Michael

Blog Readers- A change is as good as a holiday!  Interspersed in my blog will be a few more reflective pieces.  This post gives insight into an important part of my life- Art.  The emails are a close reflection of actual correspondence with another artist. Hopefully you find it interesting and refreshing. All the drawings featured are mine, done from life.  Anne    

Michael

  

         

Hello – I am delighted to discover someone else on this site who is clearly as passionate about figure drawing as I am. Thanks for posting some images of your work. I think they're dynamic and so full of vitality and at the same time audaciously confident and accurate.  I think you’re brilliant how you suggest at bone structure, musculature, form and movement within a single image. 

Fantastic work, congratulations! I have a weakness for decisive line, myself.  Anne

Anne - It’s a funny thing, life drawing – scribbling images down on crappy paper, most often with them ending up as fire starters, but occasionally there is something worth keeping. That makes it all worthwhile.  Thank you for your compliments.  I’m intrigued by your work, you’ve only got the one drawing on the site – is there somewhere I can see more?   I am happy to communicate with another figure drawer.  Michael

Hi Michael

You make me laugh.  I find that far too often the quality of my image is in direct disproportion to the quality of the paper upon which it is drawn.  Most often, when I pull out an expensive sheet of paper the end result is unworthy.  Probably the stress around having to ‘produce’.  I have always enjoyed the challenge of life drawing, I know it will take a lifetime, or beyond, to hone my skill at it.  I also find it extremely therapeutic.  My theory is that one has to concentrate so intensely on the drawing, any other worries are unable to encroach into one’s head at the time.  Here’s a link where you can see a few of my drawings. https://plus.google.com/photos/107399415030224853515/albums/5645752012341825665?banner=pwa

Anne, wow, lovely!  You’re not scared of extreme foreshortening and you nail the feet and hands. Feet are always a challenge, and yours are superb. I hate it when I wreck a drawing because I bugger up the hands or feet.  M

Hi... I used to battle with feet / hands, do ghastly amorphous suggestions,  or v amateurish with too small fingers. So resolved to conquer them- did 1/2 hr each day drawing my own from the mirror. So now, for me they are my default. If I am lazy or tired I settle on a hand or foot study. I feel like a bit of a cheat because it's really not difficult and one can get away with horrific inaccuracies!  With faces, I find it impossible to flatter, so do no justice to lovely girls with my brutal line.

I have learned that no matter how long I do life drawing, I am only happy with about 10% of the pieces.  This proportion hasn’t changed for me over time, I just keep (hopefully!) raising my bar higher.

My two friends, Sharron and Kaye, and myself have been drawing together weekly for over ten years.  Even now, it still feels like playing the lottery.  With each new pose, we feel enthusiastic and inspired and think, “Maybe this time, it’s going to be a winner!”  Though often there are mornings of duds we still love to come back for more, possibly because Leonard Cohen is the patron saint of our group, so we get our Leonard Fix, even if the art part causes disappointment.  A

Anne,... Ah,  Leonard!  Now there's a master of his art!  You're right, it is totally like gambling.  Very, very rare that what one hopes for comes to pass!  I also find it difficult to flatter when drawing.  To me, the lack of structure in young beautiful girls makes them difficult to draw without aging them prematurely.  I am far more interested in portraying form above flattery.  This is why I stay away from portraiture!  Your 10% satisfaction rate holds true for me as well. M

Hi Michael

Thanks for the link to your website.  I passed a happy half hour, glass of wine in hand, browsing through your images. There is both a maturity and accuracy to your work that is rare in figure drawing.  I do hope you are exhibiting somewhere?   Anne

Anne

Not exhibiting drawings, but I do sell my paintings at a couple of galleries.  I find the public has little interest in life drawings.  I set up the website in a desperate attempt to self-promote.  I really dislike blowing my own trumpet in this way.  M

Hi  Michael- I know EXACTLY how you feel about self-promotion. I always hated that part about the art. Why can't we go back to the days of patrons? I used to have a website but somehow it vanished into the cyber vapours, and then I became too busy with the hassles of real life to fuss over it... So for now there is just a sorely neglected art blog.  Anne

Anne- You intrigue me, I think we’d make a good fit – I am drawn to you.  LOL!  What do you think about meeting in person?

Michael - sweetie, did you not notice that I am over twenty years older than you? Even though you may not be as keen on drawing the beautiful young girls, I am pretty sure that when it comes to dating, you’d rather have a beautiful young one than an over fifty old crock like myself!  I am flattered but I really don’t think anything by way of romantic would pan out between us!

I wish you all the best- I know you’re going to go far, if you can draw like this with so few years of experience under your belt, I can’t wait to see what you’ll be doing when you are my age!

Thanks.  Keep well, keep drawing.

Anne