Project #1

I have always loved old photographs...even when they are not of your own immediate family, use them in your artwork, and people will assume that they are related to you.  This happened a lot during senior thesis at MICA; after being initially annoyed, I began to think that there was some eloquence in returning some kind of identity to these forgotten souls (most of these photographs were purchased at thrift stores, and it was sad to realize that there was no one else for them to belong to.

My brother Ronnie bought a whole cigar box of photographs years ago, and last week suggested he and I do a "collaborative" project focused on these photos.  This is the first photo.  He and I will do a separate drawing of the same image, and then compare/contrast.  Ronnie and I both went to MICA, and both worked in charcoal on paper, doing drawings based on photographic imagery, but we have different styles, so this should be interesting.

I am fascinated with space and transparency and layers, memory and houses, and will use graphite (for detail) and charcoal for defining space and depth on the velvety surface of Rives BFK.  I will be more judicious about said surface: time was when I would gesso over EVERYTHING.

Here, I have laid out an initial sketch in my moleskine....I never used to plan anything, and it's not that this will be an exact lift...things may change. In fact, I'm betting on it.