The Little Sketchbook

My last post was about a drawing that was the final drawing in this little sketchbook. The first drawing was done August of 2008 and was a study of an Egon Schiele painting. The last was the sketch I did of the Oscar Kokoschka sculpture , "Self-Portrait as a Warrior" in January of 2013. It took me four and a half years to complete this little book. It's dog-earred and heavy with ink now and I'm glad to reflect on the journey that it documents. This little visual journal has helped me reconnect with making art and though it has been a slow process, it's been worth the time. Part of the effort was regaining confidence in my ability to create art that has some value and meaning to me. Another part has been to spend time gazing with loving intent at art objects that inspire me, in this case primitive art. There's an unself-consciousness to primitive art that I envy and admire. The fierce, powerful shapes hold a magic that I don't often recognize in contemporary art. I hope by inscribing them again with hand and eye, that I might invoke some of their mystery.

The first drawing that I posted from this book was a portrait of Luis Buñuel. I drew him because I love his quote, "Thank God I'm an atheist". Some other drawings that I posted from this book included; a portrait of the surrealist Oscar Dominguez, an Edgar Allen Poe, an African Akan sculpture, another African mask, this time from Basonge, Zaire,  and a Mexican primitive piece, Tlaloc, the God of Rain. There were other posts from this book. If you click the "art" tag it will sort out some of them.

Now I need pick a new sketchbook to start on. This time I think I'm going to go larger.

OK HW

The Expressionist-Beatnik Connection

My latest drawing is of a sculpture by the Austrian Expressionist artist, Oscar Kokoschka titled, "Self-Portrait as a Warrior". It currently resides in the Boston Museum of Fine Art. I chose to draw this piece for several reasons.

First, I love the shape and power and emotion of this sculpture. Even though it's suppose to be a "Warrior", rather than looking fierce, I think he looks frightened. The second photo is of the original work (Courtesy of a blog called "Tall Tales From the Traveling Thornberries"). The second reason I picked it was it reminded me of the  underground comix artist Mark Marek who did a book called Hercules amongst the North Americans. The third and finally motivation was I think there is more then a passing resemblance to Jack Kerouac's running mate, Neil Cassidy; hence the "Beatnik Connection".

The coincidence is a bit uncanny as Kokoschka's sculpture was done decades before Cassidy was even born. Beat writing certainly have an expressionist feel.

This drawing finally completes a sketchbook that I've been working in for way too long. Here's the full shot of the drawing.

OK HW