Folded Wings

Today the opposite of tomato is Lonely Angel Dust


graphite & putty eraser/30x20cm

Back to the 'roadkill' diptych series, & an interestingly folded example of compressed subject/object matter.

Soundtrack:


Nick Drake 'Five Leaves Left', 'Bryter Layter' & 'Pink Moon'
Cocteau Twins 'Lullabies to Violaine'

It's that suitably autumnal time of year when one remembers the passing of Nick Drake, of course - not that any excuse should be needed to appreciate his still-wonderful albums...

And More Express Portraits

Being the latest couple of 'express' portrait sketches...


graphite/each 15x10.5cm scraps

The Rise and Fall of the Letter P...

With thanks to Lambchop for providing an appropriate title for this post, with this particular drawing-as-processed we find ourselves back in the room with the familiar subject matter of found 'roadkill', again featuring a truncated, 'synechdochal' fragment of a brand name amongst the folds of the compressed, re-formed object, tenaciously retaining its identity within its altered circumstances...


graphite & putty eraser/30x20cm

Soundtrack:


White Stripes 'Elephant'
Lambchop 'Aw, C'mon/No, You C'mon'
The Beatles 'White Album'
Low 'The Great Destroyer'

More Express Portraits

Continuing with the series of 5 - 10 minute portrait sketches as opportunity has allowed over the course of the week, including a few examples of subjects sporting striking, 'enhanced' red hair (which scans v. poorly, alas!) amongst some interesting styles.
Given the fascination of the human face & its different instances, it's a particular challenge to capture at least something of an essence within the short space of available time...




graphite/each approx. 15x10.5cm scraps

Express Portraits

A departure here from the habitual working method of slowly processed, labour intensive drawings, in the form of a couple of by-necessity quick-fire observational sketches made within the context of the workplace (incidentally finally achieving a long-held ambition of, effectively, being paid to draw, or at least having the opportunity to draw whilst being paid: result, of sorts, albeit compromised by the confines of one's duties), enabled by a temporary change in situation, from one's usual station to another vantage point where such an activity as drawing, momentarily at least, might be possible. As the subjects are limited to a maximum of 15 minutes at their adjacent station, thus time is very much of the essence in the capturing of such...


graphite/each approx. 15x10cm scraps

More of the Same...

graphite & putty eraser with watercolour/30x20cm

Being the reverse of the compressed can depicting the 'lemons still life' design as featured in the drawing posted immediately previously, & also, incidentally, the 100th drawing of this year.

Soundtrack:


Rae & Christian 'Northern Sulphuric Soul'
White Stripes 'De Stijl'
Tara Jane O'Neil 'A Ways Away'
Moon Wiring Club 'Shoes Off and Chairs Away'
Hanne Hukkelberg 'Rykestrasse 68'

Lemon Squash...

graphite & putty eraser with watercolour/30x20cm

The latest drawing in the 'roadkill' diptych series, processed from found subject/object matter, & featuring, courtesy of the design depicted upon the surface of the compressed can, the representation of a still life composition within the still life of the object itself: the picture-within-a-picture being, of course, a familiar artistic trope.

Soundtrack:


PJ Harvey 'White Chalk'
Cat Power 'The Covers Record'
Mogwai 'Come On Die Young'
Hanne Hukkelberg 'Rykestrasse 68'
Moon Wiring Club 'An Audience of Art Deco Eyes'
Boards of Canada 'In a Beautiful Place Out in the Country'

A Celebration...

Other than the traditional pyrotechnics, today is noteworthy for being the second anniversary of Lauren Nassef's delightful 'A Drawing A Day' feature, an event worth acknowledging & a resource always worth visiting with pleasant anticipation to see what surprise awaits, as the artist continues to generously share her wonderful, beguiling & admirable drawings, which have, not least, such a beautiful, delicate yet purposeful way with line: in terms of the range of subject matter & execution, there's nothing quite like them, as things to be treasured, two years' worth of which constitute a most impressive archive.

'

Today the opposite of tomato is Cat Power's interpretation of 'Wild is the Wind'


graphite & putty eraser/30x20cm

Well, if Sigur Ros can entitle an album (), then why not head a blog post with an apostrophe?!

The reason being...in an incidental kind of way, perhaps the most notable feature of the synechdochal fragments of brand identity visible amongst the folds of the found 'roadkill' subject/object matter of this latest drawing is the double incidence of an apostrophe, a rare if not possibly unique occurrence of a punctuation mark within the general context of this particular body of work.

More punctuation-as-art in the form of a work in neon, 'Bones', by Fiona Banner, an artist long-immersed in the use of language as her formal means, as may be explored on her website.
A site-specific exhibition context instance of 'Bones' may also be found here


(about two-thirds of the way down the page).

Soundtrack:


Cat Power 'Moon Pix'
Lamb 'What Sound' & 'Between Darkness and Wonder'
Echo & the Bunnymen 'Crocodiles' & 'Heaven Up Here'