My inner thoughts while drawing the first day of advance drawing class at Glassell.

Thursday was the first day of my advanced mark making and gesture drawing class.   Considering the first day of class  jitters I decided to draw a figure I know well (less stressful). My goal was just stay loose, stay loose,  stay loose, draw instinctively, no plan, DON'T get stuck in details. Experiment with the materials - how many different looks can I achieve with a charcoal chunk, spray bottle and a push pin? Stay loose stay loose stay loose. Do not worry about details. 

FYI-I used the push pin to mark on the paper by slightly tearing the paper, similar to engraving.  

Happy dog VII 

Happy dog IX 

Happy dog X

Happy Dog X 

Happy dog XII 

Happy Dog XII 

Happy dog VIII is my favorite. 

"the Michelangelo of caricature" Honore Daumier

Bronze bust exhibited at Museo Soumaya by Honore Daumier 1808-1879

The work of  Honore Daumier might be an interesting way to study the history of France.  He made over 4,000 prints as well as many sculptures (caricatures of many political personalities and events) before going blind. 

Happy national dog day

Everyday should be happy dog day.  

Happy dog in wildflowers  

Collage, charcoal,  pastel

8' x 6'" On cloth (vintage sheet

It is intimidating and fun to draw on something as big as a bed sheet. Plus starting on a busy patterned surface is not the norm. I used color pastels to enhance the flowers that worked and gesso to wash out the colors that were not working. I found this old sheet on eBay. I think I had this exact pattern when I was a teenager. this was a lot of fun - I hope you can tell. 

Happy dog day- 🐾🐾 

Museo Soumaya - Dali, butterflies and Lady Godiva

The combination of the high gloss bronze finish on Lady Godiva in contrast to the traditional bronze patina of the horse is really eye catching and in my opinion makes the piece.. 

Playing with bubbles

It just does not sound right to say "working with bubbles" or maybe it is just more fun? Any way it is what I did today. 

My mess is below. 

My goal today is to creat 6 pieces in my shake shake shake -

in coffee and walnut oil

So I can put together a couple of lenticular prints.  

It is or I should say I am very messy.  

Bubble detail.  

Dali's body of work is well branded.

It seems Dali was "Persistent" with time well as Memory. You don't even have to add the artist name to know who is responsible for these bronze sculptures. Well done Dali, well done.

My water lilies and art

I walked out to my patio late this morning to find this breath taking beauty.  I understand how Monet was inspired to paint so many paintings of  his pond.  It is especially inspiring  this time of the year, since the night blooming lilies take their time in the morning to close as we move into fall. Bisexual the lilie will open 3 nights the first night it is a female and the 2nd and 3rd nights it is male. The large bloom is about 8" across. How cool is that? 

I would draw this lilie by I just don't think you can beat a photo of this lilie.  

Missouri water lilie still open at 9:00 am.  

My favorite artist and my uncle- john warren travis

Check out his website http://www.johnwarrentravis.com  

His amazing work and his encouragement inspire me everyday.  

sequins, mirrors and aluminum tiles

Guess who is wearing sequins on the cover of a dance catalogue probably 1977? And what does it have to do with art? Very little but it is just fun to see the same look applied to fashion (drill team fashion of the 70's),  millennial contemporary lighting (disco ball chandelier) and Contemporary architecture. 

If you can't laugh at yourself who can you laugh at???? Those jazz hands.....and big hair - the good old days.

Disco ball light fixture Sage and I made this spring for her new digs in Montrose. (mother daughter project) 

Museo Soumaya - 16,000 hexagonal aluminum tiles 

"The beauty is broken". Exhibit by Camille Warmington

@Lawndale art center  

 Camille Warmington's  paintings are a  study of family photos. Building this body of work has allowed Camille to   connect with her past and her mother who past away at 30 when Camille was 13. Beautiful work @camillewarmington  #houston #painting #art

Sculpture is all about lighting and never under estimate the importance of the title of work.

Museo Soumaya Sculpture Exhibit - post number 2

The light from the skylight was hitting this small sculpture so beautifully,

 as I got closer it just got better and better......

but when I saw the title "La noche"  - well I will never forget this piece. It is terracotta on a wooden base by Albert - Ernest Carrier - Belleuse of France c 1860

I will definitely put terra-cotta on my list of materials to explore. The texture of the clay looks like pores in her skin. The imperfections = beauty. + light + great title never hurt.

Drawing with coffee, walnut ink and bubbles.

Anna is a whitish golden retriever who has lovely white paws and legs with golden ears. Last week she was in her first wedding. When the groom whistled she ran down the aisle with a wreath for a collar right to the feet of the beautiful bride Sarah. This is a wedding gift for Sarah. Thank you Gina for the wedding play by play. 

I experimented with drawing with coffee instead of ink.  I thought it would make a better likeness for a golden retriever.  Black ink just says black Labrador. Did it worked? 

I will mail it next week Sarah.  I would love a picture of the bride and groom and anna to post. 

shake shake shake -Anna                     33" X 20" 

coffee, walnut ink and bubbles  

I felt my heart skip a beat when I reached the top.......

Museo Soumaya -The spiral walk way to the top floor is windowless. When you get to the top of the ramp you just stop  - and gaze. The light from the centered skylight light backlights the exhibit and acts like a veil. As you walk onto the exhibit floor the sculptures are revealed. The light makes the whole room glow and every piece seems to be the prominent piece of the exhibit. The entire floor is open and dedicated to the museums sculpture collection. I could not stop thinking how the artist in this collection must be smiling to have their sculptures exhibited in this museo.There was a certain peacefulness to the area. It was like the calmness you feel alone in the wilderness surrounded by beauty. 

