Four poses

Four charcoal drawings out of about a dozen poses from the Tuesday Night drawing session.

Profile

Stretching and Twisting

Pointing That Way

Sitting on Pillows

The Student

The Student

Sketchbook Miscellaneous

The Cerrillos Kid 

Sketching on a flight to Mississippi

Santa Fean in Mississippi

Stoic in Stowe

Stoic in Stowe
Digital print from original watercolor
30" x 40"

An ancient, stoic tree in Stowe, UK, on the Stowe House and Gardens Estate which dates back to the late 1600s. Stowe became known as the most beautiful landscape gardens in Europe. Public access to the House and Gardens started in the 1700s and continues thru today. 750 acres of the original property is now owned by the National Trust. A fascinating feature of the gardens is the use of the ha-ha, a recessed landscape design that creates vertical barriers for livestock while providing unbroken vistas from the main house. This kind of landscaping requires a capable garden designer, and much of the design here was carried out by . . .  Capability Brown. Not kidding.
Not only was I fortunate enough to see the almost endless architectural wonders at the site (temples, bridges, grottos, lodges, arches, gates, pavillions, statues, fountains, columns, monuments, fields, alcoves, sculptures, gardens, obelisks, a rotonda, and a tower), I also got to see this tree.

Moon Pendant

Young Woman with Moon Pendant

Turns out that I’m pretty good at drawing moon pendants. Who knew? Can’t wait to see what the model wears this week. 

Aussie Visitor

Life drawing at Argos Gallery with John
From Daniel Worth’s sketchbook

When Australian artist friend Daniel Worth was in Santa Fe last month, he went to the Wednesday night drawing group at Argos Studio/Gallery with me. His sketchbooks are filled with gouache paintings made during his travels. Check out the self-deprecating comparison of his drawing on the left and mine on the right. Love the detail of the metal clips holding his drawing to his board. And Argos Studio/Gallery Director Eric Thomson in the background. Very cool stuff.

Daniel is located in Melbourne. You can see more of his art at danielworthart.com and check his blog at danielworthart.blogspot.com.

Lucian-esque

Another drawing group, another model. This time it was the Thursday night group that meets just a half-minute down the road from me. The model reminded me of Rubens, or Lucian Freud, although this model is Twiggy compared to the model in one of Lucian’s most famous paintings (Benefits Supervisor Sleeping). 

Nude Shadow

Model Shadow
Charcoal on newsprint

Blonde Bangs

Blonde with Bangs

Male Study

Male Study

Awesome Hair

Art As Art

Sculpture at the Santa Fe Botanical Gardens
Gouache on watercolor paper

Art of a piece of art in the middle of landscape and botanical art.

An Aussie artist friend, Daniel Worth, visiting from Melbourne, amazed me with his sketchbooks of drawings painted with gouache. I rendezvoused with him recently at the Santa Fe Botanical Gardens for plein air painting. I sketched this sculpture in the the gardens with a felt-tip pen on watercolor paper. Later in the studio I painted it with gouache colors, then scanned it and juiced up the contrast a bit.

Visit danielworthart.com to see Daniel’s work.

Go to danielworthart.blogspot.com to see his blog.

Studio 316a

Studio 316a Thursday night drawing group’s first-ever model

Another Thursday night pose

A new Thursday night life-drawing group started this week at the studio of Matthew Gonzalez. The Studio 316a Drawing Group can be found online at www.meetup.com/studio-316a-rabbit-road-drawing-group.

Even though this was the first official meeting of the Studio 361a Thursday night drawing group, Matthew has a long history of starting and hosting successful drawing groups in Santa Fe.

Studio 316a is located at 316a Rabbit Road. I plan to add Studio 316a to my regular weekly drawing-group schedule, especially since it’s just seven tenths of a mile from home. No turns, no traffic, no stop signs or traffic lights. Just an occasional rabbit between here and there.

Thinker

Thinker
Charcoal on newsprint

Three Poses

Three of about 20 poses from a recent life drawing group. This model makes every pose look classic. Even upside-down.    

Muscular

Muscular Model
Charcoal on newsprint

Last week’s model looked a lot like me. 

Two arms, two legs, white hair . . .  

that’s about it.

Botanical Gardens

Rock Sculptures at Santa Fe Botanical Gardens

Original: acrylic on watercolor paper
Digital print on paper
22" x 18"

Plein aire painting with friends at Santa Fe Botanical Gardens.

Shoulder Accent

Shoulder Accent

Drawing the Wednesday night model brought back memories of going to Prayer Meeting at the First Baptist Church every Wednesday night when I was growing up. 

To help pass the time I would draw. 

I still draw on Wednesday nights, but the drawings would probably get me banned from Prayer Meeting. 

I’m totally okay with that.

Arched Back

Leaning Back

Unfinished Feet

Unfinished Feet
Digital print from original charcoal on paper life drawing

Mermaid Tavern Sign

New signage for the Mermaid Tavern

Our house is known as the Mermaid Tavern. It’s not a real tavern, at least not one that makes money, but there are similarities: a well stocked bar, food, regular visitors, late night events, an outdoor patio, etc.

The name comes from a 16th century tavern in London, which was located at the corner of Friday Street and Bread Street. A monthly meeting of notable writers, poets, and thinkers, known as The First Friday Club used to meet there on the first Friday of every month. Therefore, the monthly gathering that happens here at our Mermaid Tavern on the first Friday of every month to read a Shakespearean play is also called The First Friday Club.