Tape 010

009 3 Apertifs

008 Stopper

007 Three Random Photos of My Dad When Young

in progress 3

In Progress 2

004 in progress

I have these old photos of my dad as a young man that I am drawing as a group. Instead of drawing the photographic image to leave the viewer wondering if it was drawn from a photograph or from the actual subject, I want to make it clear that these were drawn from the photograph, that they are drawings of photographs, not the subject.

But at the same time the subject is fully present.

What is also really interesting to me is that these photographs hint at a side of my dad that I never really saw. I knew him as a traditional, conservative man who was a football player, tough business man, and a cigar smoking golfer. Some of it is just the era the photos were captured and the changes of time but the car that he is proudly standing next to, the 'bathing beauty' pose, the bowtie with the polka dot umbrella conjure a softer image than I am used to associating with my dad.

If nothing else I found a bit of humor in them.

I measured my walking route in my neighborhood that I have been walking almost daily. I took the car out and drove the loop including the park at the edge of the neighborhood and it measures 2.5 miles exactly. I think I walk it in about 40 minutes.

Yesterday I had the added benefit of walking across campus from a faculty meeting where one of my colleagues gave me a box of books. It wasn't heavy at the start so I turned down the offer for a ride (across campus, are you kidding?) and by the time I got back to my office it was a good workout.

Nuremberg Castle 003

What I think I'm seeking in this 100 drawings in 100 days project is a departure from last year's project. So instead of objects about the size you can hold in your hand, I'm turning to other sources for imagery. Room views, more complex still life arrangements and tonight, photographs.

I have a few photographs in my studio that were taken by my father when he was in the service and stationed in Germany. I think about what his experience was, what he saw, how it felt and what his memories might have been.

April of 1954 is the date written on the backs of some of the pictures.

What is interesting to me is that they aren't all tourist snapshots but rather composed photographs that seem to reveal his artistic eye and desire to create artful photographs.

Brush Can 002

001 Cluttered Kitchen

With the lowest tempuratures yet this year and a wind chill factor going down to -20 degrees, Bette D. and I had a very blustery walk this evening. I am very happy to have a warm home, even if the kitchen is messy.

Hangers On

I like the hangers-on of holiday lights and this house has red and white so it will be just fine all the way through Valentines day.

Walking and Drawing - but not at the same time.

My original 100 day project was dedicated to Ed Liska who died one year ago at age 93. Yesterday his lovely wife Claire died and I would like to dedicate this next 100 day project to her memory. To live life so well, for so long, loved by family and friends, surrounded by such lovely people, and giving so generously is truely an inspiration. I am fortunate to have known her.

Today is day 1. January 19, 2011. Day 100 will be April 28, 2011. And I am inspired by my friend Nona who did 100 days of walking, so that is what I plan to do. But blog posts of a walk might not very interesting so I will also do 100 days of drawing.

In April I will be enjoying a residency at the Ragdale Foundation for two full weeks. My proposal for the artwork I will do while in residence is a large scale piece, a scroll that is rolled up while it is being created to hide the worked areas. Only minimal marks will be exposed to connect to the next section. While that piece will be large in scale, for this 100 day project I will do a smaller scale version to begin working with the hidden scroll method.

So, Walking And Drawing (but not at the same time). Photos from the walks and of the scroll will be posted periodically, if not daily.