Sunday, March 25, 2012

Michigan Fine Arts Competition


The Michigan Fine Arts Competition, a juried all-media exhibition for Michigan artists, will be on display at the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center from March 30 - May 4, 2012.  The opening reception and awards presentation will take place from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m., on Friday, March 30, 2012.  My drawing, "Dust and Thunder", has been juried into the exhibition along with over a hundred other works by Michigan artists.

This year's juror, Mi-Kyoung Lee, will be presenting a lecture as well as a Material Expressions workshop on Saturday, March 31, 2012.

For further information, please visit the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center website.

Monday, March 5, 2012

Equine Work-in-Progress: Muzzle Detail


Above is the detail on the muzzle that I have laid in over the value drawing, minus the final whiskers.  One of the most challenging aspects of drawing for me, is the need to constantly and consciously fight the urge to execute every tiny, little detail.  Over time I have learned a bit --just a bit -- about the importance of suggesting detail, rather than drawing every excruciating grain of sand, piece of hair, or thread in the fabric.  Upon stepping back and assessing this horse's muzzle, I was (am) unsure as to whether I have successfully limited the level of detail.  As I carry on and build details in the other areas of the image, I will be better able to evaluate this.  Given that it is drawn on Uart sanded pastel paper, softening and blending the level of detail can easily be done.

So, back with my nose to the grindstone -- or in this case, the sandpaper.