Figurative Abstraction

I'm taking two courses this fall and winter, Fundamental Acrylics and Understanding Contemporary Art.  It happens that they're both required but I'm liking them a lot.  We have 3 assignments for the history course, the first is below -- Figurative Abstraction starting from a photograph.  I used a magazine ad and through various permutations ended up with a drawing.  I only noticed later that every time I kept the woman's face visible.  In fact her face was my focus and every drawing began there.  The teacher asked for more texture, background and play with perspective -- so that's how I ended up where I did.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



The Journey

 

 

 

 



The Journey by Mary Oliver

The Journey

 

One day you finally knew

what you had to do, and began,

though the voices around you

kept shouting

their bad advice--

though the whole house

began to tremble

and you felt the old tug

at your ankles.

"Mend my life!"

each voice cried.

But you didn't stop.

You knew what you had to do,

though the wind pried

with its stiff fingers

at the very foundations,

though their melancholy

was terrible.

It was already late

enough, and a wild night,

and the road full of fallen

branches and stones.

But little by little,

as you left their voices behind,

the stars began to burn

through the sheets of clouds,

and there was a new voice

which you slowly

recognized as your own,

that kept you company

as you strode deeper and deeper

into the world,

determined to do

the only thing you could do--

determined to save

the only life you could save.

 

 

Mary Oliver, Dream Work, 1986.

Evolution of a painting

The Journey (with thanks to Mary Oliver)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

And I'm still tinkering ...