While in Australia I painted some field sketches plein air
͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
| Field Sketches in Australia & New Art |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Though our itinerary was extremely fast paced (and wonderful!) I did carve out some time to create some field sketches while in Australia in true 'plein air' fashion! Though on the top of Mt Kosciuszko (the highest point in Australia) the 'air' was a bit wild! At one point even blowing my sketchbook out of my hands, the painting from the top of the mountain with majestic views was a challenge as the paint would actually dry on my brush in the brief seconds of going from pallette to sketchpad. The result is probably my most 'sketchiest' of field sketches - but it has turned out to be one of my favorites because of the memories associated with it. |
|
|
| |
|
|
| As we hiked the trails through the Snowy Mountains (yes, the same stomping ground as the movie by that name!) I did some quick sketches of the rocks and the Snowy River. Though we were there in the summertime there were still patches of snow on the mountains, and we even had the fun of making a small snow man near the summit of Mt Koscisuzko. |
|
|
| |
|
|
| On the Sydney coast from Coogee to Bronte
|
|
As we explored the beautiful oceanside, I did a sketch in watercolors, but felt that the white of the ocean spray just couldn't be truly captured on the white paper, so I ended up experimenting with watercolor on my toned sketch pad and using white conte. I really liked the result!
Field sketches aren't meant to be a finished piece of artwork, but are wonderful tools for the artist. They are used to help 'capture' a scene, a feeling, a moment - later in the studio these field sketches prove invaluable as the artist goes back over them, and many times they are used as research for larger works of art in the studio. Having these 'fresh' sketches can prove more insightful to the artist than photos taken of the same subject matter.
Field sketches are usually done very quickly. It's a good discipline as well because you usually don't have much time if you are trying to capture a particular place with the sun and shadows constantly moving. These sketches were done in 5 to 10 minutes. My mentor Dr. Sam Gore told me early on to train myself to no longer than 10 minutes on any sketch! |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Working with the INCREDIBLE glass artist Tammy O'Connor - she just finished another piece for our glass and sculpture series. This particular piece is titled "Awaiting the Last Verse". The center part of the glass is a gorgeous diochromatic cross with a mirror behind the glass and when the light hits it the results are spectacular. The back of the glass has details and interest, just like the back of the sculpture. We have two more pieces and then our series will be completed. I have half of the series on my website: To view our work click here.
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| Working in the studio on my Margaret Corbin sculpture for NYC - I am having to recreate the plasticine original in a fired stoneware so that the sculpture can be in a permanant medium and safely transported. The museum is sending a fine arts shipper to the studio to personally pack the sculpture under my direction and then transport it to the Museum of the City of New York in early April. I will keep you updated with this exciting news, as well as some new sculptures currently in the kiln! |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
