Light Off, Hand Up!

Maria, graphite study, 6x 8, TMDD Series

When my Sun Torch turns off at thirty minutes, my hand goes up. No drawing after time's up. Then it's time to put the drawing materials away and reheat my coffee.  So it went with head number....I lost count.  The object is not how many, but how well is my eye catching the angles and common points?  I'm pleased with how things are going. 

page from Van Gogh At Work
(I used Alla Prima II to prop the page
level for the camera).
 

But I hadn't planned on drawing this morning.  I wanted to study Holbein's charcoal pencil or ink and chalk drawings, but the book was missing.  It had been added to my pile downstairs next to my reading chair. When I sat down to read, however, Van Gogh At Work  stole my interest and I fell more deeply in love with this artist for his early works, the mixed media drawings in black chalk, opaque watercolour, pen and ink. One drawing/painting held my attention for quite some time, The poor and money, done in 1882, about a year and a half  after VG decided to study to become an artist.  What I liked about it was how NOT stylistic it was--it was gestural and not tightly drawn like the later paintings we all know.  I was moved to bring my  watercolours and colored pencils out of  storage and up to my new drawing space, which was my design studio before the 2010.  --And I'm thinking of resuscitating my Koh-l-noor pens,  Faber pencils and Windsor Newton watercolors as well, for all materials that were in Van Gogh's box back in the 1880s! These morning sessions may be in danger of getting longer?  I hope not.  I've already got a big deal going on in the studio with the Venetian Technique.

The Poor And Money, mixed media, Van Gogh, 1882