The daily dose of art "CLAY DRAWINGS"

Staying with the clay for one more day - a few years ago while working on some clay printing inspired by my month in Italy, I began drawing on discarded pieces of clay prints with markers and felt-tip pens.  It was the beginning of a love affair that lasted several years.  The initial drawings were followed up by a series of drawings of Italian street scenes, and later, Paducah architecture.

Several clay prints to be used in the drawings.

Tribeca

Bologna

Must be somewhere

THE DAILY URBAN LANDSCAPE #53 Drawing on clay

Today's urban landscapes are drawings on clay mono types.

Fells Point in Baltimore

Big Red inspired by the piazza in Greve in Tuscany

THE DAILY URBAN LANDSCAPE #41 Bologna Italy

We will be in Italy at least one more day, looking at the streets of Bologna.  The first painting shows Cafe Napoli, one of two restaurants located a few blocks from my apartment, where I enjoyed several meals.  The second drawing was inspired by a block of buildings I passed frequently on my daily walks, and captures the look of the cities streets.

Cafe Napoli

THE DAILY URBAN LANDSCAPE #40 VIA FAMILIGA

I've had fun creating my own Italian streetscapes inspired by my time in Bologna, all named after family.

Via Renzulli

Via Sarafina

Via Spartaco

THE DAILY URBAN LANDSCAPE #39 IN ITALIA

I should have known better than to go into my portfolio of Italian drawings.  It is difficult to move on to other places.  But since this is my blog and my facebook page, I can stay here as long as I want.  Besides, I am shameless and readily admit that I love these "clay drawings".

 Via Ferrucio in Castellini in Chianti

A view from the piazza in Greve, a village in Tuscany

THE DAILY URBAN LANDSCAPE #38 The delightful towns of Italy

It was bound to happen.  There is no way I could post just two paintings from Italy, and move on to other places.  I'm hooked, which means the Daily Urban Landscapes will now be coming to you from the "old country".  Most of the paintings are mixed media drawings - pen, ink, markers, and acrylic - on clay mono types printed on assorted fabrics and paper.

 Dinning out in Castellini in Chianti in Tuscany

Via Garibaldi in Parma

TAKING STOCK

Formaggioria...mixed media drawing on clay mono type...6x16"

When I left my medical practices to devote more time to art I left behind people who trusted me with their medical care; relationships and friendships that were forged from that trust ended because of the choices I made.  I still feel the guilt and remorse over the disruption I caused, leaving the noble work of medicine to “become and artist.”  Perhaps it was an effort to compensate for this that I silently promised them I would never stop trying to be the best artist I was capable of becoming.

This year will mark our tenth year in Paducah, ten years to totally immerse myself in my art.  Have I achieved the best of my capabilities?  Probably not, in every journey there is always the opportunity for one more step.  But I have kept my promise to try to take that ever-present next step.  Art has become the defining purpose in my life and my commitment to it has never wavered.

Do I believe art is as noble a calling as medicine?  No, I don’t; a physician has the responsibility to serve others, directly, whereas the artist works in solitude, touching the lives of others indirectly, through the finished work. But it was a call, one that I could not turn away from. I have no regrets about the paths I have followed and would do it again in spite of the consequences.  The alternative would have been to live an unhappy life filled with regret and unfulfilled dreams, always wondering…what if….?

I’ve learned a great deal about the craft of making art since my first gallery show in 1977, and over the year have become comfortable working in several different media.  I’ve become familiar with the basic principles of color, composition, and perspective, and the importance professionalism and the rudiments of self-promotion.  Finding answers to the many technical and professional questions I encountered was not very difficult, but the one question I have always struggled to understand is why I paint and draw what I do.

  Black at sunset...acrylic...10x30"

Cambridge...watercolor...12x17"

DRAWING ON THE PAST...

There is no predicting where we will find ourselves at times. Yesterday, after whining about the absence of the muses, I found myself on an interesting path.

In the '80s and early '90s I visited many towns and cities in the eastern U.S. in search of material for cityscapes and townscapes which I would publish and sell, both retail and wholesale. I worked from photos and slides that I carefully cataloged, filed, and saved. Yesterday, as I began a series of small drawings from these files, it occurred to me that it would be fun to re-visit all of the places (through the photos) and create a new series of drawings documenting those visits.

What makes this of interest to me is that on many of those trips I was accompanied by one of several very dear friends who joined me for the company and/or to help with the driving. There were often times I would be hanging out the car window with my camera trying to catch a scene or building that could only be done from the road.

The more I think about this project the more interesting it becomes. It remains to be seen how it plays out.

The first 2 photos are from Paducah:


The next photo is from my trip to Charleston SC in 1988, accompanied by my daughter Amy.

THE ART OF PADUCAH

It seems like I'm spending as much time in the kitchen as in the studio lately, which is good for my spirits if not my waistline.

However I'm still working out there, just on a smaller scale. The acrylics have been put away for awhile, replaced by pencils, pens, and ink. My latest project is the creation of an iBook of paintings and drawings of Paducah, combining old work with new drawings. I hope to be able to announce a "publication date" soon.

DOWNTOWN DINNING III... CLAY DRAWINGS

Three more in this series of clay drawings:


Shandies...the new kid on the block...clay drawing...9x12


Whalers...clay drawing...11x14


Di Fratellis...clay drawing...14x11...I know, there's a little bow her.

Several more are in progress and I'll post them as they're completed.

