Life Drawings (Autumn/Winter 2009)

Annie
Charcoal on Paper
30 x 20"

For sale - contact me for a price.
shelley.zentner@gmail.com

Three Pastels

Untitled Nude (i)

Pastel on Rives BFK Paper

22x30"

Untitled Nude (ii)

Pastel on Rives BFK Paper

22x30"

Untitled Nude (iii)

Pastel on Rives BFK Paper

22x30"

These are some of the drawings I did last year whilst on my mission to do thirty drawings before I started painting again. I've never worked with pastels before, so it was a bit of a revelation. This process really helped me to start understanding colour - both in terms of temperature and composition. I found myself 'weaving' the colours together to achieve the hue I wanted in that particular area. I had a lot of fun!

Charcoal Drawings 8

This is white charcoal on black paper - a really interesting exercise we did in class recently. You have to kind of put your brain in reverse - pulling out the highlights instead of the shadows. What I'm enjoying about these studies is that it's really challenging me to rethink what I 'know' about drawing, and I'm learning so much through the process of experimentation, doubt, failure and success (not necessarily in that order).

Something I was thinking about today was how hard, even in an academic environment, it is to not to contrive a narrative of some kind into my drawings. I do have something of an active imagination, it must be said - I have very vivid dreams and nightmares, and my brain rarely stops for breath, so to speak. Maybe that's a female thing, maybe an artist thing, or both. I've talked before about my habit of anthropomorphosising inanimate objects I paint in still lives - same thing.

Anyway, I thought this model had a kind of medieval quality about him, with the beard and earrings, which lent him a kind of dignified authority - like a king or a warrior from ye olden days. I liked that idea, it gave the drawing an energy I think. We were drawing a female model who fell asleep today, and the character was completely different. I think it's important to tap into what's going on around you to channel into your art - as long as it's stuff you can handle. Sometimes I think that kind of sensitivity can make you vulnerable if you're not aware how much you're taking in.