mostly religious imagery. You can see here that she is moving on to being an equal opportunity blasphemer.




I like the cup. It is a postcard from my trip to London. Zurburan's "Cup of Water and a Rose." LBJ is coming through a slit in the card. Then I collaged on some black hair, eybrows, eyes, nose, mouth.
This is probably not completed. I don't know what else will happen - but something.