Self Portraits

My Friend,

How have you been doing since my last post? As the summer winds down, I find myself no less busy and my posts remain infrequent. For a Saturday morning I am posting a couple of self-portrait sketches.

The first is an airbrush sketch and one of our Yorkshires, the late Obie, standing in front of a mantle. It was quickly executed to experiment with techniques of masking and portraiture.


While preping the image for posting I pushed the image toward the sepia and liked the result. I thought that the photograph in the background, in its abstraction, turned out quite well, yet, I haven't tried to replicate it in any form.

I've also included an exploratory sketch print that is engraving printed over a xylene-xerox transfer. The transfer was of a xerox copy of an architectural image placed face down against the print and then the back is brushed with xylene or a Chart-Pak blender. The area where the engraving will be is masked in this case. Then the engraving is printed. The plate is an acrylic plate cut with engraving tools. I found that the acrylic cut much too easily and the line get quite bold unless care is taken.

I'm finding not much interest or practitioners of contemporary engraving, wood or metal plate. I like the look of engraving and am making a study of it in an effort to do more. Luckily money is excellent work to study. I am using what I learn to influence my painting also. I like the power of the contours to infer volume.

I have prattled on too long and will close now. Have a lovely Saturday.

Brad 

Friday Afternoon

Looking Out My Front Door.

Looking Out My Back Door.

Dear Friend,

It's late summer here in Georgia. You could tell that even if you didn't know the date. The air is thick and tropical. It's hot when you get up and hot when you go to bed. I love it, even if it is wearing. It has a certain texture to it. It's Southern. It brings to mind music from summers ago. It brings back thoughts of being young, of barefoot days and front porch evenings, baseball on the radio or Rock and Roll on the clear channel AM stations, waving in and out, fading when your favorite song comes on.

Thought I would share and reminisce a bit. Have a lovely weekend.

Brad

Something Small for Wednesday

Green Earrings, Airbrush and pen on Yupo

Dear Friend,

I just wanted to make a quick post to let you know I am alive and kicking. I have added a portrait I executed in comic style using airbrush, pen and liquid acrylic paint. I like comic art and am drawn to the exaggerated drama. I have tried to incorporate the style in my oil and tempera compositions.

I am wrestling with the direction that my art is taking. I don't want to go away from figurative/portrait work, trouble is I'm interested in so many things that my ADD makes it difficult to focus. I'm not keen on the storytelling facet of images but more on technique and the visual impact of the image. Thus, I am trying to focus on the techniques and tools I am using to produce a more cohesive series and then branching out from there. It sounds rather comic when I read it back, so I guess this line of thought needs some work also.

Have an adventurous Wednesday.

Brad

A Visitor

Biking on Jekyll Island

Dear Friend,

It has been a while since I posted and I wanted to post to assure you that I am still alive, well and kicking. I have been buried in work here recently yet fret not for me, I need the money after the past couple of very lean years. 

Of interest, I have had a visitor in the past few days. I have posted a video of him here. He came to visit three days in a row. He was a juvenile just on the verge of flying. He would come walking around the neighbors house to our front porch where he would relax and drink water from Laura's little fountain. He would stay about three hours and then mosey of on foot.

We have a mirrored sunscreen film on the front storm door. He would admire the lovely bird he saw there. My dog Scooter would bark at him and I guess he marveled at the talent of his new found friend to sound like a dog. Do you suppose he came for the company? I of course was able to sit behind the door and take pictures and video.

He came first on Tuesday. On Wednesday, he startled the FedEx driver. He visited on Thursday. On Friday, he learned to fly.

I will end my missive now. Take care and I will write soon.

Brad