Playing Favorites

I'm featured in The Pulse as part of the "Playing Favorites" series. Seth Apter of the Altered Page started a project way back in June 2011 asking artists to submit answers to questions, today's featured question is:  “share a picture of a favorite piece of art that you have created and explain its meaning to you.”  For my submission, the title seems to sum it up perfectly..."I want more out of life..." which for me means the world...I feel that it is necessary for me to be doing something worthwhile, creatively, my hands are rarely idle and my mind is difficult to turn off...this drawing became one of those special ones for me, I could never part with it...every time I look at it, it surprises me.

I Want More Out of Life..., 2008

There are many drawings that I love...so it was hard to chose from them for Seth's question...
My drawings are created through a stream of consciousness activity starting with random marks on the paper and from there I go with the flow and follow now formal plan or idea...they are intuitive and natural happenings. I use a variety of pencils, hardness and softness...on occasion I will "cheat" and use a ruler if a straight line is required...and goodness knows, I can't draw a straight line to save my life...or I'll use the round cardboard inner ring of a roll of packing tape to make a circle should I think one is needed, but most of my line work comes into being freehand...

A little bit softer now...2005

Lumina #1, 2006

Lumina #2, 2007

 Like children, each one is different, but they are certainly "family"...

Samhain, 2009

Pensive Storm, 2012

Winter Nights, 2011

 Music very often gives direction to my mark making...Beethoven has been a long time influence...but I have very eclectic taste...classical, alternative rock, folk music, blue grass, electronica...old stuff, new stuff...

Joy, 2006

The heart of everything that is..., 2007

For cello, 2007

June Wind, 2007

 Very often the seasonal shifts and weather events inspire the flow, summer storms, murky spring nights after a heavy rain...

Spring Night Haze, 2006

 Some of these feel like paintings...

Evening Song, 2006

Rite of Spring, 2006

Twister, 2007

I probably have hundreds of these by now, I very often work on more than one at the same time, so there are various sketchbooks that I've got lying about with work in progress in various stages of unfinished...some are better than others, but what is important to me is the act of making them...they're a meditation... a "reset button" for me to get away from color for a little while and to make something that requires no planning. I've always loved working in pencil...it's a beautiful, versatile medium, and perfect to learn mark making and experimentation...and learning about  control...learning about freedom.