DOWNTOWN DINNING II... CLAY DRAWINGS

Here are 3 more drawings from this series:


Cynthia's...clay drawing...14x11


BBQ & Ice Cream...clay drawing...11x14


Tribeca...clay drawing...11x14

I feel like this combination of clay prints and drawing has so much potential, and I am only scratching the surface (sometimes literally) of it. In the back of my mind, coexisting with so many others, is the idea that I can expand the scope of what I'm doing with this media. Whether or not this comes to be remains to be seen. There certainly are enough subjects available to me.

DRAWING DOWNTOWN DINNING

I thought I would spend a little time with the clay...specifically the clay drawings...focusing on downtown Paducah, choosing the local restaurants for my first set of drawings. I don't know how far I'll go with this series, but it gives me something to do and think about besides pasta, napping, reading, and worrying about everything else. And they are fun to do!

Here are the first three...they all measure 11x14 (or 14x11)


Kirchoff's

C.C. Cohen

Max's Brick Oven

A LITTLE OF THIS...AND A LITTLE OF THAT...

best describes my activity in the studio over the past few weeks. I've completed several commissions and even returned to the clay drawing. I'm still working on the review and cataloging of the pics of old work, may even get a few photo books out of all of this when I'm done.

Here are the latest 2 clay drawings, both of Paducah landmarks:


Familiar digs on Market Square...clay drawing


Grace Episcopal Church on Broadway...clay drawing

And, from the repository of old works, I have these to show, both from the early '80s.


Cape May Pink...watercolor

Cape May Blue...watercolor

IT'S TIME TO MOVE ON

I've been basking in the glow of our opening reception for a week...long enough! The show is still bringing visitors to the gallery, along with several commissions, so it is time to return to work, which I did several days ago.

The first thing I did was to try and borrow the approach to the clay drawings and apply it to a watercolor based painting. It went like this: First, a well defined pencil drawing on 300lb. Arches paper, followed by color washes of the buildings, but not the details, Second, re-drawing the scene with a sepia pen and adding details to windows and store fronts with markers, Third, further delineation of the details, windows, etc. with ink, watercolor and acrylic, and enhancing the buildings with pastel dust. The last step was adding the trees with acrylic.


Via Garibaldi in Parma...mixed media...16x26

While this was going on I kept myself busy with another clay drawing, using a new support for the first time. It is called Typar, and I like the way it receives the ink line.

As I Remember...clay drawing...8x12

WHAT IS A CLAY DRAWING?

Recently I’ve received several queries asking what exactly is a clay drawing and how are they done. I will try to describe the process in this post.

First, a description of the process of clay printing, as developed by my friend, Mitch Lyons.

A slab of stoneware clay 3/4 to 1 inch thick is pressed into a firm framed base mounted on a solid support table or bench. The surface is smoothed and leveled with the edges of the frame and is allowed to dry overnight to a “leather hard” consistency. There is no “correct” size: it can be small and portable or permanently situated in the studio. This clay base will act as the “plate” in the creation of the mono type. My current clay plate is 30x40” and is 8 years old. By keeping it covered with wet paper and plastic drapes it will last indefinitely.
Liquid clay, known as slip, is produced by mixing water and kaolin powder in a blender to a light pancake batter consistency and several coats are then brushed onto the clay slab. This slip also becomes the “paint” by the addition of pure pigments, dry or liquid, and is used to create the image by its application to the clay slab. The final result is a flat slab of clay in which the image is embedded.
A moistened support, fabric or paper, is placed on top of the clay and pressure is applied using a roller or brayer. The support becomes impregnated with a thin layer of the clay resulting in a transfer of the image.
The resulting one of kind images have characteristics unlike those produced by any other method. The variety of techniques that can be used in this process is limited only by the imagination and curiosity of the artist.
All the materials used in this process are archival and the pigments share the same light fastness as other tradition pigments. The finished print can be framed under glass, or given a protective coat of varnish and stretched over a canvas stretcher.


My clay "plate" is about 3/4" thick and measures 32x40" In the lower left corner is a series of 3 colors I applied to create one of my drawings. Below is a close up of the same.


The next step is to print this on one of variety of supports. For the series of drawings from Italy I have been using Reemay, a non-woven fabric, as well as Pellon, and other interfacing materials available at the fabric store. This next photo shows a number of such prints.

Now all that remains is the drawing. For this I've been using a variety of pens and markers, primarily Faber-Castell, Prismacolor premier, Micron, and Pilot...all using water resistant, lightfast ink.

For dramatic highlights I may add one or more touches of acrylic to the drawing, as in the umbrellas in this piece.

AUTO PILOT...

that's what I feel I have been on for the past several weeks, at least in the studio. One clay drawing after another, and slow but steady progress on the watercolor. I hope to complete this "work cycle" in the week ahead...on Friday, I leave for a long over due trip back home (MD, NJ, DE,AND PA) to see family and friends. I expect to be away for 10-12 days. If all goes well, I will have this watercolor completed before I leave. Here is the latest update, as well as the most recent clay drawings.




It could be Parma


Wash Day

TWO CLAY DRAWINGS

are all I have to offer today. I started a new watercolor and should have something to show in the next day or two.

I'm enjoying experimenting with different supports for the clay prints. I go to Hancocks (our local, very large, fabric store)and rummage through their selection of interfacing looking for interesting textures and weights. In the first of these clay drawings the printing was done on a heavier fabric with a somewhat shiny or sparkling surface which unfortunately does not show in the photo.


Midieval Bologna...clay drawing...8x11

This piece was done on a thinner paper-like interfacing which is a pleasure to draw on


Clay drawing...approximately 14x11