Behind all my art is observation and gesture – the expression of what I see in rapid, loose marks that flow directly from direct intense observation of a subject. My love of gesture was honed in the short warm-up poses of the figure drawing sessions that I attended at the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art, Oxford University, from 1979 to 1982 (whilst studying for my degree at Pembroke College). Life drawing (drawing the figure from life) has been a part of my art practice ever since. The short gestural “warm-up” poses are frequently the most dynamic and I always loved the challenge of capturing the essence of what I saw in a few quick marks on the paper. It is many years of gestural drawing from life that have enabled me to do what I do as a live event painter. Here are a few examples of my life drawings.
Carla, 33″ x 23″, 2017
Beebe, 18″ x 24″, 2019
Carla, 20″ x 25″, 2017
18″ x 24″, 2018
Amber, 18″ x 24″, 2018
Beebe, 18″ x 24″, 2018
Brittany, 18″ x 24″, 2018
Jaycee, 2018
Jaycee, 2018
Jaycee, 2018
Jaycee, 2018
18″ x 24″, 2018
18″ x 24″, 2018
Alex – multiple views #1, 22.5″ x 30″, 2018
Alex – multiple views #2, 22.5″ x 30″, 2018
Alex – multiple views #3, 22.5″ x 30″, 2018
Amber in yellow, 22.5″ x 25″, 2018
Amber – 3 minute pose, 12″ x 24″, 2018
Carla, 22″ x 32″, 2017
Inky – 5 minute pose, 12″ x 16″, 2017
Inky – 10 minute pose, 12″ x 16″, 2017
Inky – 5 minute pose, 12″ x 16″, 2017
Inky – 5 minute pose, 12″ x 16″, 2017
Signe – 5 minute pose, 9″ x 12″, 2017
Anna – drawn over the top of watercolor by my mum that she created in the 1970s, 35″ x 24″, 2016
Anna – 3 views, 23.5″ x 16.5″, 2016
Rhonda reclining, 16.5″ x 12.5″, 2016
Prudence on beige, 20″ x 25.5″, 2016
Torso, 19.75″ x 25″, 2016
22″ x 30″, 1989
1 Comment
Bonnie R Billings
October 4, 2018You are so inspiring to me as an artist. I review your work weekly as an inspiration. I am not quite at your level but I am so inspired to get there. Your PainterTV videos are helping me tremendously to learn the digital Corel Painter program.