 I have several photos and videos to post from this exhibit and will try to post one every morning until I run out of good shots. I will post my of favorites Saturday morning.

Muralist Movement

Since I love monumental drawings I am particularly drawn to the Mexican Murals.  On the way to the Belles Artes Museo we saw the below mural. I am not sure the message or the artist, but the pieces does a great job of expressing anger and frustration. The drawing is 3 stories tall and interestingly the broken gun is on the corner of the building. It was cool to see a modern day mural right before we saw the works of Diego, Camarena, and Siqueiros. The Muralist movement started in the 1920's and was a powerful way to make a political statement. 

A mural a block away from the Palacio de Belles Artes. 

Curtis and Griffin lead the way to the Palcacio de Belles Artes in Mexico City- Neo classical , Art nouveau with an interior that is Art deco all rolled into one. The dome is crystal and there is a Tiffany in the theater. 

Liberacion or (The man is released from the misery)1963 by Jorge Gonzalez Camarena part of the muralist movement 

Work in progress 8-19 More bubbles

shake shake shake - anna 

Today I am experimenting with a "shake shake shake " of a golden retriever named Anna. Anna is so loved she was in her owner Sarah's wedding. I didn't think black ink would work for a golden so first I tried coffee then I added a little walnut water color for the darker areas. These need to dry then I will add more bubbles and shakes. Then I will send the best one off as a wedding gift to a beautiful bride. 👰🐾

Works in progress  

pyramid pigments and drawing with nectar

In Teotihuacan just out side of Mexico City climbing the pyramids we discovered the source of Mexico's vibrant colors. A local told us that back in the day (100-200 A.D.) there is evidence the pyramids were very brightly painted with pigments from the local vegetation. His demonstration was so cool and surprisingly vibrant I had him do it again so I could video it. Griffin Klement is my translator. Gracias Griffin

I love the idea of pulling a plant out  of my garden and drawing with it's nectar. 

This mural from National Museum of Anthropology of the feathered serpent is a great example of what the pyramids used to look like when freshly painted.

Another example of the native pigments used  on the stone carvings of the feathered serpent of the Teotihuacan pyramids. It is on display at the National Museum of Anthropology. 

.

"The Umbrella" is an impressive sculpture of concrete and bronze

Visiting Griffin in Mexico City I saw an amazing sculpture in the entrance of the vast courtyard of the National Museum of Anthropology. It is a monumental bronze piece, "El Paraguas" as it in known in Mexico is the sole support for a concrete roof that shades the entire vast patio and functions as a water feature. Besides the size what I love the most is the water cascades down from the top of the umbrella spokes instead of spraying up. Concrete, bronze and water I was in heaven.

the shadow of the Texas Rangers- late 1920's

"The Shadow of the Texas Rangers - late 1920's" The Texas Rangers in Fabens, Texas (a suburb of El Paso). This drawing is from an old photo that my grandparents gave me. The shadows were really bad, but I always loved the photo. These Texas Rangers used to board with my grandparents whenever they went to the Texan-Mexican border during prohibition. My father remembers the Texas Rangers staying with them, going with his father to the edge of the Rio Grande River, and leaving money under a rock. The next day, someone from Mexico would wade across the river on a mule to get the money, and leave bottles of booze in a hole under the rock. This is where the term mule came from. 

"the dark side - four Texas Rangers -late 1920's"

I did this drawing in June, which I decided to call "The Dark Side - Four Texas Rangers - late 1920's". With considerable creative freedom, I took these four characters from my original Texas Ranger's photo. This is a 50" X 70" MONUMENTAL drawing.  While finishing the drawing, I debated with myself (for a brief second) on whether I should put in the rifles, or leave them out. I had the feeling that rifles in a six foot drawing might be a little offensive in that time, the summer of 2015. I decided to be true to the history of the 1920's, and drew in the rifles, but faintly. After all, my grandparents would not have allowed anyone to live in their home, if they did not feel they were good people, and it was 1920. I took the drawing to a class critique at the Houston Museum of Fine Art Glassell Studio school, and sure enough, it was evident to me that at least one person in the class was very uncomfortable with the rifles. The animosity I felt from this one individual regarding this drawing and the rifles was eye opening. I was surprised that this drawing could evoke such unintended emotion.  The smaller piece I did a few months previously did not evoke any negative feelings in a similar critique. After the experience, I hesitated to post this drawing, not wanting to be offensive to anyone or to give the wrong impression. I have since researched the Rangers, and found that they did have a dark side. There is no doubt that many good men were Texas Rangers, however, like many systems of law enforcement you can find corruption and abuse if you look hard enough.  I do know my grandparents would not have tolerated anyone living in their home that were not good men. So I posted this picture, aware that there is a dark side to the Texas Rangers, but ultimately deciding not to condemn all for the poor decisions of a few. Further evaluating what caused this image to evoke such a negative emotion, I think it has to be the dark shadows. The shadows make these men very sinister, but the truth is, these men probably did not even realize they were standing on the dark side of the rock wall. On a lighter note, I was very happy with the use of the negative space, and how the lack of detail in the images gives the piece energy.

photo from the 1920's of the Texas Rangers in Fabens Texas.

This is the original photograph - there was only one name written on the back of the photo - Harold Slack. I have googled his name and not come up with anything.