Saturday, December 27, 2008

"Strawberries & Plaid"

work in progress

I've been obsessed with drawing and painting people ever since I can remember. As a child, I would copy the drawings on the sewing pattern covers, tear apart my mom's magazines and draw the people in the ads - as a teenager, I filled up sketchbooks with hundreds of drawings of people on the commuter trains. We, as physical forms, are fascinating. Add the clothes and we become more so.

I've also been spending my holiday time watching the epic movies ~ Ben-Hur, Lawrence of Arabia, King of Kings, etc. Gasp when I say it, I don't mind - television is a constant source of inspiration for me as a painter. Take 'Lawrence of Arabia' - the figures and camels against the blinding desert with long shadows. There's hundreds of paintings in that movie.

My work today may be altered, don't know yet. I'm gonna go watch a movie.



6 comments:

Making A Mark said...

Bottoms are a whole big subject all on their own! :)

Your many, many hours of experience of drawing people shows in every painting you do.

michelle said...

I think it's great practice to pause movies and do quick gesture drawings of the figures. Especially costume dramas. Good way to learn more about drapery.

Princess Rashid said...

I love the "sass" in the figure on the left. Great counterbalance with figure on the right. The colors and angles you used aid the emotive effect. Can't wait to see how it turns out!

TSL said...

I agree with Princess. Sassy pants was my thought when I saw the shorts on the figure on the left. I also thought that was me a few years back, and now I am more like the figure on the right. Great job as always.

Karen Appleton said...

I love this composition! It is such an interesting observation on pattern of form, space, and of course the actual patterns in the clothing. How big is this painting? I can imagine it on a really large scale. Fantastic!

Mary Sheehan Winn said...

Because those are some of my husband's favorite movies, I, too, have noticed the richness of the costumes and sets.
Your people paintings are in a class by themselves. They sing with life.